Junior maths challenge

[quasimodo]

DDs school do the the various maths challenges.
They practise a paper either in class or as HW the week or so before, and that is it. If your DC has the right mind set they will do well. It's not necessarily the 'top set' ones that do well either as a result.

If you really think they need to practise lots beforehand, the UKMT has plenty of papers with solutions on their website, but really doing one is enough for them to understand the format.

+1

While the papers require numerical ability they are more tests in logic and thinking intuitively.I don't know how you teach this ? The experts will know better. As parents we all want our children to do well but we also want to spend their time wisely.

[Guest55]

If you get through to a follow-on round then some practice might help. Some students will want to aim for medals in the ultimate goal to participate in the BMO but most just do them for fun.

It is always interesting who does well as it does not necessarily correlate with being a good mathematican - it tests a sub-set of skills.

[Goodheart]

It is always interesting who does well as it does not necessarily correlate with being a good mathematican - it tests a sub-set of skills.

What sub-set of skills would you say it tests? Logical thinking? Problem solving?

[Tinkers]

It is always interesting who does well as it does not necessarily correlate with being a good mathematican - it tests a sub-set of skills.

What sub-set of skills would you say it tests? Logical thinking? Problem solving?

That and a little 'out of the box' thinking I'd say. Have a look at the last papers. The maths involved isn't particularly hard as such (well I don't think so having seen a paper my DD brought home for HW once), but even as someone with a degree in engineering, I had to think about some of the questions.

[Guest55]

What sub-set of skills would you say it tests? Logical thinking? Problem solving?

It depends on which level and round you are talking about.

The higher you go to more it is focused on number theory, geometry, logic, .... some of my ex-students doing post-doc research have never got through to a follow-on round.

[booellesmum]

If you get through to a follow-on round then some practice might help. Some students will want to aim for medals in the ultimate goal to participate in the BMO but most just do them for fun.

It is always interesting who does well as it does not necessarily correlate with being a good mathematican - it tests a sub-set of skills.

Yep. DD got a gold in the Junior challenge further down the school, and a Silver last year in the Intermediate. We currently have a maths tutor (2 lessons in) as she is worried about not doing well enough in maths GCSE to stay on at sixth form!!