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Contest and Puzzle Books


mymommy1
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First, can someone suggest a starter math contest?  There is nothing like this for homeschoolers here, so something that is easy to get into and run.

 

Second, my DS8 is finishing Zaccaro's Primary Grades Challenge Math.  I can't find samples of the Upper Elementary Challenge Math.  Would you suggest that or another such book?  Also, maybe a book with puzzles, logic, etc. that isn't strictly word problems.

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Continental Math League is $20 to do as an individual and is very homeschool friendly. It's not super-difficult (there are usually double digit numbers of perfect scores each year).

 

Next year should be a World Education Games year-it's completely computational (and typing speed).

 

Math Kangaroo is a good first competition, but you need to find a site near you or start one.

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MOEMS is super easy for homeschoolers.  The season runs November-March with one exam per month, only 5 questions in a half hour.  You can use the 2nd half hour to go over the exam.  It's fun to do it as a small group, and the MOEMS people will send you some nice certificates, trophies, patches and pins at the end of the season.  We award them at an end of the year party.  But enrolling an official team costs around $100.

 

If you don't want to go through the expense and bother, you will have more flexibility simply by using their books of old exams.  Just photocopy an old exam, and you can have your student do it on his own, or with a group.  Now you can schedule it whenever it's convenient: once a week, once a month, year round if you like.  And there's no registration cost.  

 

We've been involved with MOEMS for many years, and it's a great way to launch into math competitions.  I've had students as young as 3rd grade participate, though 4th grade is more typical.  

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MOEMS is super easy for homeschoolers.  The season runs November-March with one exam per month, only 5 questions in a half hour.  You can use the 2nd half hour to go over the exam.  It's fun to do it as a small group, and the MOEMS people will send you some nice certificates, trophies, patches and pins at the end of the season.  We award them at an end of the year party.  But enrolling an official team costs around $100.

 

If you don't want to go through the expense and bother, you will have more flexibility simply by using their books of old exams.  Just photocopy an old exam, and you can have your student do it on his own, or with a group.  Now you can schedule it whenever it's convenient: once a week, once a month, year round if you like.  And there's no registration cost.  

 

We've been involved with MOEMS for many years, and it's a great way to launch into math competitions.  I've had students as young as 3rd grade participate, though 4th grade is more typical.  

 

I was going to buy the MOEMS books for next year. Do you think it is worthwhile to buy the 4-pack of all their contest books? 

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I was going to buy the MOEMS books for next year. Do you think it is worthwhile to buy the 4-pack of all their contest books? 

 

No.  Volumes 2 and 3 are divided into elementary and middle school levels, while volume 1 does not make that distinction.  Some people like the Creative Problem Solving book, but I thought it was mostly pedagogy and not practice problems. 

In fact, I doubt you'll need more than one volume of old contests.  By the time your student has worked through most of a single book, he'll probably be ready for old MathCounts and AMC8 exams.    HTH.

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