Math Contest Sites

·        Math contest can be a good way to motivate talented students to do more math.  They develop problem solving skills and creativity.  They are also difficult.  Typically a student who gets HALF right on a math contest will probably place at that particular competition.  This is different from an exam where half right is not doing very well.  Once students know this, they seem to adjust well and enjoy the challenge of learning new mathematics through preparing for and participating in math contests.  Some contests that might be appropriate for schools in this area are listed below.  Most of these also provide samples from previous years exams (which can be a good source for challenging problems for students even if you aren’t preparing them to go to a contest).

o   http://math.missouristate.edu/44540.htm, which gives information on the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics contests.  There are regional competitions around the state and then a state competition for the top scorers at the regional competitions.  There are competitions for grades 4-12 available. 

o   http://www.mathcounts.org gives information on MATHCOUNTS, a competition for 6^th-8^th graders.  It also has regional competitions around the state, then a state competition for the top scorers at the regional competitions.

o   http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Edutainment/g1/Pages/TOS.php is For The Win, an online game where students can compete with students from all over the country on contest questions.

 ·        SBU runs a math contest each year.  With that interest in contests, Dr. Hopkins has put together a website: http://users.sbuniv.edu/~khopkins/tournoth.html with links to other contests as a source of challenge problems for math students.  One of his favorites is http://www.pasd.wednet.edu/school/mathwasl/ because it gives problems by grade level and by topic.  One benefit he see of contests is it allows students the opportunity to see challenging problems.  Math contest problems are NOT easy.   God has opened up the door for him to run a math contest camp summers 2006, 2007, 2008 as well.  In addition to looking at math contest problems, he tries to talk about problem solving in general.  He also sings some math songs for them.

This page prepared August 2008 by Dr. Kevin Hopkins as part of the Connect 9 Grant through Three Rivers Community College.