They can follow the explanation.
Each step makes sense when the teacher identifies the relationship and chooses the method.
FREE LIVE PARENT WEBINAR
They understood
the lesson.
Why can’t they apply it
when the question changes?
Your child can follow an explanation and complete familiar practice questions. But when the same idea appears in a different form, they may not recognise how to use it.
Pattern Thinkers helps children apply what they have learnt when questions look different. Discover the thinking behind independent application in a free parent webinar with Dr Norman Tien.
Notify me when webinar dates openYOUR GUIDE TO SEEING MATHNEUROMATH ACADEMY
MATH TALENT ARCHITECT
Dr Norman Tien
Founder, Neuromath Academy
20+ yearshelping students
See Math
See Math
“What do you see now?”See the structure. Connect your learning. Apply it independently.
20+ yearshelping students See Math
10,000+students trained
60+ schoolsacross Dr Norman Tien’s work
THE BELIEF BEHIND PATTERN THINKERS
See Math. Not Memorize Steps.
DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?
“I understand.”
Then the next question
looks different.
Knowing a concept and recognising when to use it are different abilities. When your child knows the topic but still gets stuck, look at how they connect the new question to what they have learnt.
They need the method named again.
On the next question, they ask “Which method do I use?” before trying to connect the information.
A new appearance hides a familiar idea.
Different objects, wording or diagrams can make a relevant idea difficult to recognise.
EXPERIENCE THE APPLICATION GAP
Understanding one solution.
Using the idea in another.
Try these two questions in order. Notice what happens between understanding an explanation and recognising where to use its idea again.
01 · UNDERSTAND AN IDEA
Find the height of the table.
The tables are identical. The same balloon animal and shoe swap places. Each measurement is the vertical gap between their tops.
Try it before opening the solution.
Diagrams adapted from Dr Norman Tien’s example. Not drawn to scale.
See how the solution works
Combine the two views.
Imagine stacking the left picture above the right picture. The two measured spans meet at the top of the shoe.
170 + 130 = 300 cm. The combined span starts one balloon height above the upper table and ends one balloon height above the ground. Shift it down by that same amount: it measures two table heights.
Two tables = 300 cm
One table = 150 cm
The useful idea: the objects swap places. Combining the measurements removes their difference and reveals twice the table height.
PAUSE BEFORE THE NEXT QUESTION
The solution makes sense now.
Could you recognise where to use its idea again?
The next question changes the objects and the layout. Try it before revealing the connection.
02 · APPLY IT WHEN THE PICTURE CHANGES
Find the length of rectangle B.
A, B and C are rectangles. Each rectangle keeps the same dimensions in both arrangements.
What can you work out from the two views?
Think about the relationships before choosing an operation.
Show the connection
Different objects. A related structure.
In the table question, swapping the objects changed the measured gap. Here, A and C exchange roles around B.
The first measurement includes C but leaves out A. The second includes A but leaves out C. What happens if you combine them?
Try finishing from this connection before opening the solution.
Show the full solution
Each extra part balances a missing part.
The 155 cm span is B plus C, with A left out. The 119 cm span is B plus A, with C left out. Together, the added and missing A and C balance out, leaving two copies of B.
BB
155 + 119 = 274 cm
Two copies of B = 274 cm
B = 137 cm
The connection is in the relationships, not the appearance. The learner must recognise why the idea fits before applying it.
WHAT DID YOU NOTICE?
Following an explanation and applying its idea independently are different tasks.
A child may understand every step of the table solution yet need someone to identify the connection in the blocks question. That is the application gap Pattern Thinkers is designed to address.
Explore the application gap in the webinarTHE THINKING BEHIND INDEPENDENT APPLICATION
Knowing a method.
Knowing when to use it.
When someone else identifies the relationship and chooses the method, your child may understand every step. Working independently requires them to make those decisions themselves.
See what the information reveals.
Work out hidden information and relationships before searching for a familiar method.
“What else can I work out?”Recognise relevant learning.
Look beyond the objects or wording. Decide which concepts or previous ideas fit the structure.
“What do I know that could help?”Adapt the idea to this question.
Use the relevant idea to build a reasoned solution, then check that it fits the information given.
“How can I use it here?”WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER IN THE WEBINAR
Help your child
use what they know.
Experience why a changed question can hide a familiar idea. Learn what to observe when your child understands a correction but cannot apply the learning independently.
Dr Norman Tien will explain how Pattern Thinkers develops recognition of structure, connections to prior learning and independent application.
Notify me when webinar dates open
LEARNING TO SEE MATH TOGETHERMEET DR NORMAN TIEN
Math talent architect.
A teacher of thinking.
Founder of Neuromath Academy, with 20+ years helping students See Math.
Norman has trained teachers in Singapore schools to help students “see” math. In this webinar, he will use examples to explore why children can understand a lesson yet struggle to recognise when and how to apply it.
His work has reached more than 10,000 students across over 60 schools.
FEATURED & INTERVIEWED ON
“What do you see now?”A question that makes room for your child’s thinking.
DO YOU RECOGNISE YOUR CHILD?
They put in the effort.
You give them support.
Why is math still a struggle?
You want your child’s hard work to count in their confidence, their independence and their results. If either of these feels familiar, this webinar is for you.
“Why must I sit beside them for every question?”
- Homework takes up the evening. You keep prompting them to carry on.
- You explain it today. Tomorrow, they need your help again.
- “I don’t know” comes before they have tried a first step.
WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR CHILD
A child who can start, think and try without waiting for you, so math feels less frustrating and homework no longer takes over your time together.
In the webinar: discover the difference between following your explanation and using a learnt idea without your prompting.
“They know the topic. Why are they still losing marks?”
- They can do familiar practice questions but freeze when an exam question looks different.
- They understand the correction, then get stuck on a similar question.
- You worry that tuition and revision are not translating into the performance they are capable of.
WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR CHILD
A child who can use what they have learnt when a question changes, approaching it with a plan, a reasoned first step and the confidence to keep going.
In the webinar: experience why knowing a concept can still leave a child stuck, and how recognising structure helps them decide what to apply.
Understand the gap between knowing and applying.
Join Dr Norman Tien to explore how children recognise connections and apply their learning independently.
The free webinar welcomes parents of P1 to P6 children.
THE PURPOSE OF PATTERN THINKERS
Learning that your child
can use independently.
Pattern Thinkers develops the thinking needed to recognise relevant structures and apply prior learning when a question looks different.
What the programme develops
Children learn to look beyond a problem’s appearance, identify how its parts relate, and decide which ideas can help them solve it.
The webinar introduces the programme and explains the learning format, parent involvement and how progress is reviewed, so you can decide whether it suits your child.
What progress can look like
- Your child explains why an idea fits the new question.
- They adapt their approach when the conditions change.
- They begin without someone naming the method.
- They check whether their reasoning fits the problem.
These are behaviours to observe. Progress varies by child.
PARENT EXPERIENCES WITH PATTERN THINKERS
Less waiting for help.
More willingness to try.
Parents describe the changes they noticed in everyday math learning.
“Math homework used to take 2 hours with frustration. Now he finishes in about 45 minutes, mostly on his own. He stopped asking ‘how to do’ every few minutes.”
“My daughter used to fear math. Whenever she saw a question she didn’t recognise, she would go quiet and say, “I don’t know.” I could tell she had already given up before even trying. These days, it’s different. She still pauses... but she tries first. She doesn’t shut down anymore. Now she approaches questions calmly and confidently.”
“The biggest eye-opener was realising my child was guessing most of the time. After learning the system, she became much more structured and confident.”
“Math used to be a daily conflict at home. Now he works independently, and our relationship improved a lot. That alone made it worth it.”
“My daughter went through multiple tuition centres and even had a private tutor who was a Math HOD. Honestly, we spent a lot. But the results just didn’t change. After Pattern Thinkers, I noticed something different. She doesn’t look around or wait anymore. She starts working through the question. For the first time, I felt the money was actually going somewhere..”
“Hi Vanessa, thank you for the detailed weekly updates. It’s been really helpful in understanding his progress and I’ve also noticed that he’s changed his approach to math questions. There’s more logical thinking and he stops to think more. He used to either give up or pluck numbers from the questions or come up with a sequence that may not make sense so it’s really heartening to see the progress he’s making as the lessons go along.”
What would it mean if your child could use what they have learnt without waiting for someone to name the method? Explore the application gap in our free parent webinar.
ONE SHARED BELIEF · DIFFERENT PRIMARY FOCUSES
How does this differ
from CurioMITY?
Discover what is hidden.
Develop the habit of noticing hidden information and relationships through hands-on adventures.
“What can I discover from what is given?”
Apply what has been learnt.
Develop the ability to recognise relevant structures, connect them to prior learning and use that learning independently.
“How can what I already know help me solve this?”
Seeing supports application. Both develop independent thinking, with a different primary focus. CurioMITY is not a prerequisite for Pattern Thinkers.
HELP YOUR CHILD USE WHAT THEY KNOW
Understanding today.
Applying independently
to the next question.
Join Dr Norman Tien’s free parent webinar to explore why understanding an explanation may not carry into the next question, and the thinking children need to apply their learning independently.
Live online webinar Dates and times coming soon No payment required
Leave your details and the team will contact you when sessions are confirmed. This is an interest registration; your webinar session will be confirmed later.
You’ll also be introduced to the Pattern Thinkers programme during the webinar. No enrolment is required to attend.
Join the webinar interest list
Dates coming soon. Leave your details below and we’ll notify you when sessions are confirmed.
A FEW HELPFUL ANSWERS
Before
you join.
My child already has tuition. What could I gain from attending?
School and tuition can build your child’s knowledge. This webinar explores the application gap: why a child may understand that knowledge yet struggle to recognise when and how to use it independently.
My child does well in math. Is this still relevant?
Yes, especially if they handle familiar questions confidently but hesitate when a question looks different. You’ll explore what happens at that moment and what to look for beyond whether they know the topic.
I’m not confident in math myself. Will I be able to follow?
The webinar is designed for parents. Dr Norman Tien will guide you through examples so you can experience the difference between understanding a solution and applying its idea to a changed question. You do not need to know the solutions beforehand.
What will I take away for homework time?
A clearer understanding of the application gap, what to observe when your child meets a changed question, and why choosing a method for them can hide the thinking they still need to develop.
Does my child need to attend?
No. This session is for you as a parent. You’ll try examples yourself and connect what you notice to your child’s experience, so you can come away with a clearer picture of how to support them.