Problem Solving
Honors mathematics at Mounds Park Academy is designed to challenge our best math students. We emphasize depth and problem solving rather than memorizing the best way to solve every possible type of problem.
The best math students do not memorize algorithms and formulas for every possible problem they might encounter. Instead, they apply what they know to a variety of problems, sometimes in very creative ways.
This approach has the advantage of flexibility. The student who relies on memorizing how to solve specific types of problems will be lost when faced with a problem they have not seen before. The student who relies on understanding and applying larger concepts can often solve even unfamiliar problems.
This means that doing dozens of the same kind of problems is not the path to success in honors math. Doing a variety of problems that apply key concepts in different contexts is much better. And sometimes it really is best to just give up, look at the answer, and work backwards to understand how to get there.