Choosing the Best Math Competition for Your Kids
Updated on February 5, 2024
Math competitions are among the most intriguing brain-building exercises your kids will engage in as they grow. These competitions, hosted by different educational and private bodies, help kids expand their mental math horizons. But what other benefits do they bring, and which contests are the best? The article will answer those questions in detail.
Benefits of Math Competitions
Here are six reasons if you are wondering why your kid should engage in math competitions.
Math competitions are fun
Most competitive math programs involve gathering students from different schools and getting them to meet and compete. Meeting other students can serve as a fun adventure for your child. If the competition has mini-tasks, kids will feel like they are in a video game with quests to complete, which they enjoy.
Winning competitions boosts confidence
Winning a math competition will give your child a confidence boost that money cannot buy. Plus, they’ll receive awards and prizes at the end of the event, which will confirm their excellence at math. With that confidence, they can go on to tackle other life issues knowing that they can win.
Contests show the aspects of math a child needs to improve
You need to know what math concept your child finds confusing to be able to help them. Looking at areas where your child may have difficulties in the competitions shows what to focus on in studies. You can employ a tutor to help your child improve at the end of a competition.
Competitions stimulate creativity and critical thinking
In an elementary math competition, kids must find creative ways to solve problems. Often, they work with time-based questions and must come up with an answer in seconds. Over time, children learn to make better split-second decisions and improve critical thinking.
Math competitions embellish college resumes
If your kid is considering applying to Ivy League schools, especially as a STEM student, joining math-related events is a good resume booster. If your child gets involved and gets to the top three positions in international math competitions, it could get them an early entry into college.
Contests help kids get better at math
Before participating in math competitions, you will likely put your kid through rigorous training and tutorials to ensure that a child is good enough to compete nationally. Regardless of the contest’s outcome, students will improve at the math concepts they studied with tutorials and practice a lot.
Having seen the benefits of math competitions, you may understand that your child must be prepared before engaging in one.
Signing up on Brighterly is a great first step in preparing your youngster for maths competitions. On Brighterly, a tutor can work one-on-one with a student to help them improve their math abilities via the use of engaging games and videos. Your child may obtain the best math competition tutoring by registering on this site.
Also, your child will have only the best math instructional strategies and tips that can help them scale through the competition easily.
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Five Math Competitions
You can sign up your child for different math competitions, but knowing which ones to prioritize is the first step. Here are five math competitions worth your attention.
American Mathematics Competitions
The American Math Competition is held every year but on different dates, and it is recommended for kids between grades 9 and 12. AMC10 is for kids in the 10th grade, but 9th graders with an almost whiz-level understanding of math can compete, too. For the AMC12, kids in grade 11 can compete alongside 12-graders.
The AMC math competition is held online and offline, depending on what is obtainable. Instead of giving a prize to just one person, this MAA math competition rewards high-scoring participants across ages.
Math Kangaroo
The Kangaroo Math competition has existed since 1998 for kids from grades 1 through 12. This math competition for elementary students is pretty competitive. The questions in this competition are fun and addictive. There are also practice tests available for kids who want to learn math.
Kids of different ages can enter this competition and compete within their grades for a gold, silver, or bronze award. The maximum possible score for grades 1 through 4 in Math Kangaroo is 96 points, and 120 points are for grades 5 through 12. They have one of the best math competitions for elementary students.
William Lowell Putnam Math Competition
Also called the Putnam Math Competition, this contest has existed since the 1930s. Each student must complete 12 math questions, which carry 10 points each. Putnam’s competition has produced some of the best math scholars in the country.
The Putnam competition gives awards on both a team and individual basis. Top teams get cash prizes of $25,000, $20,000, $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000. And top individual participants may receive $1,000, $800, $600, $400, and $200.
Online Elementary Math Competition
The Online Elementary Math Competition is a math competition elementary kids from grades 1 through 6 looking to improve their math knowledge can compete with mates. Most challenges in these online math competitions are fun and game-based. Kids answer questions according to their grades and make it to the top of the leaderboard.
American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) contest
The ARML contest is mainly for exceptional math students but does not restrict others from getting involved. The questions are challenging, and the math competition for kids includes different rounds for teams, individuals, relays and more. The organizers have various prizes for winners in all categories.
Conclusion
Math competitions spur your kids to learn more, have fun, improve their resume, and, if they are lucky, win cash while at it. This article has given you all the information you need to know about math competitions before you decide to sign your child up for one. Now that you have more information, please make a better choice.