If you are like most parents these days, you’ve likely thought about hiring a tutor to help your student prepare for the SAT or ACT. You’ve probably also searched for the best books to help your student prepare independently.
If my experience as a tutor, I’ve seen that the resources that you choose have a big impact on the success of your student’s efforts. So consider using the following to help your student prepare herself for the SAT or ACT:
Writing
Grammar Smart by The Princeton Review
Although this book was not made with the SAT or ACT in mind, I find that it is more thorough than other books. It has hundreds of practice questions. I use it for all my SAT and ACT students.
Up Your Score
This book has an excellent list on page 249 of the 13 most common writing errors on the SAT. The list alone justifies the $10 or so that you’ll spend on the book, but the rest is great as well.
Math
Acing the SAT Math I
This book is perfect for both the SAT and ACT (the tests are very similar, but the ACT has some trig). It highlights the most important concepts, gives examples, and has practice questions as similar as any I’ve seen to the questions on the actual test.
Math 800
For students who are already scoring in the high 600’s or 700’s, I use selected parts of Math 800. Its practice problems are all of the highest difficulty level you student will see on the test.
Practice Tests
The College Board’s Official SAT Study Guide
Hands down, this is the best book of practice tests out there. It is made by the makers of the SAT.
The Real ACT Prep Guide
This is the best book of practice ACT tests I’ve seen.
With the above resources, your student is on the right path to a high score on the SAT or ACT. Call 561 247 2810 with any questions or to schedule an appointment today!
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As summer ends, parents and students alike are beginning to think about the academic demands of the new year.
For high school juniors and seniors, the imminent approach of the SAT and ACT is an additional concern.
Although the prospect of taking these marathon four hour tests may be daunting, take comfort in the fact that both the SAT and the ACT are very learnable tests. There are excellent resources which – if given sufficient time and attention – can teach your student to maximize his or her score on the SAT.
My Favorite Prep Books
Up Your Score
Books that I like and always use with my students include Up Your Score, a funny, entertaining SAT prep book that will almost fool your student into thinking he’s not studying at all! I especially like its excellent list of 13 commonly tested writing errors.
Acing the New SAT Math I
It’s also important to get your student a math workbook. I use Acing the New SAT Math I, which I appreciate because of its comprehensive review of key concepts followed by practice problems that will challenge even advanced students. The book is perfect for the SAT and ACT alike, since the only difference between the tests is that the ACT covers some trigonometry.
The College Board’s Official SAT Study Guide
Finally, the College Board’s Official SAT Study Guide is a must have for SAT prep. Its full length practice test are the most realistic out there.The Real Guide to the ACT is made by the makers of the official exam, and is therefore the prep book that I use and recommend to all my students.
One-on-One Prep Sessions
Given these three resources, as well as some motivation and discipline, your student stands a very good chance of getting an SAT or ACT score he or she can be proud of.
As a tutor, I of course feel that your student would benefit greatly from one-on-one sessions during which I can assess and customize a plan for him or her. I am currently working with high school students from Wellington High School, Palm Beach Gardens and Palm Beach Central.
Please don’t hesitate to call at 561 247 2810 with any questions or to schedule an appointment!
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Summer is here, and students have lots of free time on their hands. As a parent one wonders how to make the best use of the summer break. There are many reasons that hiring a tutor over the summer may be beneficial to your student:
1. Students fall out of the school mode during the summer, and may lose skills and knowledge they’ve gained the previous year.
As with any skill, study skills are use it or lose it. A tutor can help your student stay motivated to keep up good organizational and study habits during the long break.
2. He or she struggled with a subject last year, and wants to move forward with a firm foundation.
Many subjects in school rely on a cumulative understanding of all the previous years’ knowledge to move forward. By hiring a tutor over the summer to strengthen your student’s skills in Algebra I, for example, you are helping your student start Algebra II or Geometry on the right foot.
3. A tutor can really help your student’s confidence and self esteem.
Performing poorly in school really affects a student’s experience. As adults most of us can look back and remember a specific teacher who made us realize we were capable of far more than we thought we were. For me it was my fifth grade teacher Mr. Shapani, who made me believe I was good in math. A good tutor will help your student to master both his schoolwork and his attitude about what he is capable of, and the benefits of this will extend into other areas of his life.
4. Finding a good tutor over the summer can be of great benefit if the need arises during the school year.
Summer is a great opportunity to find a tutor that is a good match for your student so that when difficulties arise during the year you don’t have to scramble to find someone your student trusts.
5. A good student-tutor relationship is also a mentoring opportunity.
A tutor can serve as a good role model for your student, especially in the absence of older siblings or other role models. In my experiences with students I’ve had several who were interested in the military academies or the Peace Corps, and I like to think that sharing my experiences motivates my students to excel in their studies. I firmly believe that mentors are essential for personal growth and can make a huge difference in the life of a student.
6. Hiring a tutor can sidestep the parent-child dynamic that makes it difficult to academically motivate your student.
By the time they are teenagers, most students are resistant to their parents’ advice about what they should do and are sometimes more likely to respond to the discipline of an outsider. An experienced tutor knows how to draw boundaries and set expectations that put the responsibility for learning on the student’s shoulders.
7. Finally, hiring a tutor can be a signal to your student that he or she is a priority.
Seeking help for your student shows him that he is important and his learning is a priority. Many students come to enjoy tutoring sessions because of the one on one attention, encouragement, and progress.
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One of the most common requests I’m getting from parents now that the 2009-2010 academic year is coming to a close is this: “Can you help my student prepare for his algebra or geometry class next year?”
More and more, parents are realizing that they’ve got to use students’ holiday breaks wisely to give their students an advantage in an increasingly competitive academic environment.
Many of my algebra and geometry students attend Palm Beach Central, and have found that they’ve really needed a tutor to supplement what they are learning in the classroom. Public school teachers are under intense pressure due to time constraints and larger class sizes, and simply can’t always give students what they need.
The summer can absolutely serve as the perfect opportunity to brush up on old skills and to begin to build new skills. Because math is such a cumulative subject, a student must be confident in old material before moving on to new.
So what can you do?
1. Get algebra and geometry workbooks from a teacher supply store or online, and have your student work from them daily.
There are a variety of great resources available to help your student review.
2. Help your student set up a study schedule with measurable goals and reward his progress.
It’s far too easy during the summer to get out of good study habits. Have your student help to create a study schedule and reward him for sticking to it. The library has study rooms if the home is too distracting.
3. If necessary, contact a tutor who can help your student with any concepts that he isn’t able to grasp on his own.
Math is sometimes a difficult subject to learn just by reading. Having a tutor explain and demonstrate can make a big difference in your student’s progress.
4. Remember that algebra and geometry are key SAT and ACT concepts.
Your student is simultaneously preparing for the SAT or ACT while reviewing algebra and geometry.
Use the next couple of months to give your student the academic advantage necessary to make next year’s math classes manageable.
Please feel free to contact Wellington Tutoring with any questions you may have!
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Yesterday I started individual prep for the June SAT with a junior at Palm Beach Central looking to improve her score. She’d taken the April SAT administered by her high school, and she asked a very good question.
“How much can I expect to improve my score in a month?”
The typical answer I give students is that it’s highly variable. Students should aim for a 50 point increase in each area – math, critical reading, and writing- for a net increase of 150 points. However, I recently got a call from a very happy parent whose son Chris improved by 250 points.
Why do some students improve more than others? For a few reasons:
1. A tutor who has the ability to identify and work specifically on a student’s individual challenges is key.
The SAT is a comprehensive test of what your student has learned up to this point in his or her academic career. The tutor must be able to identify and hone in on your student’s specific challenges to maximize their time together.
2. A tutor who is going to challenge your student to perform outside his comfort zone is key.
If a student finds tutoring sessions easy, it is because the tutor has not correctly identified the student’s weaknesses. New knowledge and new skills should be learned at each session and reinforced by assigned homework.
3. Students who spend time on the homework will improve more than students who don’t.
As a tutor I often find that students who do all assigned homework improve the most. To pay attention during tutoring sessions isn’t enough. Real confidence and competence is built when the student realizes that she can apply the skills learned in tutoring independently.
4. Finally, attitude is the most important factor.
I routinely coach my students to avoid saying “I don’t know” or “I can’t”. Although sometimes it may be the truth, when I encourage the student to guess he or she often guesses correctly as to the next step of a problem. Your student must realize he knows more than he thinks he does.
Best of luck preparing for the upcoming June SAT, and please contact Wellington Tutoring if we can help you with your test prep needs.
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The Feedback I Get
I often get positive feedback from parents of the students I tutor, and I think about what it is about effective tutoring that makes such a big difference in a student’s performance.
Of course there is the obvious fact that students sometimes need help with specific material. If geometry really just isn’t making sense, a student can benefit tremendously from having the facts laid out in a simpler way.
However, it’s been my experience that other, less obvious factors play a major role as well. I recently got a call from the mother of a student I tutored for the SAT. Her daughter needed an improvement of about 70 points to qualify for the Bright Futures scholarship, and only had about two weeks before her next attempt at the test. I was skeptical about how much I could help, and was honest with her parents.
“Usually students need about two months to adequately prepare and to increase their scores that much.” We went ahead with the tutoring anyway.
Increased Confidence
In a few weeks I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Ashley had gotten her score – and her scholarship! Was it the math she’d learned in the few hours we spent together? Partially. But I am convinced that the key to an effective tutor is her ability to inspire confidence in her students.
Reinforce Your Students
When students are rewarded through positive reinforcement, their attitudes toward their abilities change.
As adults we know that attitude and confidence makes all the difference in the world. Even without hiring a private tutor, we can start the process of increasing a student’s self-esteem at home. Let them know that you believe in them and encourage them to take the words “I don’t know” and “I can’t” out of their vocabularies.
When we give ourselves empowering messages we surprise ourselves by how much we are capable of – on the SAT and in life overall.
If Wellington Tutoring can help your students reach their goals, feel free to contact us at any time.
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The Challenge
One of parents’ and students’ biggest concerns come junior year of high school is the SAT. Required by most colleges as part of the admissions process, the SAT is a comprehensive math, reading and writing test designed to assess your student’s academic potential. However, more and more students are discovering that SAT prep classes can teach them test-taking techniques that are specific to this test. In many ways, the SAT is a test that can be learned.
My Experiences
When I was in high school, my parents couldn’t afford the close to $1,000 that a prep class cost. As a Suncoast student I saw my friends’ scores increase by 100 points after taking a class, and I felt at a real disadvantage. To keep pace with other students its almost necessary to get your student help with the SAT these days.
Our Recommendations
What are our recommendations?
1. Start early. Have your student take the test at the beginning of his or her junior year of high school so that s/he has a good idea of strengths and weaknesses.
2. Do look into prep classes. Inquire about the credentials and success of the tutors. Most importantly, inquire about class size. As an SAT prep tutor myself, I’ve seen how difficult it is to give each individual student what he needs when a class is larger than 5. The above and below average students both suffer in such a setting because tutors must teach to the middle of the class.
3. Look for a tutor who is going to challenge your student. I’ve consistently found that when I give my students difficult homework and classwork, their scores increase. Why? To grow academically the students must reach beyond their comfort zone into unknown territory. They must practice the hard stuff.
4. More expensive isn’t necessarily better when choosing a tutor. We offer much lower rates because we don’t have the overhead of renting an office space or paying managerial staff.
5. Inquire as to how the tutor is going to tailor the prep to your student’s needs. An individualized approach is necessary with SAT prep. One-size-fits-all simply doesn’t work here. You want a tutor who will focus on writing if your student’s math scores are already very high.
Start early, do look into getting your student help with preparing, and best of luck on the upcoming SAT. Contact us with any questions or if we can be of assistance to you.
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It’s Spring Break, and the last thing most students want to worry about is schoolwork.
However, the holiday break offers the perfect opportunity for students to prepare for the upcoming SAT. The short reprieve from homework, sports and other extracurriculars allows students the breather necessary to really focus on SAT prep.
Advise your student to use the College Board’s Official SAT Study Guide to familiarize him or herself with the format and content of the test. Make sure your student sets a timer and adheres to the time limits given in each section.
Once done your student should grade his test and take note of his strengths and weaknesses.
The book Up Your Score has a fantastic section full of tips on improving your student’s writing score, and is worth the small investment for that section alone. For students who are aiming high, books like Math 800 offer lessons and practice problems that cater to already excellent math students shooting for near perfect scores.
At Wellington Tutoring we are offering an SAT Prep option for students looking to make the most of their spring breaks. We can give your student direction and resources tailored specifically to their strengths and weaknesses.
Don’t pass up this opportunity to set your student apart from the crowd. Prepare for the SAT over Spring Break – and contact Wellington Tutoring for further tips or to set up an appointment!
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