xpost: AoPS and math competitions

[Chez J]

I am wanting DD to try a math competition next year. She will take algebra 1 next year as a 7th grader. So, I am looking to buy a summer curriculum. If I buy AoPS Prealgebra, would that have enough "competition" math for a 7th grade level math counts competition? Or, would their introductory book for math competitions have enough "prealgebra" to review/prepare for algebra 1 next year?

 

Posting here because I know several of you use AoPS.

[snowbeltmom]

Some of the problems in AoPS pre-algebra book are taken from the AMC 8 and Mathcounts competitions.

 

In our experience, the standard curriculum AoPS textbooks have been great preparation for both Mathcounts and the AMCs.

[Kathy in Richmond]

I am wanting DD to try a math competition next year. She will take algebra 1 next year as a 7th grader. So, I am looking to buy a summer curriculum. If I buy AoPS Prealgebra, would that have enough "competition" math for a 7th grade level math counts competition? Or, would their introductory book for math competitions have enough "prealgebra" to review/prepare for algebra 1 next year?

 

Posting here because I know several of you use AoPS.

 

Alcumus is free on the AoPS website and would be fun to use in the summer. It's perfect for someone who's finishing up prealgebra. The challenges will increase as she works, and they include algebra, geometry, number theory, and counting & probability. Those are all the basic areas covered in programs like MathCounts.

 

If you want to purchase AoPS materials, I'd go with the prealgebra book if she hasn't done it already. Exercise sets frequently contain some basic competition problems. Their classic problem solving volume 1 book is great for competition prep, but I wouldn't recommend using it till your daughter has completed algebra 1. My kids found it too difficult before that stage - the book starts off with a chapter on exponents and logarithms, then a chapter on complex numbers. You could buy it now and just pick & choose topics, but we thought that it worked better alongside algebra 2.

 

If your daughter is interested in MathCounts (and that's a lot of fun; I'd highly recommend it!), then why not just use MathCounts materials this summer? They have a lot of free stuff right on their website: the 2012 MathCounts Handbook contains lots of worksheets (called warmups, workouts, stretches).

Edited April 14, 2012 by Kathy in Richmond

[HSDCY]

I also recommend Alcumus.

 

If you want material in book form, then I would recommend this, published by AoPS for math competition preparation. It's a perfect book for summer.

[KAR120C]

I don't know enough about AoPS prealgebra to say either way (it didn't exist when we were at that point)... but the Mathcounts materials would be perfect if that's what you're aiming for.

 

If she isn't already reasonably strong with problem solving and word problems, you might actually start with the Math Olympiad materials just to get her feet wet.

 

I do like the competition math book already recommended, but I haven't found it to be a particularly good teaching resource for kids who haven't already seen the topics, and especially if she hasn't had Algebra. It's better for review. I used it for my MathCounts team last year, and it has a lot of good problems, but it needed much more teaching than what was in the book.

[angela in ohio]

I also recommend Alcumus.

 

If you want material in book form, then I would recommend this, published by AoPS for math competition preparation. It's a perfect book for summer.

 

I second this book. Dd used it to prepare for MathCounts last year.

 

I would get that AND the Pre-Algebra book.

[Julie of KY]

You seem to be getting lots of opinions, so I'll throw mine in as well.:001_smile:

 

The Middle School Math Competition book is a great book for preparing for mathcounts, but a student who hasn't had algebra and other topics would likely find it way too hard to learn from. It is best used after some exposure to the topics.

 

Alcumus is a great source and free. It is on the AoPS website.

 

When my son was in sixth grade we started doing the Mathcount mini's produced by AoPS for Mathcounts. If you register as a coach on the mathcounts site (and you can be the coach of one) then you can access the worksheets and solutions that accompany the video teaching. Each one is on a new topic. The worksheets start with relatively easy problems and lead you up to a problem that is usually about state level mathcounts. The video teaches how to do that problem and then there are more similar problems to do as a follow up. Some are appropriate for students at a prealgebra level and others are harder.

 

Also on the mathcounts website, you can access this years school, chapter and state level tests. These are great starting points as well.

 

I wouldn't tackle the Art of Problem Solving Vol. 1 until after algebra. Most of it would be too hard.

 

The prealgebra book is great, but I'm not sure if you are interested in that route at all. It has some introductory algebra, geometry, probability and number theory in it. If you do get this, you might just look at the end of chapter questions unless they are too hard and then go back and learn from the chapter. This has lots of past competion math problems in it as well.

 

 

As Kathy mentioned, the Mathcounts handbook also has lots of problems in it. It is available for free download on the mathcounts website as well.

 

Mathcount minis remain a favorite at this home.

Edited April 15, 2012 by Julie of KY

[Laura in CA]

 

Alcumus is a great source and free. It is on the AoPS website.

 

:iagree:

 

Mathcount minis remain a favorite at this home.

 

My son, who aged out of MathCounts several years ago (very very :sad: ), still looks forward eagerly to the latest MathCounts mini -- and he's taking ODEs at the local CC. Good stuff!!!! :)

 

~Laura

Edited April 15, 2012 by Laura in CA

[Chez J]

Thanks everyone! I think I've boiled down the responses to this synopsis:

 

Try Alcumus.

 

Get the AoPS prealgebra book and sign up as a coach to get the teaching materials such as the minis.

 

Wait until next summer after algebra 1 to use the competition math books recommended here.

 

 

I need to research math olympiad. I thought that was high school level, not 7th grade. Are there other math competitions for 7th graders I should consider?

[KAR120C]

I need to research math olympiad. I thought that was high school level, not 7th grade. Are there other math competitions for 7th graders I should consider?

There are a few different things called "Math Olympiad"... but MOEMS (dot org I think) -- the Math Olympiad for Elementary and Middle School -- is the one I was talking about. Elementary level is 4th-6th grade and Middle School level is 7th and 8th.

 

There's also USAMO (USA Math Olympiad) and IMO (International Math Olympiad) that are definitely high school level, and extremely competitive... They follow a series of exams that start with the AMC 12 or the USAMTS, then the AIME (Invitational Math Exam), then the USAMO, a summer program, and then the IMO. I think the IMO team for the US is only six kids to represent the whole country.... so it's a very competitive sequence that gets one there.

[Chez J]

Thanks for elaborating more. That helps a lot.