Can Math Enrichment Programs Really Help My Child?
- Vasudha Uddavan
- Jan 18, 2018
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 1
Mrs D wanted help with her daughter, Ms A. A was doing reasonably well in school. But when confronted with problems from math competitions, even understanding the problems was hard for her. Mrs D wanted A to be able to think independently and develop her logical reasoning skills. She also wanted A to do well in her schoolwork, make sure that she understood all the concepts and be ahead of her class.
She enrolled her daughter in my online math enrichment program. We started working with CML, the easiest of math competitions. We would work on 10 problems for one hour a week.
Within 6-8 classes A's logical thinking and reasoning had improved and CML got easy for her. She is now able to work on CML papers on her own without help.
Within 6-8 classes, A's logical thinking and reasoning had improved, and CML (Continental Math League) problems got easy for her. She can easily solve 8 out of 10 questions and sometimes all of them as well. She now works with MOEMS (a slightly harder competition compared to CML), and she's happy about the progress that she's making.
She is now more confident about her problem-solving skills. Her eyes light up, and a big smile crosses her face when I say she got the logic right. According to her mom,
"I can see how A's thought process has refined. A is now able to solve problems with clear, infallible logic, something she wasn't able to do before".
How are Math enrichment programs different from regular school math?
School math teaches you a method to solve a problem and then gives a set of problems to be solved using that method. A concept is taught first, and then problems are given.
Good Math enrichment programs focus on problem-solving. It means a problem is given first, and then we discuss various ways to solve it. This technique broadens the mind to look for all possible solutions to a given problem and then (with practice) pick out the most efficient one. It is like exercising the mind. It strengthens your mind.
Often, math enrichment programs teach students to solve problems that are significantly more challenging than their school-level tasks. A 4th grader would be expected to do 6th-grade level problems. For example, this is a problem that appeared in the Math Olympiad (MOEMS) competition for grades 4-6.
"A bowl has 100 pieces of colored candy. 48 green, 30 red, 12 yellow and 10 blue. They are all wrapped in foil, so you do not know the color of any piece of candy. Write the least number of pieces you must take to be certain that you have at least 15 pieces of the same color?"
Problems of this genre even appear in GMAT and other aptitude tests. And these problems even stump most adults. But a kid who is well trained on problem-solving will be able to solve this.
Benefits of Math Enrichment Programs:
Kids who are used to problem-solving from younger grades find their SATs and other standardized tests easier. In fact, two of my students scored above the 89th percentile (one at the 99th percentile and the other at the 89th percentile) on their PSAT8, despite having received hardly any preparation, as they were accustomed to problem-solving.
Kids also start to appreciate and love math because of the variety of problems offered and the thrill that they get when they can solve complicated problems themselves.
Kids who enrol in enrichment programs are much ahead of their grade levels in math and are more confident. They can get straight A's easily.
They get recognized as math gurus or leaders in their respective classes. Most of my students tell me that they help out other students in their class.
Kids do well across subjects because their thinking capacity has evolved.
How do I know if my child is ready for math enrichment?
Your child is ready if you answer a yes to any one of the following questions:
1. Your child is in an accelerated or advanced math program
2. When you ask them to study for a test/ exam, do you often hear the words "I've already done it! It's the same stuff over and over again" (but their grades might be good or bad)
3. Your child says he/ she is bored in math class, but you think she has potential. They might be bored because it is easy.
4. Your child is smart and loves a challenge.
5. Your child likes math and/ or puzzles.
If you're wondering whether math enrichment is right for your child, you can schedule a free 15-minute consultation with me.
I work with students in grades 3–8 in math enrichment, Beast Academy, AoPS - Prealgebra, Algebra, and Geometry.
Every student begins at a different point, so I tailor lessons to their current understanding, interests, and goals.
For some students, that includes preparing for math competitions such as CML, MOEMS, or AMC 8. For others, the focus is on building strong problem-solving skills and mathematical thinking.
Schedule a free 15 min consultation session with me here. Help your child ace the math.
Author's Note: This was the very first blog I wrote back in 2018. Looking back, I'm happy to see that while my experience has grown tremendously, my belief in developing strong mathematical thinking has remained the same.
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Thaanks for sharing this