How to Ace the SAT December 18, 2007
Posted by Dr. Smyth in Colloquia.add a comment
Despite a mounting stack of research that concludes the SAT is not as significant a predictor of college performance as was once thought, the test, and it’s cousin the ACT, remain one of the top 3 factors in college admissions. Thus, it is important for students to maximize their performance on the test. Here are some great suggestions on how students can score their best! These strategies span a time frame from years before the test to the morning of the test.
- Read constantly! Reading increases a student’s vocabulary and general knowledge, as well as reading speed. Read novels, short stories and the newspaper. (Parents of lower school children can read to their children to encourage this and improve reading performance)
- Get involved with music and the arts. Ok, while there are better reasons to get involved with music and the arts than to raise a test score, there is a correlation between higher SAT scores and experience with music education. Therefore, while this needs to be done early in a student’s development, it can be summed up by saying, “Pick up your SAT scores by picking up an instrument!”
- Do your absolute best in college prepartory courses. While innate ability is a significant predictor of test performance, a student’s academic preparation is vital to maximizing test score. Students who go the extra mile in their courses (i.e., read that optional book, do that extra-credit projoect, tackle the most difficult project rather than the easiest) reap the greatest benefits from a challenging college preparatory curriculum.
- Take the Explore and PSAT tests seriously. The Explore test, the precursor to the ACT given in 9th grade, and the PSAT, given in 10th and 11th grades, are practice tests designed to prepare students for the real thing. Many students feel that, because it is a preliminary test that does not count for much, they can give less than their best effort. These tests serve an important function, however–feedback! With the PSAT in particular, the College Board provides excellent feedback on the test performance. There is no better way to diagnose the areas in need of improvement than by analyzing a previous test.
- Take a practice course. Students at Pisgah are able to take a semseter-long course in SAT prep. The IMPACT program also offers an intensive, small-group SAT Prep course. One class is beginning this January to help students prepare for the March and May tests. Contact Dr. Smyth for more information.
- Practice consistently. Especially in the weeks leading up to the test, consistent, timed practice can do wonders to a student’s confidence and performance.
- Prepare for the trip the night before. Anxieties are already high because of the high-stakes nature of the SAT and ACT. Therfore, the night before, pick out something comfortable to wear (include a sweatshirt in case it’s cold in the testing room), be sure you know the directions to the test site, fill up your car with gas, check the batteries in your calculator, gather your pencils, and have your registration form and ID ready! Get a good night’s rest. Do not stay up late studying for it, just do some light review in the early evening.
- Eat a good breakfast. Try some eggs or other breakfast with protein. Do not eat a heavy breakfast or something high in sugar (e.g., donuts).
As mentioned in #5, the IMPACT program will be offering an SAT prep course beginning this January. It will lead up to the March 1st test and will feature two instructors. One will help students with the mathematics portion, the other will teach the Critical Reading and Writing portions. The student teacher ratio will be capped at 8, and individualized practice will be given. An analysis of student strengths and weakness will also be conducted to guide the individualization. Please contact Dr. Smyth at the IMPACT office for more information!
How will you make an IMPACT? November 28, 2007
Posted by Dr. Smyth in News.add a comment
Welcome to Points of IMPACT, my blog about the IMPACT program. This blog is dedicated to bringing you information about the programs that IMPACT offers, their successes and direction, and general information about the world of adaptive education. It will also serve as a space to post and share comments and ideas. I look forward to your comments and our conversations.
All the best, Dr. Smyth
