When math doesn't add up for a kid how do math centers factor in?

Not everyone needs to be an accountant (no disrespect, since it's a great job), but it's hard to dispute that as an adult it's important for nearly all of us to be able to verify our phone bill is correct, tip the restaurant server, double a recipe, budget for a big purchase and understand our mortgage or credit card financing before we sign our names on the line.

When you have an elementary school kid who needs help with math, there are distant concerns like high school and college but, beyond academia, many of us could easily drink out of the coffee mug with the wisecrack, "Another day has passed, and I didn't use algebra." While I am personally content to leave "X" as the unknown, I am on the hunt to find "Y" we can't get these grades up a bit.

Where did you start when looking at math programs?
I actually started using an online, free site called Kahn Academy - it's a great program based on grade level and I have a friend whose daughter went from remedial to honors (this daughter was really amazingly self-motivated). I personally think it's worth checking out, if you're exploring options. But, the same internet connection that links us all to free math resources, also lures some children (ahem!) to the amazing world of cat videos and Harry Potter fan clubs, as they sneakily take "breaks," leading to more intense supervision, which ultimately culminates in a stalemate of "I don't get it. This is boring. I'm thirsty...."

Where do you find someone who makes learning math more interesting than cat videos?
I honestly don't know. If you do, you need to email me.

So, what did you do?
You won't find cat videos at Mathnasium in Parsippany. They don't seem to employ distracting technology, focusing instead on smart college students and many math teachers, with a low student/teacher ratio. They develop a curriculum for each child and literally create a specific book for each individual child based on a first assessment test.

The reasons I chose Mathnasium are obviously my own and I plan on writing more beyond today (our first day) to see if this works out, because programs like these are a big investment. I'm also interested in other programs you may have tried, so feel free to comment.

So, here is my reasoning:

1. It's in town. You can go as often as you like, so I figured it's like joining a gym - the proximity provides a degree of shame for wasting money if you don't use it, thereby I hope to take them often.
2. There is no homework. Do you like reviewing daily math homework? Would you like to add more? How many kids do you have? Like 3rd grade - these things start multiplying!
3. They have prize cases like Lucky Leo's in Seaside - huge glass cases filled with little toys like you'd get for getting one ball in during a round of Skee-ball. We all know you need to actually win a lot of Skee-ball games to look at the high shelf where the cool Hatchanimals or a DIY robot kit might be at Leos. Similarly, you have to accurately complete a bunch of math work to make your way to their also covetable back display case. My girls both stared into that case intently, which gives me hope.

Next, I plan to interview my older daughter, who is amused by the idea that I would like to interview her, and report her own impressions of the place. As a hint and as you might guess, her first impressions had nothing to do with math. And, she's observant of interesting things and funny, so hopefully you'll want to hear more, or share your own math woes or successes.

Note: I am not affiliated with this company in any way. I know that there is a lot of growth in learning centers throughout our town, and I thought this experience might be interesting or useful to someone else, and hopefully we can share some laughs and lessons along the way.