Challenging children and teens in this way can assist in the development of ingenuity and creativity and can build confidence. Study skills are generally improved and focus and concentration are piqued.
There are prizes and scholarships be won for those high achievers but this is for sure: it’s not important for your children to get to the finals or win. The true benefit is gained from the process and there is a lot of benefit!
Contests, depending on the rules, are entered as an individual or sometimes with a team or as a group. Beyond the knowledge achieved through the study of the subject the child is competing in there are many life skills mastered (or introduced) as well. An individual competing, obviously is responsible for the entire task – the design and planning, time management, application, completion and so to on. The team/group dynamic allows for life skills to be learned such as collaboration, cooperative team playing, negotiation and possibly team management. It is also true that competitions can look great on a transcript.
But only when the child is receptive to the idea. No child should be forced to enter a contest that doesn’t interest him or her. Also, don’t try to start too big – start small to see if competing is something your children enjoy. Start at your local level. Your local support group likely sponsors science fairs, art competitions, a math league, and others. There are many homeschool websites that have regional and national competitions listed on them where you’ll find competitions for computer science, fine arts, language arts, math, physical education, problem solving, science, social science and on and on.
After you’ve checked out your local resources, check here to begin to look for regional and national contests and scholarships. Keep in mind that no one site can possibly have everything offered. It’s a journey.
Enjoy!
