Should my child learn Olympiad maths? When is a good time to start?

What can Olympiad maths offer?

Good Olympiad questions aren't about calculating fast but about finding a way in: drawing a picture, spotting a pattern, working backwards. For a child who likes solving problems this can be very satisfying, and it is practice in not giving up on a hard question.

Things to look at first

• Is your child interested in hard questions, and still willing to try when stuck?
• Are the basic calculations and ideas from class secure?
• Is there enough time, with play, sport and rest still in the week?
• Does your child want this, or is it mainly adults worrying about falling behind?

When to start

There's no set age. Younger children can begin with fun maths games and puzzles, with no rush towards competition questions. If your child enjoys them, raise the difficulty slowly. If the foundations aren't secure yet, it's not too late to build those first.

Watch how your child sees themselves

After a long run of questions they can't do, some children begin to think "I'm not good at maths", and that belief lasts longer than any one or two results.

So praise their ideas and persistence, not only answers or rankings. Let your child know it's normal not to solve a hard question.

When to slow down

If your child starts resisting lessons, gets upset at the sight of a question, keeps saying they're stupid, or loses interest in maths at school too, cut the amount, lower the difficulty and first talk about how they feel. Slowing down isn't giving up.