Entering my teenager in a local/national maths competition

geek84

Hi Folks

My daughter who has just finished year 10 has always seemed to have good maths skills and I am thinking of entering her in a local/regional maths competition.

Can anyone suggest any popular competitions in which I can enter her?

Thanks

AylesburyDuck

Does she want to be entered, you have had the conversation with her yes?

DomRavioli

As someone who spent her teenage years being shoved into maths and science competitions, I'd say avoid at all costs. I did very well in them, but I absolutely hated them - I had to give up my free social time (I was on a strict schedule due to family long term illness) to attend.

Have you had a conversation with your child, one where you don't push this issue but merely raise it? I'd hate to think that you were trying to live through your child, as that only ends in therapy.

KRB2725

Let her be a child. What benefit would there be to entering/winning a competition? If she's good at maths then she's good at maths, she doesn't need a trophy to prove it & neither do you.

JReacher1

emmatthews wrote: »

Let her be a child. What benefit would there be to entering/winning a competition? If she's good at maths then she's good at maths, she doesn't need a trophy to prove it & neither do you.

You could say this about any competition that kids enter e.g why enter a tennis tournament, why enter a chess competition etc, there is nothing wrong with a child entering/winning a competition as long as the child wants to do it.

.j.e.j

geek84 wrote: »

Can anyone suggest any popular competitions in which I can enter her?

The words 'popular' and 'maths' don't usually go together..

GlasweJen

Our school entered us into UK maths challenge as a default if we were in the top set. The top of the set were encouraged to enter the Scottish maths challenge.

Savvy_Sue

I'd ask the school about the UK Maths Challenge, it's done during school time. https://www.ukmt.org.uk/about-us/

And not just entered by highly competitive 'top' schools, if you know what I mean.

There may also be events or competitions she can enter (if she wants to) independently, but this is the one I know of.

susancs

I would ask the school about maths competitions. The "gifted and talented" in various subjects in DDs school are encouraged to participate in events with children from other schools. It is usually done as part of a school team, so good for building team working skills.

splishsplash

I'm in Ireland, so it may be different here, but when my kids were at school, these things were organized through the school usually. There were also invite-only competitions (where students were invited to attend based on results/ability).

My kids really enjoyed them, my son particularly, as he loves maths and physics. They won lots of very good stuff - trips away, money, phones, ipads, etc. They also won trophies, of course, but they were never the allure for my mercenary lot.

I'd say talk to the school, if it is something your daughter is really interested in doing.

splishsplash

.j.e.j wrote: »

The words 'popular' and 'maths' don't usually go together..

Geeks, nerds and gamers all have a certain cachet now, probably thanks to TBBT.
Cleverness and intelligence is something to be celebrated, not mocked, thankfully.