Innovative Teaching Methods: An Overview of Approaches and Their Impact on Child Development. The Experience of Natella Horodetska

Technology is becoming an increasingly integral part of our lives, including in the field of education. According to a study by Project Tomorrow, 79% of teachers in grades 6–8 and 67% in grades 9–12 in the U.S. use a digital learning management system (LMS) on a daily basis. Today, technology plays a key role in supporting not only traditional but also innovative teaching methods – making education more accessible, personalized, and effective. In recent decades, we’ve witnessed the rapid development of educational technologies that not only expand the horizons of teaching but also shape a new learning paradigm for children of all ages. How technology merges with innovative methodologies – and what it means for education – is the focus of our conversation with expert Natella Horodetska.

Natella Horodetska is a highly accomplished educator with over 15 years of experience in pedagogy and children’s intellectual development. Holding multiple advanced degrees – including two Master’s in Education and Educational Management- she is also a certified Montessori Early Childhood Assistant Teacher in the U.S.

Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Natella has an impressive academic and professional background. She is the founder of multiple educational centers focused on mental arithmetic and cognitive development. Her original methodologies have helped train national and international Olympiad champions. Natella also developed an innovative online platform for mental arithmetic, recognized for its approach and measurable impact on attention, memory, and processing speed in children, including those with special needs.

Now based in Minnesota, USA, Natella continues her mission through her company Neuro Mental Math LLC and active participation in international conferences. She is the author of several peer-reviewed scientific articles and a recipient of the Queen Anna Order for her outstanding contributions to education.

Due to her great experience, Natella was invited to become a member of the jury for ECDMA Global Awards. Her appointment reflects a distinguished career at the intersection of cognitive development, inclusive learning, and digital transformation in early education. The ECDMA Global Awards is a prestigious international competition that honors excellence and innovation in e-commerce and digital marketing, celebrating contributions from all participants in the field, regardless of their role.

– What inspired you to develop and implement innovative teaching methods such as mental arithmetic and speed reading?  

I’ve always been inspired by children – their ability to think outside the box, to adapt quickly, to surprise us – and at the same time, their vulnerability in a system that often prevents them from reaching their potential. I’ve seen how talented children lose confidence, how a child with enormous potential struggles to focus, to remember, to understand – not because they can’t, but because they haven’t been given the right tools.

I wanted to give them that tool – an intellectual key to unlock their own capabilities. That’s how I came to mental arithmetic and speed reading – not as trendy techniques, but as methods to develop the brain. Not knowledge, but thinking. Not grades, but confidence.

I created my own teaching guidelines for Mental Arithmetic, tailored to different age groups and neurodiverse profiles. And later, I developed an innovative online platform – a training simulator called “Oral Counting.” This platform is more than just technology; it’s the result of my professional journey – my observations, experiments, dozens of scientific articles, and most importantly, my belief in every child.

When we stimulate both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, activate motor-sensory zones, and train cognitive flexibility, children begin to think faster, more confidently, and more deeply. They don’t just memorize content – they learn how to think. That is the key difference in my approach.

What inspires me is not the technology itself, but the results: when a child who feared math suddenly enjoys using an abacus and can calculate mentally faster than an adult; when a child who couldn’t focus or read becomes engrossed in books; when parents say, “My child has changed – they’ve become more confident.”

That is my inspiration. And my mission.

– How do you see the future of education in the digital age? Which technologies do you believe will play the most significant role in children’s learning in the coming years? 

The future of education is not just about online lessons. It’s about technologies that help children develop thinking, attention, and memory – not just memorize rules. I deeply believe that the most important thing today is not to give children more information, but to teach them how to work with their own brain – to think quickly, see connections, focus, and understand.

I don’t just use technology – I create it. My proprietary online platform, the “Oral Counting” simulator, is not a typical app but a real cognitive development system. It helps children activate both hemispheres of the brain through exercises specifically designed for various ages and learning profiles. I’ve also implemented a virtual abacus for mental arithmetic training. It allows children to visualize and feel numbers, engaging both logical and imaginative thinking.

The platform is designed to be engaging for children, and convenient for parents and educators to track progress. It adapts to the child’s pace, provides feedback, and develops not just intellect, but self-confidence.

I’m convinced that this is the future of education: not cold algorithms, but tools that create living results. That’s why I continue to evolve my system and implement game-based simulators that help children around the world grow, think, and enjoy learning.

The education of the future is when technology doesn’t replace the teacher, but empowers the child. That is exactly what I strive for – to create tools that make children’s minds stronger.

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