How to Challenge the Elementary School Boy Who Knows It All

Picture this: A fairly well-behaved student with a parent who is present, curious about their child's education, and supportive of you as his teacher / tutor. A teacher's/tutor's dream, right?

That is until you hear the words, I want him to be challenged. So you give him work one grade level above, two grade levels above, three grade levels above. It doesn't matter what you give him. He aces the reading comprehension. Solves the math problems with no errors. And writes quickly. Oh no. You're thinking, how do I challenge this kid? All I'm doing is boring him. Is he learning anything? Is he running home to tell his supportive parent that the work is too easy?

The problem is real and is something many teachers and tutors face every day. The solution, however, is easier (and funner) than you might think. Take what he already knows and turn it into a competition.

One way to do this is to do a 100 multiplication facts in 5 minutes challenge. How many multiplication facts can he accurately solve in 5 minutes? Set the timer and he can compete against similar ability peers (even those grade levels above) to see who gets the most or try to better his score from last time. If he gets them all, how long did it take him? This is a great activity to do as a "break" from his work. If he's in tutoring, it can be done every time he meets with you. If he's in an accelerated class at school, it can be done multiple times a week. This can also be done with addition facts. And yes, subtraction and division as well. High achieving, competitive boys love this activity. Why? It's "easy" yet it's not - it is a true challenge where he always has a score to beat.