There a number of benefits of writing Math contests (or other contest for that matter). Some of these benefits are outlined below:
- The major benefit of having your child participate in a contest is that it causes them to put focused attention on the topic and thus reap the associated benefits. Devoting time and effort to a subject allows your child to become more competent in the material.
- Contests stimulate your child’s interest in the topic.
- Math contests encourage your child to value intellectual pursuits.
- Contests help prepare your child for life to come. Much of our society is competitive in nature, for example, competing for jobs, university placements, resources, etc. Competition teaches your child to deal with success and failure, and the pressures of competition.
There are however also some challenges that you should be aware of when considering a contest for your child:
- The quality of the contest. Look into whether the contest is reputable and well designed. A good contest focuses on the ability to think about and solve complex problems.
- Another factor to consider is your child’s ability and the level of the contest. While contest can provide a target for improvement, content that is well beyond the child’s ability can be demotivating and discouraging. Keep in mind however, that contests are designed to be challenging to allow top students to be identified. So seemingly low scores may actually place your child in comparatively high percentiles worldwide.
- Lastly, students may ‘label’ their abilities based on results of contests. This can cause them to become complacent or demotivated. It is important to remind your child that learning is an ongoing process.
When practicing for contests, remember to keep the environment fun and motivating!
