Chrysalis Academy Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Shannon just got invited to participate in a local Mathcounts team for middle schoolers. She is beyond excited - and I'm so excited that she is! Before this year, and our heavy focus on problem solving, I don't know that she would have been. I'm so proud of her growth in math this year. Anyhow, my question is: how can I help her prep? I'm starting her on Alcumus, and she'll be starting AoPS Intro Algebra in September - she's finishing up Zaccaro Real World Algebra and Jousting Armadillos now, and still needs to cover the pre-geometry and pre-statistics bits of preAlgebra. So I feel like I have basic curriculum covered, but what about contest prep, problem solving books? I've seen lists and lists, but I'm wondering based on y'all's experience, what are the very best? If you had to pick just one (or your top 3) what would they be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 For MathCounts, my 3 favorite prep methods are 1. The materials from MathCounts themselves! Some are free on the website, some are sent free to the coaches, and some are available for purchase. I'd look at these first: the Handbook problems , MC contests from past years (school level is easiest, followed by chapter, state, and national levels) and Problem of the Week. Her coach will probably use some of these, too, so you might want to check first. 2. Old AMC 8 contests & solutions. They cover about the same set of material & at a similar level. 3. The AoPS MathCounts/AMC8 Basics prep course. This was the very first online course dd took at AoPS. She did it over the summer & had lots of fun & felt very confident going into regional Chapter level (and later, State) MathCounts as a result. Oh, and AoPS MathCounts minis (haha, that's four) Congrats to Shannon! Have fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Not much help as kiddo won't do contests but Kathy's great suggestions have always worked for us for other areas. And adding our congrats too! Wonderful news and hope she enjoys herself! :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I would go with Kathy's suggestions. My dd felt that AoPS Prealgebra prepared her well (has a lot of MC problems; she used that the year before she was in math club). Her coach used the Mathcounts handbook problems. Eta, what I don't know is whether AoPS Intro to Alg in the fall would be as much help as going through some of the problems in the Prealgebra text (or better yet, taking the AoPS on-line class for Mathcounts). It seems to me that the Prealgebra text may contain more contest problems and might be more topically relevant to Mathcounts than Intro to Alg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Rose, that is truly exciting! Shannon could go through all the MC problems in the Pre-A book. There are enough to keep her busy for a few weeks at least. We don't usually even use Alcumus, but for the Pre-A online class, it's required as homework, and I noticed many of the problems are from MC. I'm not sure if there is a way to sort it so that only MC problems show up. Anyway, not much to add but wanted to join in on the fun :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Borac level 2 is meant for this level of contest prep I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Rose, that is truly exciting! Shannon could go through all the MC problems in the Pre-A book. There are enough to keep her busy for a few weeks at least. We don't usually even use Alcumus, but for the Pre-A online class, it's required as homework, and I noticed many of the problems are from MC. I'm not sure if there is a way to sort it so that only MC problems show up. Anyway, not much to add but wanted to join in on the fun :D. The MC problems in the Pre-A book came to my mind as well. I have so little to contribute, I just copy someone else! :tongue_smilie: Have fun! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 I would go with Kathy's suggestions. My dd felt that AoPS Prealgebra prepared her well (has a lot of MC problems; she used that the year before she was in math club). Her coach used the Mathcounts handbook problems. Eta, what I don't know is whether AoPS Intro to Alg in the fall would be as much help as going through some of the problems in the Prealgebra text (or better yet, taking the AoPS on-line class for Mathcounts). It seems to me that the Prealgebra text may contain more contest problems and might be more topically relevant to Mathcounts than Intro to Alg. Oh man, don't get me started chasing my tail on that one again!!! :willy_nilly: Whether to go back through the preA book, or to just finish the path we're on and move ahead . . . I've been debating this point with myself (as you know! ;)) all year. I think seeing how she handles the Alcumus problems will be a good indicator of whether she gets preA to the Aops level, or whether she needs more time on it. at least i hope so. But that brings up an interesting question, about whether you would change your math plans based on contest prep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Oh, that's a good idea - mine the PreA book for the MC test questions. I can definitely do that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 For MathCounts, my 3 favorite prep methods are 1. The materials from MathCounts themselves! Some are free on the website, some are sent free to the coaches, and some are available for purchase. I'd look at these first: the Handbook problems , MC contests from past years (school level is easiest, followed by chapter, state, and national levels) and Problem of the Week. Her coach will probably use some of these, too, so you might want to check first. 2. Old AMC 8 contests & solutions. They cover about the same set of material & at a similar level. 3. The AoPS MathCounts/AMC8 Basics prep course. This was the very first online course dd took at AoPS. She did it over the summer & had lots of fun & felt very confident going into regional Chapter level (and later, State) MathCounts as a result. Oh, and AoPS MathCounts minis (haha, that's four) Congrats to Shannon! Have fun!! Yeah, wow, there is a ton of stuff on the MathCounts website, isn't there? That will probably keep me out of trouble for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fractalgal Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 You've already gotten some great ideas. Another way to prepare that hasn't already been mentioned is AoPS For the Win. My daughter used that as one of the ways to prepare for the State Mathcounts this spring (though she competed as an Individual and not on a team). Basically, you compete against others using previous math competition problems to earn points in a real time chat format. It's an interactive approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest motivatedmom Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Hello Rose any tips on the curriculum and or practices you used to get your daughter so far? Also Congrats! Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfamily Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Congratulations! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Congratulations!!! Is this through the local school district Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Oh Rose, what great news. Congrats to your daughter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Well, unfortunately it hasn't quite panned out the way I thought it was going to, which I can't explain (privacy issues, public board). It turns out we'd have to do it independently and I honestly just haven't had the bandwidth to make that happen. :001_unsure: So many passions, so little time, KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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