In the city of Farmington an event took place called Mathcounts. Mathcounts is a local math competition that brings together students who are in grades six through eight. These students all come together to test their math skills in the form of a contest. The competition has been around for over twenty five years and focuses on middle school students because this is a critical time in the development of an interest in math. The event is organized by the Society of Professional Engineers from the San Juan Chapter of New Mexico.
Challenging students at a basic level shows improvements.
Many of the students had much to say about the event. The students broke into teams to compete with many of the students remarking that the questions were challenging and that they enjoyed the chance to participate. This type of challenge is unique to the program as this level is often not found in a school setting. The winners of this contest will go on to compete in a large contest at the University of New Mexico Centennial Engineer Center on March 18. There is more information about this program that can be found online.
MATHCOUNTS is a national program that is designed to improve math skills among U.S. students. The program focuses on middle school students, which is a crucial age for developing and sustaining math interest and ability, according to a MATHCOUNTS press release.
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Key takeaways
- More schools should be supportive of academic competitions such as math.
- Being around other kids who appreciate doing math is reassuring.
- Math is a good alternative to sports.
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