This is a great question, as it’s always been my personal education philosophy that all subjects are simply a combination ofEnglish and math. Take a challenging physics problem for example – does your child have the English comprehension ability to understand what they are being asked to do, and do they have the mathematical knowledge to solve it?Additionally, the SAT test which students take for college admissions is also split up with 800 points being dedicated to English and 800 points being dedicated to math for a 1600 total. Simply put, math plays a vital role in ensuring your child has a bright future.
First of all, putting competitions into the equation is a great idea! Speak to your child’s math teacher about starting out locally as the school may have competitions already built in for excellent students, such as the NESA math league in the MESATI region of the world.Naturally, the more prestigious a competition is, the more weight it shall bear on a college application. Aiming for the International Math Olympiad one day would a fine goal to pursue, but for now you can view some competitions here to see which ones would be good for your child’s respective age and your location. Never be afraid to level competitions as your child’s experience and ability grows, this is something to be celebrated.
Second, I would recommend more advanced mathematics courses, such as those offered by the Crimson Global Academy, which can be done online in your child’s spare time in either a group class or DaVinci style, which is a 1:1 curriculum taught at your child’s pace and interest levels. Feel free to speak to an academic advisor at Crimson Education if you’re interested in finding the perfect course for your child – from AP Calculus to doing IGCSE mathematics early and many more!
Now, understanding the subject and performing well is done thing but if your child wants to take their love of math to the next level, how about teaching it to other students? The first thing to do would be to start in your child’s school community. Maybe they can offer classmates math lessons in the library after school and have a teacher(preferably their math teacher) mark off the hours as community service.Additionally, look into your child volunteering at an organization such as Kumon to mark the math papers of younger students, or to take part in a summer camp as a counselor or tutor, which could also count as a summer project as a leadership position on their college application.
On a more casual scale, look to your family and friends, your immediate network. Does your child have any cousins they can tutor? If they look up to your child, raising them up to also participate in math competitions is a natural route to take. Perhaps the younger kids of your friends could be good places to ask too, and your child could even make a bit of pocket money that way too.
If your child is looking for materials to help tutor, there are great resources on sites such as the KhanAcademy, iXL, Twinkle, and TeachersPayTeachers, where math worksheets, PPT, and problems can be obtained for free. Additionally, don’t forget to use resources you already possess to help teach math, such as math textbooks and your school teacher’sPPTs.
Finally, consider extracurricular activities while involve math but are more about mathematical application than the math club which your child has probably already joined. This would include learning entrepreneurship and how stocks work (Crimson Rise has an entrepreneurship module especially targeted at middle schoolers), running for math-oriented leadership positions such as treasurer in the student government, as well as team-building strategy games such as Dungeons and Dragons. Exposing your child to practical applications of mathematics will motivate them to continue pursuing it academically as they can reap the rewards beyond the classroom doors.
Whichever way you spin it, math counts. As does having a strong extracurricular portfolio. Putting your child’s love of math and competitions experience forward could also help build leadership and community service opportunities which will multiply the impact on their college application if done properly.
Yours in education,
Gala Radinovic
Crimson Rise Strategy Consultant
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