www.uiltexas.org/aplus/events

Description of UIL Elementary A+ Events

Storytelling (2nd, 3rd) – To tell a story, the participant must develop skills in listening, thinking and speaking. This contest also allows for the development of creative expression.

Music Memory (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th) – The focus of the music memory contest is an indepth study of fine pieces of music literature taken from a wide spectrum of music genres to expose students to great composers, their lives, and their music.

Oral Reading (4th, 5th) – Reading literature out loud provides opportunities for students to analyze the text, to grow and to develop as a performer, to communicate a message to an audience and to perform an artistic creation. 

Art Smart (4th, 5th) – The art contest involves the study of 40 paintings from the National gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and from Texas art galleries and museums. Students learn to recognize and identify various works of art and the artists who created them. 

Spelling (3rd, 4th, 5th) - The spelling contest is designed to expose students to a wide variety of vocabulary words. It is not a contest of memorization. For the most educational value, preparation for this contest should include instruction in the rules of the English language, meanings and definitions, and root words.

Creative Writing (2nd) – Creative writing is designed to promote creativity in an academic format and to encourage writing skills at an early grade level.

Ready Writing (3rd, 4th, 5th) - Ready writing builds confidence in written expression and helps students refine their writing abilities. In particular, this contest helps them learn to write a clear and correct paper that is interesting and original.

Chess Puzzles (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th)- Students will be required to solve chess puzzles on paper, using analytical and strategic thinking.  The paper test will include a series of chess boards with pieces in particular positions. Questions are based on analysis of materials or possible moves in each given diagram. Chess puzzle is very different from tournament chess play.

Number Sense (4th, 5th) – Every day, individuals are called upon to use their ability to make quick mental calculations to make decisions. The development of such abilities is an integral part of the math curriculum.

Dictionary Skills (5th) - Thorough knowledge of the dictionary is a way to increase a student’s ability to find the information that is needed for class work as well as everyday living.

Listening Skills (5th) - The listening contest is designed to help students recognize the importance of effective listening skills and to identify problems they may have in listening effectively. The contest provides a challenging format to test the improvement of their listening abilities, and encourages students to develop the foundation skills they will need throughout their lives, both in and out of the classroom.

Social Studies (5th)- The Social Studies Contest consists of 40 objective questions. Students are expected to master primary reading selections, as well as specific documents, and to be familiar with general-knowledge social studies concepts and terms.  Each year, the contest focuses on a different topic area and a reading list that is provided by UIL.

Maps, Graphs, and Charts (5th) – This contest is designed to help students learn to obtain information from a variety of maps, graphs and charts including world maps, pie charts, bar graphs and local area maps.

For more information on UIL Events, go to https://www.uiltexas.org/aplus/events.