Spirit
of
Math
Schools
Competition
Tips
These
tips
will
help
you
prepare
to
do
your
best
on
the
day
of
the
competition.
 Practice,
practice,
practice!
Work
on
as
many
old
contest
problems
as
you
can
get
your
hands
on.
Try
to
do
at
least
20
problems
a
week;
plan
a
time
each
day
to
do
a
few.
Some
problems
are
included
on
the
back
of
this
page.
 Most
competitions
have
problems
and
solutions
available
on
their
websites
for
free
or
for
purchase.
(Make
sure
not
to
peek
at
the
solutions
until
you’ve
given
each
problem
your
best
shot!).
Go
to
the
following
websites
for
some
practice
competition
papers
that
you
can
print
and
practice.
o www.mathkangaroocanada.com
o http://www.themathleague.com
o http://www.mathematica.ca
o http://www.moems.org
 Get
a
competition
book.
Some
of
the
competitions
publish
their
old
competitions.
This
one
contains
problems
for
grades
1‐4
students.
To
order
call
or
email
a
campus
near
you.
©
2009
Spirit
of
Math®
Schools
Inc.
 Ask
questions!
It
is
almost
guaranteed
that
there
are
going
to
be
problems
you
don’t
know
how
to
solve
right
away.
Seek
out
a
study
group
with
a
focus
on
problem
solving
so
you
can
work
with
other
students
who
have
a
similar
interest.
Also,
ask
your
parents
and
other
members
of
your
family;
you
can
have
fun
working
out
the
solutions
together!
 Many
of
the
mistakes
made
in
math
competitions
are
due
to
misreading
the
questions.
Read
each
problem
over
and
make
sure
to
understand
what
it
is
asking
before
you
answer.
A
few
weeks
before
the
competition…
The
competition
is
only
a
few
weeks
away!
Now
is
a
great
time
for
you
to
practice
writing
under
full
contest
conditions.
You
will
pretend
that
you
are
writing
the
competition
for
real,
so
that
you
can
see
how
it
feels.
This
will
make
you
more
confident
on
the
competition
day.
Here’s
what
to
do:
 Print
up
a
competition
paper
for
your
grade
from
one
of
the
websites
listed
on
the
previous
page.
 Be
prepared
with
a
pencil,
an
eraser
and
some
scrap
paper.
 Find
a
quiet
place
to
write
the
practice
competition
where
you
will
not
be
interrupted.
 Set
a
timer
for
the
same
amount
of
time
that
you
will
have
on
the
day
of
the
competition.
 Once
the
time
is
up,
take
a
quick
break
and
then
mark
your
work.
 Give
yourself
a
pat
on
the
back
for
all
of
the
questions
you
answered
correctly!
 Study
the
solutions
carefully,
especially
for
those
questions
you
answered
incorrectly.
 If,
after
looking
at
the
solutions,
you
still
don’t
understand
how
to
solve
some
problems,
talk
about
them
with
your
parents,
your
friends,
your
teacher,
your
math
club,
or
whoever
else
you
think
might
be
able
to
help.
 Do
as
many
practice
competitions
as
you
can.
©
2009
Spirit
of
Math®
Schools
Inc.
You’re
Almost
There!
Hopefully
you
are
starting
to
feel
excited,
and
you’re
probably
getting
a
little
nervous
too.
Don’t
worry:
this
is
normal.
You
should
feel
good
about
all
of
the
hard
work
you
have
done
already!
By
following
the
tips
below,
you
will
feel
more
confident
and
relaxed
when
you
write
the
competition.
 Find
some
more
great
practice
problems
for
grades
3
and
4
at
www.spiritofmath.com.
Click
on
‘Grade
3
skills
test’
in
the
right
panel.
The
Night
Before
the
Competition
 Get
all
of
your
supplies
together:
o Pencils
and
erasers
o A
book
to
read
or
something
else
that
will
help
you
relax
before
the
competition
begins
o Wristwatch
or
timer
(in
case
the
competition
room
doesn’t
have
a
clock)
o Bottle
of
water
(optional)
 Get
to
bed
early
to
ensure
a
good
night’s
sleep.
The
Morning
of
the
Competition
 Eat
a
good
breakfast
and
leave
for
the
competition
nice
and
early
so
you
are
not
rushed.
 Wear
comfortable
clothing.
 Use
the
washroom
when
you
arrive
so
you
will
not
need
to
during
the
competition.
 Under
the
direction
of
the
competition
supervisor(s),
find
a
place
to
sit.
 If
you
have
arrived
early,
get
your
supplies
set
up
then
take
out
your
book
to
read
and
relax.
 Listen
carefully
and
follow
the
instructions
of
the
competition
supervisor,
especially
if
there
is
a
response
form
to
fill
in.
 BRING
YOUR
PENCILS
AND
ERASERS
©
2009
Spirit
of
Math®
Schools
Inc.
During
the
Competition:
 Start
by
relaxing
and
deciding
that
this
is
going
to
be
fun!
 Now,
work
quickly
but
carefully
through
the
easier
problems
so
you
get
off
to
a
good
start
and
build
your
confidence.
 If
you
have
trouble
with
a
problem,
do
not
be
afraid
to
skip
it.
Make
sure
you
note
that
you
have
not
done
this
problem
so
you
can
come
back
to
it
later.
 Read
every
question
slowly
and
carefully.
It
is
better
to
spend
a
few
extra
seconds
reading
slowly
before
you
start
solving
a
question
than
to
start
quickly
and
then
realize
that
you
have
misread
the
question.
 If
the
competition
has
a
response
form,
make
sure
you
leave
yourself
enough
time
to
fill
in
your
answers
before
time
runs
out.
 If
you
finish
the
competition
and
have
time
left
over,
go
back
and
check
your
answers:
 Redo
as
many
problems
as
you
can.
 Cover
the
answer
you
got
the
first
time,
so
you
are
not
simply
copying
this
answer.
 If
you
decide
to
change
your
answer,
make
sure
that
you
erase
your
first
answer
well.
After
the
Competition
 Discuss
the
problems
with
your
classmates
or
your
teacher,
especially
the
ones
you
found
very
challenging.
 Keep
an
eye
out
for
contest
results;
most
web
sites
publish
their
honour
rolls
several
weeks
after
the
competition.
 And
most
importantly
…
Give
yourself
a
big
pat
on
the
back!
Congratulations!
We
hope
that
you
had
fun!
©
2009
Spirit
of
Math®
Schools
Inc.