Math Enrichment Programs in NYC · Upper West Side · Grades 1–12 · Small Groups of Six
SOMATH is a real math enrichment program in New York City — not a tutoring service, not an app, not a worksheet packet. Small groups of six, in-person on the Upper West Side, taught by Harvard- and Kellogg-trained educators on our own 24-class year-round syllabus at every level from 1st grade through AP Calculus.
Book a free 30-minute evaluation →What we do
Math enrichment is what happens when a child gets more than what any single grade-level curriculum provides. Deeper reasoning. Harder problems. Better fluency. A stronger foundation than the school day alone can build. It is the answer for parents who look at their child's math and think: they can do more than this.
The word "enrichment" gets used loosely — sometimes for apps, sometimes for after-school clubs, sometimes for supplemental homework help. At SOMATH, math enrichment means something specific: a real classroom, a real teacher, a real curriculum, and small groups of six students working through problems together, once a week, for 90 minutes, year-round.
We built SOMATH because the alternatives on the Upper West Side did not fit what we would want for our own children. One-on-one tutoring is expensive and reactive. Kumon is worksheet-based and self-paced with no teacher in the loop. National franchises use rotating staff and generic curricula. We wanted a small school with its own curriculum, taught by educators who actually teach — so we built one.
Enrichment vs. everything else
Parents ask us all the time: is this tutoring? Is this like Kumon? Is this like Mathnasium? The honest answer is that all of these categories overlap but do different things. Here is how they compare.
| SOMATH enrichment |
1:1 tutoring |
Kumon | Math apps (IXL, Beast) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Small group, in person | 1:1, in person or online | Worksheet center | Self-paced app |
| Teacher-led? | Yes — teacher teaches every class | Yes | No — child works, adult checks | No teacher |
| Best for | On-grade or ahead, wants more | Behind, needs to catch up | Drilling arithmetic facts | Homework practice |
| Curriculum | Proprietary 24-class syllabus per level | Follows child's school | Kumon workbook packets | App algorithm |
| Peer discussion | Yes — students see each other's thinking | None | None | None |
| Cost (monthly) | $246–$489 | $120–$300 / hour | ~$180–$220 | $10–$25 |
See our long-form comparison: IXL vs. SOMATH vs. Kumon — an honest NYC comparison →
The tracks
Every SOMATH student joins one of three age-based enrichment tracks, plus dedicated test-prep programs for older students. Each track runs on a 24-class syllabus we wrote ourselves — no worksheet packets, no improvised lessons.
The arithmetic-and-number-sense track. Place value, addition and subtraction with regrouping, the meaning of multiplication, early word problems, and the first structured problem-solving habits.
Multiplication and division fluency, multi-digit operations, fractions and decimals, ratios, and multi-step word problems. This is the track that separates on-grade students from strong ones by the end of 5th grade.
Pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry. Signed numbers, expressions and equations, proportional reasoning, functions, coordinate geometry, and the first exposure to formal proof. The track that decides high-school placement.
SHSAT for rising 8th graders. SAT math, Algebra 1 Regents, Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, and AP Statistics for high school. All taught in the same small-group format by the same teaching team.
Why SOMATH
Who this is for
Our families are usually not looking for tutoring. Their child is doing fine in school — often better than fine. But the school-day math is not enough. It moves at the pace of the middle of the class. Word problems are single-step. Fluency is assumed rather than built. And by 4th or 5th grade, the gap between "on grade level" and "actually strong" is widening.
These are the parents who come to us:
If any of that sounds like your family, the next step is the free evaluation. It is the only way we know whether we are a fit.
How to start
Every SOMATH student, from 1st grade through 12th, starts the same way: a free 30-minute in-person evaluation on the Upper West Side. One of our teachers works with your child through a written diagnostic and a short conversation. We are looking for the difference between what your child can produce on paper and what they actually understand.
At the end, you get a written report — a specific summary of strengths, gaps, and where your child sits relative to grade level. If SOMATH is a fit, we recommend the right track and schedule. If it is not a fit, we tell you that too. You keep the report either way.
NYC schools we work with
Our math enrichment students come from Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Midtown, and Downtown NYC — most within walking distance or one subway stop from 79th Street. Public schools: PS 87, PS 199, PS 452, PS 9, PS 166, PS 84, Anderson, NEST+m, Special Music School, Lab, Salk, and Booker T. Independent schools: Trinity, Ethical Culture Fieldston, Rodeph Sholom, Columbia Grammar, Collegiate, Riverdale, Dalton, Manhattan Country School, Bank Street, and Brearley. Pacing varies noticeably school to school; the evaluation is where we figure out what your specific child needs.
Common questions
Math enrichment is math instruction that goes beyond what a child learns in school — deeper reasoning, harder problems, and a stronger foundation than what any single grade-level curriculum provides. Unlike tutoring, which is typically remedial and one-on-one, enrichment works with students who are on grade level or ahead and pushes them further. Unlike test prep, it is not tied to a single exam. At SOMATH, math enrichment means a 24-class year-round syllabus taught in small groups of six by trained teachers on the Upper West Side.
Tutoring is reactive — a child struggles with a topic, a tutor is hired to help them catch up on that topic. It is usually one-on-one and short-term. Math enrichment is proactive — it assumes the child is doing fine in school and builds a stronger math brain for what comes next. It runs year-round on a curriculum, in a classroom setting, taught by a teacher rather than a tutor. Parents who want their child to move from B+ to A+ typically need enrichment, not tutoring.
Kumon is worksheet-based and self-paced — the child works on packets, an adult checks the answers. There is no teaching in real time. Mathnasium runs small groups but relies heavily on workbooks and rotating instructors. Russian School of Math is closer to what SOMATH does but is a large franchise with locations across the country. SOMATH is a small, teacher-led school with a proprietary 24-class syllabus at every level, taught by Harvard- and Kellogg-trained educators in groups of six, in person on the Upper West Side. Every class is taught, not supervised.
Especially if they are already good at math. Strong students who only do grade-level work in school tend to plateau — they finish the assigned work quickly and rarely encounter problems that require more than one step of reasoning. Math enrichment is where they meet harder problems, learn to persist through frustration, and build the reasoning habits that pay off in SHSAT, SAT, AP exams, and college math. It is a compounding investment.
Grades 1 through 12. Little Newtons (grades 1–2) builds arithmetic and number sense. Kid Einsteins (grades 3–5) covers multi-digit operations, fractions, decimals, and multi-step word problems. Young Fermats (grades 6–8) covers pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry. Grades 9–12 add SHSAT prep (for rising 8th graders), SAT math, Algebra 1 Regents, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, and Pre-Calculus.
Tuition is $246 per month for Little Newtons (grades 1–2), $367 per month for Kid Einsteins (grades 3–5), and $489 per month for Young Fermats (grades 6–8). There is a one-time enrollment fee of $99. The initial evaluation is free.
SOMATH is at 226 West 79th Street, first floor, between Broadway and Amsterdam on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. We are one block from the 79th Street 1 train and a short walk from the 79th Street B and C trains.
Every new student starts with a free 30-minute in-person evaluation. One of our teachers meets with your child, works through a diagnostic, and writes up a report on their specific strengths and gaps. You get the report either way — there is no pitch and no pressure. If enrichment is a fit, we recommend the right class and schedule at the end of the meeting.
Every class caps at six students. This is small enough that the teacher knows exactly where each student is in every session, and large enough that students see how their peers think through the same problem. It is the smallest group size in NYC math enrichment we are aware of at this price point.
Once a week for 90 minutes, year-round. Each level runs on a 24-class syllabus, so a student who joins in September completes a full track by the following summer. Families can pause and resume at any point — the curriculum is designed so students can rejoin their cohort without falling behind.
Keep exploring
Bring your child in for a one-on-one evaluation with one of our teachers on the Upper West Side. You'll leave with a written report on your child's specific strengths and gaps. No pitch, no pressure.
Book the evaluation → Or call us: (646) 668-6151 · 226 W 79th St, 1st Floor, NY 10024