Go Figure. More people choose the ACT over the SAT. The ACT isn’t a game.
The SAT is losing its penalty for guessing wrong, cutting obscure vocab, making the essay optional, and joining forces with Khan for free online practice problems. Mind you, don’t get too excited, the changes are set for 2016.
Until then, stay focused on practicing 20 minutes a day, repeating practice problems until they feel familiar, and choosing test prep books, tutors, or apps that serve you well.
I have recently been reminded of how important graphic organizers are, and a wise parent shared with me the following site http://merldworldteachers.com/. The graphic organizers lead to repetition in order to gain mastery of a subject by seeing the information again and again in new ways. As I tutor students with MERLD, ADD, and ADHD, I am reminded that all students learn better when the information is organized and repeated.
Secondly, I discovered a Math website http://www.mathworksheetsland.com/ that provides worksheets by grade level and subject. The worksheets are well designed, open, and useful for a tutor, parent, and teacher to provide quality materials to their students. Yay!
Ten thousand hours is the time required to be an expert of anything. If you are preparing for the ACT, SAT, math, science, history, Spanish, ASL, French, chemistry, biology, neurology….any of the exams required from any kid at any school, then you need to put forth hours and hours of study time. These hours can become most meaningful by sharing the experience with an educator, mentor, tutor, classmate, or parent. Talking about the subjects makes them relevant and alive, dynamic and much more interesting!
Sometimes it is nice to know when a class or year just isn’t going to happen for your kiddo, in the K-12 years, there are options. Check out all of the free courses offered through these participating (& public) schools as http://www.k12.com. When the online classes are not feeling involved enough for the student, I suggest having a certified educator or tutor play the role of mentor to engage, empower, and validate learning. Learning is very much a conversation and is reinforced through social experiences with an experienced educator.
At Bothell Tutoring, I think the key to succeeding on the ACT is practice – it is like anything else. Start early and work diligently. Also, FLASHCARDS. Flashcards are quick and easy ways to repeat learning and you may want to try the website Flashcard Exchange (http://www.flashcardexchange.com/). You can print out and create many different flashcard sets for your individualized needs!
It has been a wonderful challenge puzzling through a student’s strengths, improving their strategies, and supporting needs to improve and succeed on the ACT! I feel so happy for my students when they get the score they want, earn their scholarships, and feel able to succeed at the college they choose.