Maths Games Years 5-6
Junior Program
About The Program
The Junior Maths Games program provides an opportunity for mainstream students in Years 5 and 6 to learn valuable problem solving skills.
Aligned with the Australian curriculum, Maths Games focuses on teaching students to think laterally and creatively when solving mathematically-based problems and highlights the fact that there may be multiple ways to reach a solution.
Unlike the Maths Olympiads, students participating in the Maths Games do not compete against teams from other schools. The primary focus of the program is to build students’ confidence and encourage them to learn and develop their problem solving skills in a non-competitive environment.
Maths Games runs along the same schedule as the Maths Olympiad and comprises four ‘contest’ papers, held approximately six weeks apart, starting in early Term 2. Each paper focuses on the application of two distinct problem solving strategies, starting with the least challenging in the first paper and progressing to more challenging concepts through the year. Prior to each paper, APSMO provides teachers with access to a Resource Kit that contains a set of questions and solutions focussing on the relevant problem solving strategies for that particular paper. Teachers are encouraged to use the Resource Kits to teach problem solving lessons that build the skills students need for success and to maximise the benefits gained from the program.
The main aims of the program are to:
- Introduce mainstream students to important mathematical concepts and build an inventory of problem solving strategies they can readily apply.
- Support teachers by providing high quality resources that assist in teaching major strategies and developing students' flexibility for problem solving.
- Assist teachers in identifying high potential students and creating intervention and adjustment strategies to tailor the program to suit all levels.
- Foster creativity and ingenuity and strengthen intuition.
- Stimulate enthusiasm and enjoyment of mathematics.
- Provide for the satisfaction, joy and thrill of meeting challenges.
2025 Competition Dates
- Competition One - Wednesday, 7th May 2025
- Competition Two - Wednesday, 11th June 2025
- Competition Three - Wednesday, 30th July 2025
- Competition Four - Wednesday, 10th September 2025
Applications for date changes can be made in the Members’ area
Who Can Participate?
- Maths Games Junior is aimed at mainstream students in Years 5 and 6 and can run concurrently with the Maths Olympiad, providing all students with an opportunity to develop their problem solving abilities.
- High-achieving Year 3 and 4 students may also be suitable for participation in the Maths Games program as a precursor to the Maths Olympiad in Years 5 & 6.
- Registration is only open to schools in Australia and New Zealand, as well as Australian International Schools.
- Individual registration is not possible.
- Schools can enter an unlimited number of teams with up to 30 students per team. Discounts are available for multiple teams to encourage whole stage participation in an APSMO program.
Program Format
- The Maths Games Junior program consists of four separate papers held approximately six weeks apart, on the same dates as the Maths Olympiads (starting in early Term 2).
- Students should complete all four papers.
- Each paper comprises five questions, worth 1 mark each, which must be completed in a specified time-frame of 30 minutes.
- Within each paper, the questions become progressively more challenging.
- Papers contain embedded adjustments that allow teachers to provide a higher level of challenge as required.
- Papers are completed individually by each student with no collaboration permitted.
- Students sit the papers under test conditions in the classroom.
- The papers are marked by the teacher in charge who then submits the results to APSMO via our Members' Portal.
- Unlike the Maths Olympiads, students’ overall results are not compared to other schools, however teachers are able to gauge the performance of their students against other schools that are competing in the Maths Games Junior when viewing their results in the Members' Portal.
Program Resources
APSMO provides the following resources to teams participating in the Maths Games Junior program:
- A Preparation Kit in Term 1 that contains a selection of problems with fully worked solutions, a practice contest paper, and a series of differentiated task-based activities designed to challenge and extend students.
- Individual Resource Kits prior to each ‘contest’ that include differentiated or adjusted sets of questions and task based activities focussing on the strategies that will be incorporated in the relevant paper.
- A solution video after each contest paper that demonstrates relevant problem solving strategies. Classes are encouraged to view and consider the strategies shared in the video and then discuss and share their ideas.
- Past Maths Games papers are available in the Members’ Portal to practice with.
- Resource Books which are available for purchase on this website including Building Confidence in Maths Problem Solving which comprises a selection of past Maths Games questions and fully worked solutions utilising multiple problem solving methodologies. The questions are indexed according to strategy – allowing teachers to select a specific strategy to cover in class - and become progressively more difficult through the book.
- The APSMO Problem of the Week videos available on this website includes questions suited to Maths Games Junior students that can be shared with students.
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