Academic competitions can be exciting and rewarding additions to your school club options. In fact, my own daughter recently wrote in an “About Me” section that one of her hobbies is entering academic competitions! For upper elementary and middle school students, these challenges not only promote academic growth and productive struggle but also social connections. Academic teams and competitions build critical thinking skills, spark creativity, and nurture a deeper interest in education. Students also gain the chance to collaborate with their peers, think on their feet, and connect with the larger educational community outside of their school. 

From puzzles and vocabulary challenges to creative writing and reading battles, there is an academic competition for every student! This post will cover how to get started, how to increase participation, and specific competitions to consider bringing to your school. 

Benefits of Academic Competitions

Academic competitions are an excellent way for students to strengthen content knowledge while engaging in friendly challenges. There are several my students participate in every year! Whether it’s solving complex math problems in the Continental Math League, discovering new vocabulary through Word Masters, etc., each of these competitions challenges students to think critically and apply their knowledge in engaging ways. 

Beyond academics, students also develop teamwork and perseverance. In Battle of the Books, for example, students learn how to divide tasks, collaborate with peers, and find solutions together… all under a time crunch! These types of challenges can also be confidence boosters. 

One of the most enriching aspects of academic competitions is the opportunity for students to connect with peers outside of their usual circle. Not only will students likely interact with new peers at their own school, but they’ll also have the opportunity to compete against or even collaborate with students from other schools too. Even when competing against each other, the environment fosters mutual respect and a love for the subject at hand. 

Together, these benefits make academic competitions much more than just knowledge tests. Instead they become ways to develop well-rounded, confident learners.

How to Get Started with Academic Competitions

Starting a new academic competition team at your school can feel daunting, but it’s probably easier than you think! Start by exploring your options and deciding which one aligns with your school’s strengths and/or learning goals. You’ll find a variety of options that explore math, literacy, creativity, etc. Consider each competition’s commitment, timeline, fees, etc. Many contests have regional chapters that can go all the up to the state or even national level, so it’s important to understand the commitment.

After you’ve selected an academic competition, work to gain support from other teachers, administration, and parents. Forming a club or a team is a time commitment with many practice sessions and sometimes even travel, so it’s essential for everyone to be involved. At our school, teachers would often chair these teams in pairs to share the workload.

Fostering Enthusiasm for Academic Competitions

Generating excitement for your new club is another important step. Create commercials for the morning announcements, hang up posters, have classroom teachers recommend or personally invite specific students, send home informational flyers, or even hold informational nights to help spread the word.

Once you’ve formed a team, it’s important to create camaraderie. Create a team name and design t-shirts to help bring everyone together. Remember to make it fun to keep students engaged! 

When it’s time to dig into the content, preparation is everything. Start with a structured schedule and incorporate study guides or practice materials when applicable. Encourage students to practice in pairs or groups to strengthen their teamwork skills. Families can also help students practice at home with quizzes, discussion topics during dinner, etc.

Linking competition content to classrooms is another way to not only reinforce the skills but also bring more students into the club. For example, challenge all students to read at least one Battle of the Books title and hold classroom discussions along the way. For Word Masters, you could incorporate some of the vocabulary words into classroom activities as spotlight words of the week. 

Academic Competition Options

Here are a few academic competitions to use as starting points. 

Math

Continental Mathematics League (CML) is a national competition designed for students in grades 2 through 12. It focuses on enhancing problem-solving skills through timed, written tests. Participants tackle challenging math problems, fostering critical thinking and analytical abilities. CML provides an opportunity for students to compete at a national level while developing their mathematical proficiency and confidence.

The Math Olympiad program is a renowned math competition designed for elementary and middle school students, It encourages problem-solving, mathematical creativity, and flexible thinking through innovative challenges. Since its founding in 1979, this nonprofit program has provided students with valuable opportunities to develop their math skills while fostering teamwork and ingenuity in a fun, rewarding environment.

Reading

Word Masters is a national competition for students in grades 3-8 that focuses on vocabulary and verbal reasoning. Participants complete analogies based on relationships among words, using special vocabulary lists tailored to their grade level. The competition emphasizes higher-order thinking, analytical skills, and metaphorical reasoning, making it a unique way to enhance language comprehension and critical thinking.

Battle of the Books is a voluntary reading incentive program for students in grades 3-12. It encourages students to read quality books and participate in fun, competitive events. Students form teams, read from curated book lists, and compete in quiz-style “battles” to answer questions about the books. Competitions can range from local to state levels, fostering teamwork, reading comprehension, and a love for literature. Schools or groups must hold an annual membership to participate, and the program is designed to enhance educational goals while promoting the joy of reading.

Writing 

Young Writers runs engaging poetry and creative writing competitions for students in the USA and UK, aiming to ignite a passion for writing. Open to various age groups, these contests provide free resources for teachers and parents, and offer students the chance to become published authors in real books. With exciting themes like “Winter Wonderland” and “Unsolved,” Young Writers inspires creativity while boosting confidence and engagement. Schools and students can also win incredible prizes through participation.

You may also have local options. For example, The Kentucky Young Writers Contest invites students from PreK-12 to showcase their creativity across four categories: Illustrated Stories, Graphic Novels, Poetry, and Short Stories. This contest celebrates young voices in Kentucky, offering a platform to share imaginative works and be recognized as a top young writer. Each category has specific rules and rubrics to guide participants in creating their entries.

Spelling

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a prestigious literacy competition that promotes academic achievement and curiosity. Students progress through classroom, school, and regional bees to compete nationally. The competition culminates in the awarding of the Scripps Cup, a trophy symbolizing excellence in spelling and literacy..

You may also have local options. For example, the Indiana Academic Spell Bowl is a team-based spelling competition for students, differing from traditional oral spelling bees. Teams compete by having one representative per round spell words, with scores based on the cumulative total of correctly spelled words by all team members. The competition is open to elementary, junior, and senior levels, with opportunities to advance to state finals. The program emphasizes teamwork, spelling skills, and academic excellence.

Social Studies

Patriot’s Pen is a nationwide youth essay contest organized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for students in grades 6-8. Participants write a 300-400 word essay on a patriotic theme chosen annually by the VFW Commander-in-Chief. The contest encourages students to reflect on America’s history and their experiences in modern society. 

The National Civics Bee is an annual competition open to 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders in participating states that inspires young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. It’s a nonpartisan initiative to enhance civic literacy, skills, and participation.

Knowledge Bowl

Knowledge Bowl is an exciting academic competition where teams of four to six students tackle a variety of interdisciplinary questions. The event is structured into written and oral rounds, ensuring every team participates fully throughout the competition. It can vary slightly by area, but this is the link to our Colorado Knowledge Bowl.

What makes Knowledge Bowl unique is its dynamic system of rearranging teams after each round based on their accumulated points. The competition fosters teamwork, quick thinking, and a love for learning, with the winning team being the one that scores the most points by the end of the meet.

Robotics

There are a variety of robotics competitions where students bring innovation to life. Combining creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving, participants design, build, and program robots to tackle unique challenges. These competitions spark a passion for STEM by encouraging hands-on learning and collaboration, inspiring the next generation of engineers, coders, and tech enthusiasts. Whether programming sensors or crafting mechanical designs, robotics competitions provide an engaging platform for students eager to shape the future of technology.

Gifted Academic Competitions

The Davidson Institute also has a list of academic competitions specifically for your gifted students. Each one is designed to inspire and enlighten, and can create enthusiasm and entice students to try their hardest, helping to maximize their abilities.

You can also visit these posts for more gifted learner tips!

Share Your Favorite Academic Competition

Bringing a new academic competition to your school is a rewarding experience. These competitions don’t just enhance academic skills… they inspire learning, help students build essential skills, and foster important relationships. Do you have experience to share with us or ideas for other competitions we should consider? Come share them with us in our FREE upper elementary Facebook group. We can’t wait to hear from you!