Five useful strategies that parents can utilize to help introduce their child to math competitions

Sometimes, getting your child enthusiastic about math competitions can be a bit difficult. Math is often seen as just a school subject that all students are required to learn and nothing more. However, this feeling towards math can be changed with the right attitude and approach! In this article, we will be providing five different ways on how to introduce your child to math competitions. 

For starters, math competitions can be a fun and enjoyable hobby for young students! Once a child develops a passion for math, problems turn into entertaining puzzles and learning new material and formulas become an exciting accomplishment. In addition, participating in math competitions is great for setting students up for a successful future in both mathematics and other STEM related fields. 

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Allow them to be creative with problem solving

When young students start to get creative and try new ways to solve problems. That is a very positive step forward! In order to get your child interested in math competitions, it is key to show them how fun the subject is. 

One way to accomplish this is through letting them explore new techniques and equations on their own. Although the techniques that are taught in school are definitely helpful and effective. Since students practice the same ones everyday, they can become repetitive and boring. 

As we all know, there are multiple ways to get to the right answer. Furthermore, math competitions actually allow students to think outside of the box and discover their own unique paths towards finding the correct number. Because of this, having students poke around and find other avenues to solve problems both prepares them for math competitions and allows them to have fun! 

Find the perfect level of difficulty

Obviously, you do not want the math content to be too easy or your child will get bored quickly. On the other hand, if the material is too difficult, it may cause them to become frustrated and quit. That is why it is crucial to provide a healthy challenge while at the same time not overworking them. 

Simply put, children love a challenge. It makes the feeling of getting a problem right or doing well on an exam so much more rewarding. Similar to sports where children like to play with other kids at their level. Ensuring that the math content they are practicing is either equal to or a little bit higher than their comfort zone will increase the chances of them developing a passion for math competitions. 

In addition, it is also important to support them if the challenge is a little too much. As a parent, you are their number one supporter and fan! Words of encouragement and finding helpful online math advice for them are both great suggestions. 

Provide them with fun math practice activities

There may come a time where your child gets bored with the math homework that they are being assigned at school. A good idea is to switch it up and provide them with fun math practice activities! You can find countless challenging math activities online and on websites such as YouTube. 

On top of math activities, math games are also a beneficial avenue to go down. Board games such as Monopoly or puzzle games like Sudoku are perfect examples. Essentially, these games and activities will further hammer home the point that there is a lot of fun to be had through practicing math. 

Have them join a math group or club

It is always more fun to learn in a group rather than alone! Integrating your child into math learning discussion groups can help them digest math material easier. With multiple members in a group, students learn from each other and are introduced to math techniques that they did not already know beforehand. 

In addition, many members in this math group will most likely also be competing in math competitions. Having friends to compete with makes the experience a lot more fun as it becomes an event that your child will begin to look forward to. 

Competitions for your child to join

One of the best competitions to start your child out in is Math Kangaroo! The Math Kangaroo competition is a test designed for students in grades 1-12. The competition consists of a 75-minute single round test. Within that time frame, participants in grades 1-4 are asked to solve 24 questions while participants in grades 5-12 solve 30 questions. 

Many students who end up becoming math competition regulars at the middle school and high school levels begin their journey by participating in the Math Kangaroo. Another great math competition for younger students is the AMC 8. Students who perform well at the AMC 8 end up going on to compete at the AMC 10, AMC 12, and even AIME! 

Think Academy’s Classes

For those who are interested, we provide numerous different math courses for children in grades K-8. We have short-term basic math classes that can help improve your child’s fundamental math skills. These courses last only about four weeks. 

In addition, we also have K-8 long-term classes to ensure that students master the math material in their respective grades. These semester-long courses are available in three different levels (Advancement, Mastery, ACE) to account for all learning speeds!

Lastly, for students who want to take their math skills to the next level. Think Academy provides math competition prep classes for events such as the AMC 8 and Math Kangaroo. 

You can register for any of our courses by clicking the link here or by downloading our app here.

1-on-1 Evaluation

As a final note, before you register for our long-term courses. Make sure to sign up for Think Academy’s free 1-on-1 evaluation if you have not already! Our 1-on-1 evaluation contains an overview of our mission and academic structure, a 15-question evaluation exam, a one-hour in-depth analysis, and a 15-minute teacher-to-parent discussion. We will provide you with a customized study plan after the evaluation. This study plan will account for all of your child’s learning needs!