VOCABULARY AND ANALOGIES FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS:

THE WORDMASTERS CHALLENGE 

Contest Mechanics

The Challenge for Elementary and Middle schools is offered in two divisions at each grade level.   The Blue Division is suitable for students of average to above-average reading and reasoning abilities; the Gold Division is for students (such as those in Gifted and Talented programs) who have clearly superior abilities.

Within each Division, there are three meets per year -- held at your school during December, February, and April.  We send word lists at least three weeks before each meet, along with some tips about strategies and games you can use to prepare your students.

All of your students may participate, but only the scores of your top ten students count officially.  The sum of those top ten scores is your team's score.

After each meet, you report your students' names and scores to us.   We send back to you a report revealing the median team score and other statistics for your contest and announcing the names of the highest-scoring schools and individuals nationwide.  (These statistics enable you to assess your own students' achievement, and can also help you set realistic goals for the following meets.)  We also send press releases to schools which have excelled.  After all three meets, we publish cumulative statistics and recognize about 100 of the most outstanding schools and about 200 individual students.

At the end of the year we also send you one medal and ten certificates for each team you have enrolled.  You award these to your in-school champions.