Revolutionizing Math Enrichment: Samuel Chia’s Journey with Seriously Addictive Mathematics

How a chance conversation with a golfing partner led to building a global math enrichment empire spanning 20 countries

When Samuel Chia sold his restaurant business in 2010, he never imagined that a casual conversation with his golfing partner—an experienced MOE mathematics teacher—would spark a global math enrichment revolution. Today, their brainchild, Seriously Addictive Mathematics (S.A.M), operates in 20 countries with more than 200 centers worldwide, challenging traditional approaches to math education and proving that Singapore’s acclaimed teaching methods can thrive on the international stage.

The Spark: A Question That Changed Everything

Samuel’s journey into education began with a simple yet profound question posed to his mathematics teacher friend and golfing partner, Lau Chin Loong: “What makes Singapore different in mathematics education?” The answer would become the foundation of their revolutionary approach.

“He said that the approach is different,” Samuel recalls. “Singapore’s approach is more like a thinking and problem-solving approach rather than the traditional focus on repetition, memorization, and computational mathematics that dominated math education.”

This insight revealed a significant market gap. While Singapore was already excelling with its thinking-based methodology, internationally, most countries still relied heavily on computational approaches. Samuel saw an opportunity to offer parents worldwide a different option—one that prioritized thinking and problem-solving over rote memorization.

Overcoming Early Challenges: The Standardization Strategy

One of the biggest hurdles in going global was convincing international markets to embrace a standardized Singapore-based curriculum rather than adapting to local educational systems. This decision, while risky, proved to be strategically brilliant.

“Our content is perhaps 1, 2, sometimes 3 levels ahead of other countries,” Samuel notes. “From a business perspective, in order for it to be scalable, it has to be standardized. Can you imagine if we tried to adapt to every country’s system? That becomes much less feasible and much harder to scale.”

The solution was to position S.A.M not to mirror the local education, but as an invaluable complement that builds thinking skills and mathematical mastery. They focus on children 12 years and below because these are the crucial years in laying the foundation for a child’s learning and development.

Defining Success: Beyond Grades to Building Foundations

For Samuel, student success isn’t measured primarily by grades, but by the development of critical thinking skills and strong mathematical foundations. This philosophy stems from his belief that parents often focus too heavily on immediate academic results rather than long-term skill development.

“Parents are largely chasing grades,” Samuel observes. “But we think that at a younger age, they should be building foundational skills in thinking and learning. Building this foundation requires in-depth immersion of concepts.”

S.A.M’s approach emphasizes making learning engaging and enjoyable for children, recognizing that young learners are “discovering new things” and need different pedagogical approaches than adults. Their success stories reflect this philosophy—like Charlaine, a Primary 2 student whose mother marveled that her child “can solve tricky math questions without the need to memorize anything.”

Addressing Parents’ Misconceptions: Quality Over Familiarity

Samuel identifies a common misconception among parents: the belief that adapting to local curricula automatically makes an enrichment program more relevant or effective. This thinking, he argues, often leads to mediocre educational outcomes.

“Instead of revisiting your own school curriculum, come to us, learn from the best approaches that you can get anywhere in the world,” he advocates. This positioning requires educating parents about the long-term benefits of a thinking-based approach over short-term grade improvements.

The Future of Enrichment Education: Human Connection Remains Key

Looking ahead, Samuel sees technology and AI playing an important but limited role in education, particularly for younger learners. His perspective is shaped by S.A.M’s focus on the 4-12 age group, where human interaction remains irreplaceable. Their approach blends using math manipulatives with practical activities like measuring, sorting, and drawing bar models—hands-on experiences that digital platforms can’t easily replicate.

“For younger learners, the onset of online learning is not as effective,” he explains. “Face-to-face human interaction in learning is more important for young learners as compared to older children. Learning should be holistic for young learners — it’s not just about getting the right answers. It’s also about the joy of discovery, of feeling encouraged, motivated, and rewarded.”

While S.A.M evaluates new technologies as potential tools, Samuel believes it will be “some time yet before we can displace human interaction in learning for younger learners.” 

Quality Assurance: Ensuring Consistent Excellence Across Borders

For parents considering S.A.M, one of the biggest concerns is whether the quality they’d experience in Singapore translates to centers worldwide. Samuel understands this concern and has built robust systems to ensure consistent educational standards across all 200 plus centers.

“We have a comprehensive learning management system (LMS), and teachers around the world actually have to embark on our LMS program,” Samuel explains. “We teach them how to teach the curriculum, how to use our worksheets and content to teach the children.”

The training process is thorough: teachers complete a comprehensive online certification by Singapore and continue with on-the-job training under the mentorship of senior teachers at the centers. This ensures that whether a child attends S.A.M in Singapore, South Africa, or the United States, they receive the same high-quality, thinking-based mathematics education.

Why Parents Choose S.A.M Over Established Giants

When parents research math enrichment options, they often encounter other well-known brands which have thousands of centers worldwide. So why are increasing numbers of parents choosing S.A.M, despite it being a smaller network with 200 centers across 20 countries?

The answer lies in S.A.M’s fundamentally different approach to mathematics education. While larger competitors often focus on repetitive practice and computational skills, S.A.M emphasizes the cultivation of deep understanding and thinking skills that prepare children for future academic challenges.

“Forward thinking parents are looking for the best educational approach for their children,” Samuel explains. “We offer something different—a proven Singapore methodology that builds on mathematical knowledge as well as thinking and problem solving skills.”

For parents, this means choosing between quantity and quality, between drill-based learning and understanding-based education. S.A.M’s track record of success across diverse international markets demonstrates that their focused approach delivers results that matter for children’s long-term academic development.

Advice for Parents: Focus on Foundation, Not Just Grades

Samuel’s key advice to parents reflects his core educational philosophy: prioritize long-term skill development over short-term academic achievements.

“Parents should be looking at learning experiences where children enjoy what they’re learning, they discover, and they build a strong foundation so that they prepare themselves for the future,” he emphasizes. “In the future, the skill sets are not just academics. The skill sets are really about solving problems, cognitive understanding, learning to communicate solutions—critical thinking skills and all.”

This perspective challenges the grade-obsessed culture common in many educational systems, advocating instead for approaches that prepare children for an uncertain future where adaptability and thinking skills matter more than memorized knowledge.

The Road Ahead: Global Growth and Innovation

As S.A.M continues expanding into new markets including the Middle East, South America, and Eastern European countries, Samuel remains focused on maintaining quality while scaling globally. The company has also expanded beyond mathematics to include English through a licensing partnership with a UK content provider, demonstrating their ability to leverage their platform for additional subjects.

About S.A.M (Seriously Addictive Mathematics)

Founded in 2010, S.A.M operates more than 200 centers across 20 countries, offering a Singapore-based mathematics program for children aged 4-12. Their approach emphasizes thinking skills and problem-solving over computational methods, with a comprehensive 9-year curriculum designed to build strong mathematical foundations. The company operates primarily through a B2B franchise model, providing content, training, and technological support to education entrepreneurs worldwide.

Vision: To give every child the opportunity to become an independent learner and skilled problem solver.

Mission: To provide a meaningful learning experience for every child to achieve math mastery.

Learn more at: seriouslyaddictivemaths.com.sg