Ivy League Education Center

HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STUDENTS WHO EARNED TOP SCORES ON THE 2017 AMC 8 CONTEST!

• 7 of our students were among the top 75 National Winners (Perfect Scorers).
• 34 students received National Distinguished Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 1% test takers, as shown in Table 2.
• 22 students received National Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 5% test takers, as shown in Table 3.
• 63 out of our 65 students (97%) received National Awards for the AMC 8 from the Mathematical Association of America

The 2017 AMC 8 (American Mathematics Competitions 8) was held on November 14th, 2017. The AMC 8 is the most rigorous nationwide mathematics competition at the middle school level, dedicated to the goal of strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s youth. The AMC 8 has a total score of 25. Seven of our students were among 75 National Winners (Perfect Scorers). Click HERE see a full list of students who achieved a perfect score in the USA.

Table 1:  Seven Perfect Scorers on the 2017 AMC 8 Contest

Table 2:  Thirty-four National Distinguished Honor Roll Awardees

Table 3:  Twenty-two National Honor Roll Awardees

In 2017, there were 65 students in grades 3-8 who attended our AMC 8 Prep, AMC 10/12 Prep, AIME Prep Classes, including One-on-One Private Coaching and Small Group (4-10 students) Classes. All of them attended the AMC 8 contest on November 14, 2017, and their average score is 20.7. Remarkably, 63 students received National Awards for the AMC 8 from the Mathematical Association of America, as shown in Tables 1, 2, and 3. Furthermore, 9 students in grade 6 or under received National Awards. Very impressively, Thomas N. and Thomas N. two 6th graders, got a 24 out of 25.

All our students who achieved the top scores on the AMC 8 actually attended our high level AMC 10/12/AIME classes, not our standard level AMC 8 classes. They know that in order to get a top score, they must aim even higher!

212,510 students worldwide participated in the 2017 AMC 8 contest from over 2,000 schools. In the USA, 210,211 students participated, and the overall national average score is 8.94 out of a maximum of 25. All our students achieved a score that is much higher than the overall national average score.

Top scorers and statistics can be found at http://amc-reg.maa.org/reports/generalreports.aspx

Read more at:

• 2017 AMC 8 Honor Roll and Distinguished Honor Roll Cut-off Scores
• 2016 AMC 8 Results Announced — Eleven Students Received Perfect Scores
• 2015 AMC 8 Results Announced
• 2014 AMC 8 Winners for the U.S. Ivy League Education Center
• Premier National Mathematics Competition — AMC 8
• 2016 AMC 8 Problems and Answers
• 2015 AMC 8 Problems and Answers
• The Big Value of Middle School Math Competitions
• Great Benefits of Math Competitions
• A Little Competition Can Inspire Math Students to Greater Achievement
• Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model
• Homework Correction is very Important — We Give an Extensive Correction of the Incorrect Answers of All Homework
• Homework assignments are a fundamental part of our courses
• Mathematics competitions are NOT mysterious, and every student can attend them! — 数学竞赛绝非神秘，每个学生都可参加！
• Girls should attend math competitions — 女生更应参加数学竞赛
• The Importance of Discrete Mathematics

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

The Distinguished Honor Roll (top 1%) level is 20 (compared to 22 last year).
The Honor Roll (top 5%) level is 17 (compared to 18 last year).
The Achievement Honor Roll (6th Grade and below) level is 15.

Based on our intensive research and comparison of this year’s AMC 8 problem set  with the problem sets of the last 18 years from 1999 to 2016, we predicted that this year’s AMC 8 Honor Roll and Distinguished Honor Roll cut-off scores would be 17 and 20, respectively. Our prediction came true! For more details, please see:

• 2017 AMC 8 Problems and Answers
• AMC 8 Historical Results from 2003 to 2016

This year’s AMC 8 was more difficult than the last year’s AMC 8. Some hard problems were even AMC 10 level. For example, Problem 23 and Problem 24 on the 2017 AMC 8 are two typical AMC 10 hard problems.

Because the AMC 8 problems are getting harder, we must practice not only previous AMC 8 problems but also easy, medium, and even high difficulty level problems from previous AMC 10 to do well on the AMC 8.

Read more at:

• The Hardest Problems on the 2017 AMC 8 are Extremely Similar to Previous Problems on the AMC 8, 10, 12, Kangaroo, and MathCounts
• AMC 8 Historical Results from 2010 to 2016
• The AMC 10/12 Contests at Montgomery College on February 7, 2018, and February 15, 2018
• 2016 AMC 8 Results Announced — Eleven Students Received Perfect Scores
• 20 Sets of AMC 8 Mock Test with Detailed Solutions
• Premier National Mathematics Competition — AMC 8
• AMC 8/10/12/AIME Problems and Answers
• The Big Value of Middle School Math Competitions
• Great Benefits of Math Competitions
• A Little Competition Can Inspire Math Students to Greater Achievement
• Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model
• Fostering Mathematical Potential is the Best Way to Develop Your Child’s Intelligence
• How to Solve Mathematics Problems
• Homework Correction is very Important — We Give an Extensive Correction of the Incorrect Answers of All Homework
• Homework assignments are a fundamental part of our courses
• Mathematics competitions are NOT mysterious, and every student can attend them! — 数学竞赛绝非神秘，每个学生都可参加！
• Girls should attend math competitions — 女生更应参加数学竞赛
• Why Math Competitions are so Important to Girls?
• 2015 AMC 8 Results Announced
• 2014 AMC 8 Winners for the U.S. Ivy League Education Center
• Why Discrete Math is very Important

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

Click HERE to find out more about SAT Prep!

This program has been carefully designed for the students with higher expectation for their American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) scores. While enriching their resume through the school classes, honing the test skill for AIME becomes even more critical.

The AIME is used to determine qualification for the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). There are many math competitions in the United States. Of those, only AMC → AIME → USAMO sequence would take you to the IMO (International Math Olympiad), the highest level math competition for high school students in the world.

Instructors:

• Dr. Henry Wan
• Dr. Natasha Khovanova
• Dr. Irina Kufareva

9 Weekends (Time: 2:00 – 5:00 pm), Total: 27 Hours
1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28 (Monthly Mock Test/Review)
2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25, 3/4 (Final Mock Test/Review)

Tuition: $1215 (including all materials). We offer discounts of $40 for returning students.

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

A commitment to the whole course can maximize the benefit of learning all the math ideas, methods, strategies, tactics, skills, and techniques.

Click HERE to see payment and refund policy.

Locations:
13902 Bromfield Road, Germantown, MD 20874

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508     or        240-780-8828
Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Purpose: To prepare for the AIME I — Thursday, March 6, 2018 or AIME II — Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Objectives

• Improve student scores by working on both fundamental theorems and ideas
• Develop and foster creative problem solving strategies
• Make the USA(J)MO!!!

For Whom?
This AIME course is aimed at those students with AMC 10/12 scores of 100+ to students who have scored around 4 on the AIME.

What?
This class will focus mostly on building strong basics in the five main pillars of Combinatorics, Number Theory, Geometry, Algebra, and Probability. The goal is for students to obtain the mental agility required to tackle these complex problems and hopefully get them within and past range of qualification for the USAMO and USAJMO, or around 9 problems.

How?
Focus on basic concepts and essential knowledge before moving on developing the skills and intuition to find and pursue good lines of attack for complex problems.

Class Outline:
In AMIE Prep Class, we will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve AIME problems as well as test-taking tactics.

Benefits:

• 9 tutorial handouts (>270 pages) developed by Dr. Henry Wan and 300 new problems at the AIME level from the licensed AMC Database
• 2 FREE mock tests that are intended to mimic an actual math competition exam, each of which has 15 questions similar to the AIME level taken from the licensed AMC Database. These simulated tests help students assess their level of preparation for the Math Competitions. After attempting the test, students get answers, explanations, and a detailed score report and wise performance summary.

Homework: At least 5 hours per week. Students are expected to complete all of the previous AIME contests in the past 10 years, which is over 60 hours of practice. Our instructors are open to questions on any previous AIMEs.

All problems from all of the previous 53 AIME contests (1983-2017) form our “big data” system. We have used data mining and predictive analytics to examine the types and the frequencies of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the AIME. We will show all the “secret code” cracked from the above big data to students, and teach them to totally grasp and “control” the AMC. For all questions on the recent AIME contests, we can find their “ancestors” and “roots” from the old AIME problems. Therefore, the best way to prepare for the contest is to practice by solving old AIME problems.

Our Students

In 2017, we have 61 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 28 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Austen M., and two of our students were among the 65 Perfect Scorersworldwide on the AMC 10B: Ashwin A. and Brad Z. Remarkably, eight middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Very impressively, Bryan Z., a 6th grader, gained a score of 132 out of 150 on the AMC 10B.
Read more at: 2017 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 61 Students Qualified for the AIME

In 2016, we have 36 students who are qualified to take AIME either through AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 23Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Joel (Junyao) T. Particularly, seven middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Pravalika P., a 6th grader, got a 115.5 out of 150 on the AMC10B, which is very impressive. Read more at: 2016 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 36 Students Qualified for AIME

From 2011 to 2015, in total, 37 students scored above 120 on the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 26 students scored above 100 on the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 3 students qualified for the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), the highest level of math competition for high school students in the USA. Read more at: Notable Achievements of Our Students

Our Uniqueness

We have a long history of close collaboration with the MAA‘s American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), which are dedicated to strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s youth, and are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our students have received top scores and awards at prestigious national and math competitions. We have collected 116 full-length real AMC 10/12 problems sets containing 2,960 problems, as described in the article “116 Full-length Real AMC Problems Sets are a Golden Resource to Our AMC 10/12 Prep Program.” Particularly, we have extracted additional 3,000 brand new problems at the level of the AMC 10/12, from the licensed AMC Database. In addition, we have also collected all AMC8/10/12 and AIME Official Solutions as shown in the article “American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) Materials.” All these materials have formed a golden resource for our students, who are the ultimate beneficiaries.

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

Purpose: To prepare for math competitions, such as

• AMC 10A — Tuesday, February 7, 2018 and AMC 10B — Wednesday, February 15, 2018. Please see: The AMC 10/12 Contests at Montgomery College on February 7, 2018, and February 15, 2018
• MATHCOUNTS
• Math Kangaroo Contest — Thursday, March 15, 2018
• Math League — February 20, 2017 and February 27, 2017
• Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS)
• Continental Mathematics League (CML)

Winter 2017-2018 Schedule
6 Weekends (Eastern Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm), Total: 12 Hours
1/6,  1/13,  1/20 (Monthly Mock Test/Review)
1/27, 2/3,  2/10 (Final Mock Test/Review)

• We will help students gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental math concepts, build a solid foundation in math, and develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills different from those in the school classes, motivation, and perseverance for reaching their full potential.
• We will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve competitive math problems as well as test-taking tactics.
• The emphasis of this class will be on comprehensive problem-solving, which is very common in competitive math, but is not included in school curriculum.
• We will utilize a highly effective teaching model as described in the article: Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model.

Instructor: Dr. Henry Wan

You are very welcome to sign up for our online course which offers a quick, efficient way for students to interact with teachers over long distance. We use Google Hangouts to video chat and easily connect with students to teach them our tricks and shortcuts to getting an amazing score on their contests, as well as offer them our guidance and support. Students can ask questions face-to-face, and can complete problems with the supervision of our teachers/coaches. Click HERE to see detailed instruction.

A commitment to the whole course can maximize the benefit of learning all the math ideas, methods, strategies, tactics, skills, and techniques.

Tuition: $420 (including all materials). We offer discounts of $15 for returning students.

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register and make payment.

Click HERE to see payment and refund policy.

New students:

Returning students ($15 discount):

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508                Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Specific Goal of the AMC 10:
To earn a score of 90 or more out of 150 on the 2018 AMC 10, and then receive National Achievement Honor Roll Certificates.

Specific Goal of the MathCounts:
To become one of the top winners in the individual competition at the chapter level and then advance to the state competition.

There are many math competitions in the United States. Of those, only AMC → AIME → USAMO sequence would take you to the IMO (International Math Olympiad), the highest level math competition for high school students in the world!

Description: 
Our curriculum focuses on advancing the mathematical skills of rising 5th-8th graders to prepare them for AMC 10 and MathCounts. A variety of contest questions, including the first 15 problems on the AMC 10, and MathCounts Competition problems at the school, chapter, state, and national level, are used to teach students strategies to solve problems and help students prepare for the competitions. These problems stimulate their interest and enthusiasm for critical and creative thinking and problem solving, broaden their mathematical intuition, and develop their brainpower. The topics taught in this class are not covered in regular school math classes, allowing our students to stay one step ahead.

Benefits:

• • 6 tutorial handouts (200 pages) developed by Dr. Henry Wan and 500 new problems at the AMC 10 level taken from the licensed AMC Database
  • 40 past real MathCounts test booklets at the school, chapter, state, and national level from 2010–2017
  • 2 FREE mock tests, each of which has 25 questions taken from the licensed AMC Database. Mock tests are calibrated to be at the same difficulty level as the real AMC 10. 
  • FREE registration for the AMC 10/12 A — Tuesday, February 7, 2018 and/or AMC 10/12 B — Wednesday, February 15, 2018. Please see: The AMC 10/12 Contests at Montgomery College on February 7, 2018, and February 15, 2018

Read more at:

• 2017 AMC 10A Problems and Answers
• 2017 AMC 10B Problems and Answers
• 2017 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 61 Students Qualified for the AIME
• 365-hour Project to Qualify for the AIME through the AMC 10/12 Contests
• Some Hard Problems on the 2017 AMC 10A/12A are Totally the Same as Previous Problems on the AMC 10/12
• Some Problems on the 2016 AMC 10/12 are Exactly the Same as Previous AMC/ARML Problems
• Optimal Strategies to Solve Hard AMC Geometry Problems
• How to Solve Mathematics Problems
• The Big Value of Middle School Math Competitions
• Great Benefits of Math Competitions
• A Little Competition Can Inspire Math Students to Greater Achievement
• Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model
• Homework Correction is very Important — We Give an Extensive Correction of the Incorrect Answers of All Homework
• Homework assignments are a fundamental part of our courses
• Why are Math Competitions Important to Girls?
• Mathematics competitions are NOT mysterious, and every student can attend them! — 数学竞赛绝非神秘，每个学生都可参加！
• Girls should attend math competitions — 女生更应参加数学竞赛
• 2016 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 36 Students Qualified for the AIME
• 2016 AMC 8 Results Announced — Eleven Students Received Perfect Scores
• 2015 AMC 8 Results Announced
• 2014 AMC 8 Winners for the U.S. Ivy League Education Center
• Why Discrete Math is very Important

Class Outline:
We will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve competitive math problems as well as test-taking tactics. The emphasis of this class will be on comprehensively problem-solving which is the most important to competitive math.

Mock Test:
Three simulated tests will help students assess their level of preparation for the Math Competitions. The test consists of 25 questions at the AMC 10 level from the licensed AMC Database, and is intended to mimic an actual math competition exam. After attempting the test, students get answers, explanations, and a detailed score report and wise performance summary.

Homework
On average, at least 2 hours per week, as described in the article: Homework assignments are a fundamental part of our courses. Click HERE to see a typical homework sample we developed. Each week, we will carefully review and check 3 students’ homework, and correct any mistakes. The next week, we will check another 3 students’ homework, and this will continue on a rotational basis until all students have had their homework checked at least once and the cycle will start again. Based on the work of the 3 students that week, we will provide the those 3 students with individualized proposal and support. More details can be found in the article: Homework Correction is very Important — We Give an Extensive Correction of the Incorrect Answers of All Homework.

We have to face the simple truth that to do well on these grueling contests, we will need to practice. Just like it is for sports and music, the key to success is repetition and practice. We strongly believe in effort and the malleability of intelligence. Intelligence can be enhanced through effort. People can develop impressive levels of expertise through hard work and practice. Effort and persistence are the keys to success. Hard work always pays off: practice makes perfect!

All problems from past AMC 10 exams (2000-2017) and MathCounts (1990–2017) form our “big data” system. We used data mining and predictive analytics to examine the types, styles,  and frequencies of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the AMC and MathCounts. We will show all the “secret code” cracked from the above big data to students, and teach them to totally grasp and “control” the AMC and MathCounts. For all questions on the recent AMC/MathCounts contests, we can find their “ancestors” and “roots” from the old AMC/MathCounts problems. Therefore, the best way to prepare for the contest is to practice by solving old AMC/MathCounts problems.

Main Purpose: 

Our main purpose is to help our students gain deeper understanding of the fundamental math concepts, build a solid foundation in math, and develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are so valuable to success in any career. We are big believers in the FUNDAMENTALS! Our students will receive the LIFELONG BENEFITS from learning math.

Regardless of his/her math level, each student will have the opportunity to learn math in a fun, friendly, cooperative, supportive learning environment. The most important thing is to have fun.

Our Students

In 2017, we have 61 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 28 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Austen M., and two of our students were among the 65 Perfect Scorersworldwide on the AMC 10B: Ashwin A. and Brad Z. Remarkably, eight middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Very impressively, Bryan Z., a 6th grader, gained a score of 132 out of 150 on the AMC 10B.
Read more at: 2017 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 61 Students Qualified for the AIME

In 2016, we have 36 students who are qualified to take AIME either through AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 23Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Joel (Junyao) T. Particularly, seven middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Pravalika P., a 6th grader, got a 115.5 out of 150 on the AMC10B, which is very impressive. Read more at: 2016 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 36 Students Qualified for AIME

From 2011 to 2015, in total, 37 students scored above 120 on the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 26 students scored above 100 on the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 3 students qualified for the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), the highest level of math competition for high school students in the USA. Read more at: Notable Achievements of Our Students

Our Uniqueness

We have a long history of close collaboration with the MAA‘s American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), which are dedicated to strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s youth, and are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our students have received top scores and awards at prestigious national and math competitions. We have collected 116 full-length real AMC 10/12 problems sets containing 2,960 problems, as described in the article “116 Full-length Real AMC Problems Sets are a Golden Resource to Our AMC 10/12 Prep Program.” Particularly, we have extracted additional 3,000 brand new problems at the level of the AMC 10/12, from the licensed AMC Database. In addition, we have also collected all AMC8/10/12 and AIME Official Solutions as shown in the article “American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) Materials.” All these materials have formed a golden resource for our students, who are the ultimate beneficiaries.

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

Competitive Math Program — Winter 2018 Schedule

1.  AMC 10/12 Prep Winter Weekend Course

Purpose: To prepare for the AMC 10/12 A — Tuesday, February 7, 2018 and/or AMC 10/12 B — Wednesday, February 15, 2018. Please see:

• The AMC 10/12 Contests at Montgomery College on February 7, 2018, and February 15, 2018
• 2017 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 61 Students Qualified for the AIME

6 Weekends (Time: 6:00 – 8:30 pm), Total: 15 Hours

Tuition: $600 (including all materials)

View Course Outline

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

2.  Intensive AIME Prep Winter Weekend Course

Purpose: To prepare for the AIME I — Thursday, March 6, 2018 or AIME II — Wednesday, March 21, 2018

9 Weekends (Time: 2:00 – 5:00 pm), Total: 27 hours

Tuition: $1215 (including all materials). We offer discounts of $40 for returning students.

View Course Outline

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

3.  Online Intensive AIME Prep Winter Weekend Course

Purpose: To prepare for the AIME I — Thursday, March 6, 2018 or AIME II — Wednesday, March 21, 2018

9 Weekends (Time: 2:00 – 5:00 pm), Total: 27 hours

Tuition: $1215 (including all materials). We offer discounts of $40 for returning students.

View Course Outline

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

4.  AMC 10/Mathcounts Prep (Beginner Level)
Purpose: To help 5th-8th graders prepare for math competitions, such as AMC 10, MATHCOUNTS, Math Kangaroo Contest, Math League, Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS) and Continental Mathematics League (CML)

6 Weekends (Eastern Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm), Total: 12 Hours

View Course Outline

Tuition: $420 (including all materials). We offer discounts of $15 for returning students.

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register and make payment.

5.  Self-studying for AMC 8/10/12 Contests

Even if you cannot attend our classes, you can purchase the AMC materials from our bookstore and, using our mock tests with detailed solutions, self-learn/study the tricks, shortcuts, tips, and strategies to solve AMC problems as well as test-taking tactics.

• 20 Sets of AMC 12 Mock Test with Detailed Solutions
• 20 Sets of AMC 10 Mock Test with Detailed Solutions
• 20 Sets of AMC 8 Mock Test with Detailed Solutions

6.  Private and Semi-private Coaching/Tutoring

(1)     One-on-One Private Individualized Coaching/Tutoring:                 $120/hour

• 1-on-1 instruction
• Completely personalized prep
• Books and materials included
• Only our best and most sought after tutors
• Tutors with the skills and style to totally meet your needs
• The freedom to meet when you want
• A plan to help you get into your top-choice schools

(2)     One-on-Two Semi-Private Instruction:    $90/hour/person

• Specialized 1-on-2 instruction
• Books and materials included
• Only our best and most sought after tutors
• Individualized attention
• Customizable schedules

Our Students

In 2017, we have 61 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 28 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Austen M., and two of our students were among the 65 Perfect Scorersworldwide on the AMC 10B: Ashwin A. and Brad Z. Remarkably, eight middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Very impressively, Bryan Z., a 6th grader, gained a score of 132 out of 150 on the AMC 10B.
Read more at: 2017 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 61 Students Qualified for the AIME

In 2016, we have 36 students who are qualified to take AIME either through AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 23Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Joel (Junyao) T. Particularly, seven middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Pravalika P., a 6th grader, got a 115.5 out of 150 on the AMC10B, which is very impressive. Read more at: 2016 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 36 Students Qualified for AIME

From 2011 to 2015, in total, 37 students scored above 120 on the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 26 students scored above 100 on the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 3 students qualified for the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), the highest level of math competition for high school students in the USA. Read more at: Notable Achievements of Our Students

Our Uniqueness

We have a long history of close collaboration with the MAA‘s American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), which are dedicated to strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s youth, and are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our students have received top scores and awards at prestigious national and math competitions. We have collected 116 full-length real AMC 10/12 problems sets containing 2,960 problems, as described in the article “116 Full-length Real AMC Problems Sets are a Golden Resource to Our AMC 10/12 Prep Program.” Particularly, we have extracted additional 3,000 brand new problems at the level of the AMC 10/12, from the licensed AMC Database. In addition, we have also collected all AMC8/10/12 and AIME Official Solutions as shown in the article “American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) Materials.” All these materials have formed a golden resource for our students, who are the ultimate beneficiaries.

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

 Featured Instructors

All of our sessions are taught by highly qualified instructors who are excellent experts on preparing students for the contests. We distinguish ourselves by the high quality of our instructors. Finding top-quality instructors is no easy task. We’ve hand-picked some of the best, including distinguished mathematicians. Meet some of them here:

• Chief Math Instructor: Dr. Henry Wan
• Head Math Instructor: Dr. Natasha Khovanova
• Senior Math Instructor: Dr. Irina Kufareva

Great Benefits of Math Competitions

In an increasingly competitive college application pool, the process of mastering math skills through our courses and participating in the American Math Competitions will help students strengthen and diversify their extracurricular activities. These contests can motivate students’ interest and passion in math, and they can discover their talent through solving challenging problems different from those in the school classes. Many top colleges also request AMC scores as part of the college application process. Both MIT and Caltech have entry blanks on their official admission application forms for the applicant to enter their best AMC and AIME scores. Ivy League Colleges and Stanford ask for to the AMC and AIME scores in their Supplement to the Common Application Forms. Your children deserve the chance to list these scores on their applications! Good AMC scores will greatly enhance admission opportunities for students to elite colleges.

Read more:

• Great Benefits of Math Competitions
• The Big Value of Middle School Math Competitions
• A little competition can inspire math students to greater achievement

Locations:
13902 Bromfield Road, Germantown, MD 20874
18206 Endora Cir, Germantown, MD 20841

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508     or        240-780-8828
Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Purpose: To prepare for the AMC 10/12 A — Tuesday, February 7, 2018 and/or AMC 10/12 B — Wednesday, February 15, 2018. Please see:

• The AMC 10/12 Contests at Montgomery College on February 7, 2018, and February 15, 2018
• 2017 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 61 Students Qualified for the AIME

6 Weekends (Eastern Time: 6:00 – 8:30 pm), Total: 15 Hours
1/7,  1/14,  1/21,  (Monthly Mock Test/Review)
1/28, 2/4,  2/11 (Final Mock Test/Review)

• We will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve competitive math problems, especially those hard problems on the AMC 10/12 and easy problems on the AIME, as well as test-taking tactics.
• The emphasis of this class will be on comprehensive problem-solving, which is very common in competitive math, but is not included in school curriculum.
• We will utilize a highly effective teaching model as described in the article: Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model.

You are very welcome to sign up for our Online Intensive AMC 10/12 Prep Fall Weekend Course which offers a quick, efficient way for students to interact with teachers over long distance. We use Google Hangouts to video chat and easily connect with students to teach them our tricks and shortcuts to getting an amazing score on their contests, as well as offer them our guidance and support. Students can ask questions face-to-face, and can complete problems with the supervision of our teachers/coaches.

A commitment to the whole course can maximize the benefit of learning all the math ideas, methods, strategies, tactics, skills, and techniques.

Tuition: $600 (including all materials). We offer discounts of $30 for returning students.

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register and make payment.

Click HERE to see payment and refund policy.

New students:

Returning students ($20 discount):

Instructors:

• Dr. Henry Wan
• Dr. Irina Khovanova
• Dr. Natasha Kufareva

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508     or        240-406-3402
Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

There are many math competitions in the United States. Of those, only AMC → AIME → USAMO sequence would take you to the IMO (International Math Olympiad), the highest level math competition for high school students in the world!

Read more at:

• The AMC 10/12 Contests at Montgomery College on February 7, 2018, and February 15, 2018
• 116 Full-length Real AMC Problems Sets are a Golden Resource to Our AMC 10/12 Prep Program
• 365-hour Project to Qualify for the AIME through the AMC 10/12 Contests
• Some Hard Problems on the 2017 AMC 10A/12A are Totally the Same as Previous Problems on the AMC 10/12
• AMC 10 versus AMC 12
• AMC 10/12 Historical Results
• Some Problems on the 2016 AMC 10/12 are Exactly the Same as Previous AMC/ARML Problems
• Optimal Strategies to Solve Hard AMC Geometry Problems
• Students Can Easily Qualify for the AIME Through the AMC 12 During 11th and 12th Grade
• The AMC 10 and AMC 12 Have 10-15 Questions in Common
• Every Student Should Take Both the AMC 10A/12A and 10 B/12B!
• The Big Value of Middle School Math Competitions
• Great Benefits of Math Competitions
• A Little Competition Can Inspire Math Students to Greater Achievement
• Mathematics competitions are NOT mysterious, and every student can attend them! — 数学竞赛绝非神秘，每个学生都可参加！
• Girls should attend math competitions — 女生更应参加数学竞赛
• Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model

Specific Goal: To earn a score of 120 or more out of 150 on the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10), or a score of 100 or more out of 150 on the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12), and then qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), which is used to determine qualification for the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). See for more details: Optimal Strategies to Solve Hard AMC Problems

Who should take this class: This class is very appropriate for 7th-12th grade students who are hoping to qualify for the AIME.

Benefits:

• 6 tutorial handouts (>300 pages) developed by Dr. Henry Wan and 500 new problems similar to AMC 10/12 level from the licensed AMC Database.
• 2 FREE mock tests that are intended to mimic an actual math competition exam. Each test has 25 questions taken from the licensed AMC Database. Mock tests are calibrated to be at the same difficulty level as the real AMC 10/12. These simulated tests help students assess their level of preparation for the Math Competitions. After attempting the test, students get answers, explanations, and a detailed score report and wise performance summary.
• FREE registration for the AMC 10/12 A — Tuesday, February 7, 2018 and/or AMC 10/12 B — Wednesday, February 15, 2018. Please see: The AMC 10/12 Contests at Montgomery College on February 7, 2018, and February 15, 2018

Weekly Homework:

At least 3 hours per week. Problem sets include all problems from 36 past real AMC 10/12 test booklets, and 500 brand new problems having similar difficulty and style as the real AMC 10/12 problems, extracted from the licensed AMC Database.

The focus will on the final 10 problems on the AMC 10/12, and the first 3 problems on the AIME, as well as those hard problems on the ARML. Note that some hard problems on the recent AMC 10 and 12 are exactly the same as previous ARML Problems.

Each week, we will carefully review and check 2 students’ homework, and correct any mistakes. The next week, we will check another 2 students’ homework, and this will continue on a rotational basis until all students have had their homework checked at least once and the cycle will start again. Based on the work of the 2 students that week, we will provide the those 2 students with individualized proposal and support.

Class Outline:

In the final sprint of AMC 10/12 preparation, we will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve AMC problems as well as test-taking tactics. The emphasis of this class will be on comprehensive problem-solving, which are very common in competitive math. We will also help students develop quick problem solving strategies and effective time management skills.

Our main purpose is to help our students gain deeper understanding of the fundamental math concepts, build a solid foundation in math, and develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are so valuable to success in any career. We are big believers in the FUNDAMENTALS! Our students will receive the LIFELONG BENEFITS from learning math.Small-sized Class Teaching Model:
We utilize the highly effective small-sized class teaching model. Smaller classes lead to pupils receiving more individual attention from teachers, and having more active interactions with them. We focus on every individual, not the whole class. Students will thrive from the smaller class sizes that allow them to reach their full potential. Particularly, students can benefit tremendously from high-frequent individualized student-teacher interactions leading to establishment of a stronger foundation for lifelong learning.

Regardless of his/her math level, each student will have the opportunity to learn math in a fun, friendly, cooperative, supportive learning environment. The most important thing is to have fun.

Our Students

In 2017, we have 61 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 28 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Austen M., and two of our students were among the 65 Perfect Scorersworldwide on the AMC 10B: Ashwin A. and Brad Z. Remarkably, eight middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Very impressively, Bryan Z., a 6th grader, gained a score of 132 out of 150 on the AMC 10B.
Read more at: 2017 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 61 Students Qualified for the AIME

In 2016, we have 36 students who are qualified to take AIME either through AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 23Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Joel (Junyao) T. Particularly, seven middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Pravalika P., a 6th grader, got a 115.5 out of 150 on the AMC10B, which is very impressive. Read more at: 2016 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 36 Students Qualified for AIME

From 2011 to 2015, in total, 37 students scored above 120 on the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 26 students scored above 100 on the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 3 students qualified for the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), the highest level of math competition for high school students in the USA. Read more at: Notable Achievements of Our Students

Our Uniqueness

We have a long history of close collaboration with the MAA‘s American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), which are dedicated to strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s youth, and are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our students have received top scores and awards at prestigious national and math competitions. We have collected 116 full-length real AMC 10/12 problems sets containing 2,960 problems, as described in the article “116 Full-length Real AMC Problems Sets are a Golden Resource to Our AMC 10/12 Prep Program.” Particularly, we have extracted additional 3,000 brand new problems at the level of the AMC 10/12, from the licensed AMC Database. In addition, we have also collected all AMC8/10/12 and AIME Official Solutions as shown in the article “American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) Materials.” All these materials have formed a golden resource for our students, who are the ultimate beneficiaries.

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

Purpose:
To help 3rd to 5th graders prepare for Math Kangaroo (Thursday, March 15, 2018)

The period of time between 3rd-5th grade is critical to the development of students’ math skills!

Math Kangaroo is the United States’ most recognized, and the best math competition for elementary school students！

• We will help students gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental math concepts, build a solid foundation in math, and develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills, motivation, and perseverance for reaching their full potential. All these things are not available through regular classes at school!
• We will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve Math Kangaroo problems as well as test-taking tactics.
• We will utilize a highly effective teaching model as described in the article: Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model.

11 Classes (Eastern Time: 10:00 – 12:00 am), Total: 22 Hours
1/6,  1/13,  1/20,  1/27 (Mock Test/Review)
2/3,  2/10,  2/17,  2/24 (Mock Exam/Review)
3/3,  3/10,  3/17 (Comprehensively Reviewing and Analyzing the 2018 Math Kangaroo Problem Set)

Instructor:

• Dr. Henry Wan
• Dr. Irina Khovanova
• Dr. Natasha Kufareva

Tuition: $550
Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register and make payment.

A commitment to the whole course can maximize the benefit of learning all the math ideas, methods, strategies, tactics, skills, and techniques.

Location: 18206 Endora Cir, Germantown/Boyds, MD 20841

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508                Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Click HERE to see payment and refund policy.

Grade Levels: Grades 3-5

Math Kangaroo contest when compared to Math Olympiads, Math League, or other math competitions requires less pre-requisite knowledge, which allows students the opportunity to participate in a fun and competitive environment while feeling much less pressured. This competition gives students the opportunity to compare themselves to others not only on the national level but also on the international level.

We have posted the 2016 Math Kangaroo Problems below. You can click the following to download them:

• 2016 Math Kangaroo Level 1 and 2 Questions
• 2016 Math Kangaroo Level 3 and 4 Questions
• 2016 Math Kangaroo Level 5 and 6 Questions

Benefits:

• 11 tutorial handouts (165 pages) developed by Dr. Henry Wan and 300 brand new problems extracted from the licensed Math Kangaroo Database
• 3 FREE mock tests, each of which has 30 questions taken from the licensed Math Kangaroo Database. Mock tests are calibrated to be at the same difficulty level as the real Math Kangaroo contest.
• FREE registration for the Math Kangaroo on Thursday, March 16, 2017

Read more at:

• Math Kangaroo Contest
• The Big Value of Middle School Math Competitions
• Great Benefits of Math Competitions
• A Little Competition Can Inspire Math Students to Greater Achievement
• Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model
• Homework Correction is very Important — We Give an Extensive Correction of the Incorrect Answers of All Homework
• Homework assignments are a fundamental part of our courses
• Mathematics competitions are NOT mysterious, and every student can attend them! — 数学竞赛绝非神秘，每个学生都可参加！
• Girls should attend math competitions — 女生更应参加数学竞赛

Description: 
This Math Kangaroo Prep course is designed to teach the major strategies of problem solving, to foster mathematical creativity, and to stimulate enthusiasm and love for the types of problems that students encounter in competitive mathematics. Each class students explore a different math topic or problem-solving strategy in depth and practice non-routine contest problems. This course provides interactive experiences for students. Students and instructors work on problem solving, clarification of concepts, and group sessions.

The main feature of this course is the use of the concrete → pictorial → abstract approach. This method enables us to introduce simple algebra and geometry as early as in third grade and encourages active thinking processes, communication of mathematical ideas, and problem solving. The emphasis is placed on development and complete understanding of mathematical concepts and their interesting applications, as well as on proficiency in multi-step problem solving, non-routine approach, mathematical reasoning, higher order thinking, and creative thinking.

Math Kangaroo questions are challenging but have patterns. Our experienced teachers will teach students how to decipher the question patterns and master related Math concepts and Math techniques, so that they can do well in Math Kangaroo contests. More importantly, our Math Kangaroo test prep program will improve the students’ overall problem solving skills of:

• Interpreting questions
• Making assumptions
• Exploring strategies
• Multi-perspective brainstorming
• Creating problem solving plans
• Logical thinking
• Execution, calculation, and reviewing
• Dealing with stress and anxiety

Our Math Kangaroo Test Prep Program uses the following materials:

• All Past Math Kangaroo contest questions
• Other competitive Math contest tests

Class Outline:
We will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve competitive math problems as well as test-taking tactics. The emphasis of this class will be on comprehensively problem-solving which is the most important to Math Kangaroo contest.

Mock Test:

Three simulated tests will help students assess their level of preparation for the Math Competitions. Each test consists of 30 questions having similar difficulty and style as in the official Math Kangaroo exams with brand new problems, extracted from the licensed Math Kangaroo Database, and is intended to mimic an actual math competition exam. After attempting the test, students get answers, explanations, and a detailed score report and wise performance summary.

Homework
On average, at least 2 hours per week, as described in the article: Homework assignments are a fundamental part of our courses. We will carefully review and check students’ homework, and correct any mistakes. Based on the student work, we will provide him/her with individualized help and support. More details can be found in the article: Homework Correction is very Important — We Give an Extensive Correction of the Incorrect Answers of All Homework.

We have to face the simple truth that to do well on these grueling contests, we will need to practice. Just like it is for sports and music, the key to success is repetition and practice. We strongly believe in effort and the malleability of intelligence. Intelligence can be enhanced through effort. People can develop impressive levels of expertise through hard work and practice. Effort and persistence are the keys to success. Hard work always pays off: practice makes perfect!

All problems from past Math Kangaroo exams form our “big data” system. We have used data mining and predictive analytics to examine the types and the frequencies of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the Math Kangaroo. We will show all the “secret code” cracked from the above big data to students, and teach them to totally grasp and “control” the Math Kangaroo. For all questions on the recent Math Kangaroo contests, we can find their “ancestors” and “roots” from the old Math Kangaroo problems. Therefore, the best way to prepare for the contest is to practice by solving old Math Kangaroo problems.

Main Purpose: 

Our main purpose is to help our students gain deeper understanding of the fundamental math concepts, build a solid foundation in math, and develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are so valuable to success in any career. We are big believers in the FUNDAMENTALS! Our students will receive the LIFELONG BENEFITS from learning math.

Regardless of his/her math level, each student will have the opportunity to learn math in a fun, friendly, cooperative, supportive learning environment. The most important thing is to have fun.

Our Students

In 2016, we have 32 students who earned top scores at each level of participation on the Math Kangaroo Contest, and then were awarded with gold, silver, bronze medals and with gifts. The gold medal is the highest prize. Daniel D., Eric C., Shivabrata M., and  Emily M. won the national first place of grades 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively. Distinguished performances on a variety of math competitions show that Philip’s unique strategies of teaching math are productive.

激发数学潜能是开发孩子智力的最佳方法

每个孩子都是带着聪明的大脑来到这个世界上的，人人皆可为尧舜，人人皆能成佛，个个都能成道，每个孩子都是高智商的人才，父母对孩子的教育过程，其实就是通过适当的方式将孩子潜藏的智力激发出来而已。这样一来，如何寻找适当的激发方式就显得至关重要。从培养孩子数学能力着手，就是一个极为有效而实用的方法。及早地培养孩子的数学能力，对孩子智力的开发具有重大意义。

　　孩子的智力开发是每个父母都十分关心的事情，很多父母为了提高孩子的智力水平大费苦心，购买健脑食品、用音乐熏陶等，但收效甚微，孩子看上去并没有多大变化。究其原因，是因为父母没有得其门而入。孩子智力开发的关键是数学能力的培养。因此，如何从小就开发孩子的数学潜能，是每个父母都应该重视的。

　　美国的全国数学教师委员会(NCTM)是全球最大的致力于提高数学教育的机构，该组织目前研究制定了一系列在数学学习和数学教育中至关重要的标准。这些标准全面地涵盖了数学学习的各个方面。下面简要介绍说明这些标准，并设计一些可行性很强的具体方法，以指导父母如何最大限度地发掘孩子的数学潜能。

　　1. 数感与计数(即数数)

　　培养数感并不只是会数数。数感是指能很轻松地用数字进行思考和工作，并理解数字的各种用途和数字间的关系，它涉及数数、数字的加减等方面。计数有助于孩子对数学各方面的理解能力，培养孩子的数感与计数能力，父母可以利用生活中的一切训练孩子对数字的感觉，比如让孩子去数生活中的实物，鼓励孩子挑选出颜色、形状或大小相同的东西，充分利用生活环境中的数字，比如电话号码、Zip Code、楼号、信箱号、门牌号、汽车牌号等，并与孩子讨论数字的用途，和孩子一起听天气预报，或读出家中温度计的温度值，等等。

　　2. 度量

　　时间用小时、分钟和秒来度量，长度、高度及重量等也各有与之相应的度量单位。通过度量方面的练习，孩子能明白事物的具体尺寸并学会如何用度量单位表示。生活中处处有度量，做饭、购物、缝衣服等，父母可以趁机向孩子解释相应的度量，孩子不理解时，还可以鼓励创造自己的度量单位，如“宝宝现在有3个西瓜重了”。有些较小的孩子不明白时间的概念，不妨把时间与他们日常生活中一些固定的事件联系起来，如“早饭后”“睡觉前”……孩子长大些后，他们就能理解像昨天、今天和明天之类更抽象的概念。

　　3. 几何与空间感

　　几何与空间感可以指导孩子通过观察知道周围世界的形状、大小、方向等。在日常生活中，父母可以通过让孩子识别不同形状的图形帮助孩子理解几何的概念，让他们描述不同的形状，用手指在空中比画出来或在纸上画出来。对于孩子来说，学习几何的最佳途径就是手工制作，把孩子常吃的蛋糕、三明治等切成各种形状，让他们重新组合或排列，这些都十分有利于孩子对几何的理解。

　　4. 分数

　　分数代表整体中的部分。孩子与成人思维方式不同，年龄较小的幼儿看着大人把东西切成三份，他会认为东西要比切前的多。这是一个很典型的现象。为此，父母要多组织家庭活动，鼓励孩子参与，如分食品、做家务等，都非常有助于孩子对分数的理解。

　　5. 估计

　　估计是对事物的数量或大小进行有根据的推测。要想做到精确地估计，必须明白数量与大小的含义。对孩子来说，精确估计很难做到，但当他们理解多、少、大、小的含义后，他们可以学会用“大约”“多于”“少于”等词汇进行简单的粗略估计。父母在日常生活中经常使用“大约”“在……之间”“在……周围”等诸如此类的词汇，为孩子学习“估计”创造一个有利的氛围。“估计”听起来很复杂，实际上并非如此，仅仅是对事情作个猜测，然后验证一下而已。在孩子稍微长大一点时，可以记下孩子推测的数值和次数，若反复做同样的或类似的训练，孩子的估计能力最终会得到很大的提升。

　　6. 图表

　　图表用来直观表示组织结构以及阐释各组织之间的关系，比如日历，可以用来安排一个人一周的生活日程。如果父母和孩子一块儿使用日历，日历将是孩子学习和理解用图表安排生活节奏的非常有效的工具。事实上，生活中的任何东西都可以图表化。举个例子，孩子每吃一个苹果就在白纸上画一个圆圈，到周末时让孩子数数看这一周吃了多少个苹果。孩子通过这种方式的理解要比纸上的数字形象得多。

　　7. 联系

　　数学与我们的日常生活息息相关，而且很多数学问题与自然科学、艺术、音乐等都有联系。因此，通过联系能帮助孩子较容易地理解数学。对于父母来说，要学会利用生活中的一些现象来引导孩子，帮助他们更清晰地理解数学。比如，父母可以试着让孩子帮自己把食品分别放好，于是他们将学习如何把谷物类同罐头类物品分开，还能亲身体验到大小和形状的概念。

　　8. 解决问题

　　这也是学好数学最关键的一步。学会了解决问题，孩子就会明白，解决问题的方法不只一个，问题的答案也不是唯一的。这不仅能培养孩子探索问题、找出结果的能力，还能训练孩子自发的逻辑思维能力以及语言和社交能力。孩子天生对日常生活中的问题有强烈的好奇心，父母的鼓励可以使孩子更大胆地去探索、发现，这样孩子就会慢慢掌握解决问题的思路与方法，并且知道一些问题可以用多种不同的方法来解决。

    9. 推理

　　推理是通过对问题的思考，寻求有效的解决办法，它是解决问题的主要步骤。要提高孩子的推理能力，父母在向孩子提出问题后，要给他们足够的时间来思考，不要急于告诉孩子正确答案，让孩子独立思考，将有助于孩子学会推理。

　　10. 数学交流

　　数学交流意味着同孩子多交谈并要倾听孩子的思路和感受。多进行数学交流，有助于孩子对事情的思考，使思路更加清晰。父母与孩子多交谈，还可提高他们的表达能力，对其早期阅读能力的培养大有益处。数学交流并不只限于用语言，也完全可以用其他非讲话类的方式来进行，比如图表、实物、符号，等等。无论干什么，做父母的要抓住孩子好奇心浓厚的时期，孩子有兴趣甚至痴迷，才能收到最好的效果。

　　这些活动的设计并不完全基于开发孩子的数学能力，还有利于孩子整体素质的培养和开发。另外，这些活动完全可以与孩子的日常生活融为一体，不需要专门的时间和空间进行。

Read more at:

Natasha Khovanova, Ph.D.

Although math problems may be solved in different ways, there is a general method of visualizing, approaching, and solving math problems that may help you to solve even the most difficult problem. Using these strategies can also help you to improve your math skills overall. Keep reading to learn about some of these math problem solving strategies.

 Henry Wan, Ph.D.

The detailed article is in pdf format and can be viewed and downloaded HERE.

We developed a comprehensive, integrated, well-annotated database “CMP” consisting of various competitive math problems, including all previous problems on the AMC 8, 10, 12, AIME, MATHCOUNTS, Math Kangaroo Contest, Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS), ARML, HMMT, Math League, PUMaC, Stanford Math Tournament (SMT), Berkeley Math Tournament, the Carnegie Mellon Informatics and Mathematics Competition (CMIMC). The CPM is an invaluable “big data” system we use for our research and development, and is a golden resource for our students, who are the ultimate beneficiaries.

Based on artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and deep learning, we also devised a data mining and predictive analytics tool for math problem similarity searching. Using this powerful tool, we can align query math problems against those present in the target database “CPM,” and then detect those similar problems in the CMP database.

The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem solving skills. The problems generally increase in difficulty as the exam progresses. Usually the last 5 problems are the hardest ones.

Among the final 5 problems on the 2017 AMC 8 contest, there is one algebra problem: Problem 21; there are 2 discrete math problems (which contains number theory and counting): Problems 23 and 24; and there are 2 geometry problems: Problems 22 and 25.

For those hardest problems on the 2017 AMC 8, based on the database searching, we found:

• 2017 AMC 8 Problem 21 is almost the same as 1977 AHSME Problem 8

• 2017 AMC 8 Problem 22 is exactly the same as Problem 15 on the International Kangaroo Mathematics Contest 2012 — Junior Level (Class 9 & 10) (click HERE to find this problem), and is very similar to the following 6 problems:
  • 1950 AHSME Problem 35
  • 1967 AHSME Problem 5
  • 1970 AHSME Problem 27
  • 2017 MathCounts State Sprint Problem 24
  • 2015 MathCounts State Sprint Problem 16
  • 2012 MathCounts State Sprint Problem 21

• In my AMC 8/MathCounts Prep Class, I ever used Problem 15 on the International Kangaroo Mathematics Contest 2012 — Junior Level (Class 9 & 10), as a typical example, to show the art of solving problems with semicircles inscribed in a right triangle. When my students attended the AMC 8 on Nov. 14, 2017, they already knew how to solve this problem and its answer. So they took one second to bubble the correct answer (D) and then got 1 point easily!

• 2017 AMC 8 Problem 24 is almost the same as the following 2 problems:
  • 2005 AMC 12A Problem 18
  • 2001 AMC 10 Problem 25/2001 AMC 12 Problem 12

• 2017 AMC 8 Problem 25 is very similar to the following 4 problems:
  • 2012 AMC 10B Problem 16
  • 2014 AMC 10A Problem 12
  • 2012 AMC 8 Problem 24
  • 1992 AJHSME Problem 24

We can see that Problem 23 is the only problem that is new and original. Every other problem has strong similarities to previous problems.  

This year’s AMC 8 was more difficult than the last year’s AMC 8. Some hard problems were even AMC 10 level. For example, Problem 23 and Problem 24 on the 2017 AMC 8 are two typical AMC 10 hard problems.

Problem 23 is involved in detecting a sequence of four factors of 60 that forms an arithmetic progression with a common difference of 5.

Problem 24 is equivalent to finding the number of integers among the first 365 positive integers that are not divisible by 3, 4, or 5. We should use the principle of inclusion and exclusion (for 3 sets) to solve this problem.

Because the AMC 8 problems are getting harder, we must practice not only previous AMC 8 problems but also easy, medium, and even high difficulty level problems from previous AMC 10 to do well on the AMC 8.

The detailed article is in pdf format and can be viewed and downloaded HERE.

More details can be found at:

• 2017 AMC 8 Problems and Answers
• AMC 8 Historical Results from 2010 to 2016
• The AMC 10/12 Contests at Montgomery College on February 7, 2018, and February 15, 2018
• 2016 AMC 8 Results Announced — Eleven Students Received Perfect Scores
• 20 Sets of AMC 8 Mock Test with Detailed Solutions
• Premier National Mathematics Competition — AMC 8
• AMC 8/10/12/AIME Problems and Answers
• The Big Value of Middle School Math Competitions
• Great Benefits of Math Competitions
• A Little Competition Can Inspire Math Students to Greater Achievement
• Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model
• Homework Correction is very Important — We Give an Extensive Correction of the Incorrect Answers of All Homework
• Homework assignments are a fundamental part of our courses
• Mathematics competitions are NOT mysterious, and every student can attend them! — 数学竞赛绝非神秘，每个学生都可参加！
• Girls should attend math competitions — 女生更应参加数学竞赛
• Why Math Competitions are so Important to Girls?
• 2015 AMC 8 Results Announced
• 2014 AMC 8 Winners for the U.S. Ivy League Education Center
• Why Discrete Math is very Important

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

Click HERE to find out more about SAT Prep!

Copyright  Dr. Henry Wan. All rights reserved.