Math League (9th to 12th grade) – Open to all homeschoolers
Teacher: Anna Hight (eltinwe@comcast.net)
Cost: ~ $35/year
Dates and Times: Mondays at lunchtime 11:45 – 12:25 p.m.
Place: All meetings will be held at the Mount Sophia building (Newark Church of Christ – 91 Salem Church Road – park in the back parking lot and come in through the glass double doors)
Description:
Math League is a club to supplement your regular math program, which provides opportunities for children to engage in creative problem-solving activities while developing a child’s ability to reason, to be logical, to be resourceful, and occasionally to be ingenious.
Our goals for Math club participants include:
1. developing enthusiasm for problem solving and mathematics
2. deepening the understanding of mathematical concepts and strengthening the ability to use these concepts
3. considering concepts they might not otherwise encounter
4. enriching experiences in intellectually stimulating and significant mental activities
5. building a stronger foundation for assessments and for future mathematics studies
We will also explore problem solving strategies and how to choose the best strategy for any given problem when there are several successful possibilities. This class will be very conversational, and will be primarily solving math problems individually, discussing them as a team, and exploring as many methods and approaches as possible.
Like most worthwhile goals, there is no easy road to becoming a capable problem solver. You must first recognize that this is an important and desirable goal, and that it may take considerable time and effort to realize it. The more time and effort invested, the more one is likely to learn.
Your student will practice bi-weekly for six contests, monthly from October/November to March. Being able to solve a difficult problem is one of the most satisfying experiences one may have. On the other hand, struggling with a difficult problem should indicate to your child that he or she has found something worthwhile and new to learn. This should be viewed as a challenge and an opportunity to grow. Learning how to solve a problem and to understand its underlying mathematical concepts are the most important goals of mathematics education.
