Math Olympiad!

This week the ASPIRE 5 math class participated in their third Math Olympiad competition of the year.  So just what is the Math Olympiad, and how does it benefit our students?  The Math Olympiad is comprised of five tests that require students to use number sense, advanced mathematical concepts, problem solving skills, and logical reasoning.  Each test consists of five problems, and students are usually given 25 minutes to complete them.  Students in grades 4 through 8 compete, with 49 states and 30 countries currently represented.  The Math Olympiad went public in 1979, and today over 150,000 students are participating.

The problems on the Math Olympiad tests reward creative problem solving strategies, and offer the opportunity for students to view solutions from multiple perspectives.  Students bring a variety of mathematical abilities to our classroom.  Some know algebraic and geometric concepts they will use in high school math one day.  Others are strong at logical reasoning and number sense.  The Math Olympiad problems can be solved with advanced and lower level, although less efficient, methods.  In the end, students benefit simply from applying their knowledge to the challenging problems in creative ways, regardless of their final score.

Overall, the ASPIRE 5 students really enjoy the Math Olympiad program.  They have demonstrated enthusiasm, creativity, and mathematical ingenuity during the first three competitions, and I am looking forward to the final two tests in the next few months.  Our scores are not as high as the students want them to be, but they are learning many valuable lessons about math, problem solving, and perseverance.  They are all benefiting from the experience, and will grow as math students and creative problem solvers as a result of their hard work.