NorthSouth Math Column strengthens creative problem solving and logic reasoning skills. It helps students excel in regional and national math competitions, including MathCounts. Subsequent postings will include detailed step-by-step solutions for challenging problems. The detailed steps help develop the skills of the students who excel in math and motivate them to participate in contests. The steps will follow the “Forms of Answers”. For your convenience, you can view the Forms of Answers, vocabulary, and Formulas here.

In the NorthSouth Math Column, problems of varying difficulty will be posted so all levels of students are appropriately challenged. Practice helps children develop the skills needed to compute with accuracy and efficiency, the number sense they need to reason, and the ability to apply their skills to solve problems. With further motivation, you can take the challenge to the next level with a continuing drive to simplify, to find the right concepts and new methods to make difficult things easy.

When Shuli Song was in 11th grade, she contributed to NorthSouth Math Column. These postings will further help you practice many problems together, and motivate you, the youngsters, to contribute.

While practicing in the NorthSouth Math Column and participating in various competitions, you are encouraged to review the resources available at the following sites:

• http://www.actstudent.org/
• http://www.artofproblemsolving.org/
• http://www.child-central.com/singapore-math.html
• http://sat.collegeboard.com/home
• http://www.continentalmathematicsleague.com/
• http://amc.maa.org/
• http://mathcounts.org/
• http://www.moems.org/

Browse 1800+ Videos by topic: http://www.khanacademy.org/

You are also encouraged to join the NorthSouth MathCounts and PreMathCounts Yahoo Groups:

• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NSFmathcounts1/promote
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NSFPreMathcounts/promote