Preparation is key to
Success.
Establish a Foundation
Develop a Strategy
Have the Confidence to Execute
Overview
Specializing in the verbal sections of both standardized tests, I believe that preparation is key to success. While other tutors seem to focus on the “tricks” associated with each section, I believe that without a solid foundation - especially in grammar - success is almost impossible. I will not only offer the students strategies for each section, I will insist they have the skills necessary to answer the questions. I have also had experience and success working with kids with learning difficulties and processing issues, many of whom deal with dyslexia and/or have Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) at school.
Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension is a difficult skill to teach, especially when I have just met a student in high school. However, the success I have found in reading comprehension among the bulk of my students is an area of pride. Both tests require students to annotate or closely read each passage, focusing on the thesis or the “so what” statement, character names, organization of the passage, and the subtle transitions. Both also require a solid knowledge of vocabulary. I will help by guiding students to memorize ten to twenty vocabulary words that I have found are prevalent in both tests.
The timing of the two tests in the reading comprehension section is different; therefore, my approach to each also varies slightly. For both, students who are willing to put in the work will find most success. I am a strong advocate for reading - of any kind - and therefore, will always advise students to read, read, read.
ACT
The ACT has four sections and it is expected that students finish all four in 35 minutes. For most, this is almost impossible. Therefore, I will assess each student individually, and together, we will determine a strategy to conquer the reading section of the ACT.
SAT
The SAT has five sections; however, the students are given 65 minutes to complete. Therefore, the students have thirteen minutes per section, which I believe is much better for those students who cannot find ways to increase their reading speed. While some tutors insist that a speed reading course will help, I have found that reading faster does not promote comprehension.
Grammar Sections
Since the “New” SAT was launched in March of 2016, there is now very little difference between the SAT and ACT. Therefore, the preparation that I will provide will prepare students to find success in the grammar sections of both the SAT and the ACT. These sections are and always will be the most consistent, which is why I believe success in these sections is much easier to attain when compared to the other three.
In my experience, students have very little grammar background, and therefore, when a tutor only focuses on the “tricks”, he or she is doing the students an extreme disservice. I will teach the difference between clauses and phrases in order to master subject-verb agreement. I will teach students the four proper ways to combine two sentences, knowing that the comma splice is all over the grammar sections of both tests. I will teach: how to use commas, semicolons, colons, and dashes appropriately; differences between who and whom; appropriate transition words that are tested in the rhetoric sections of the grammar portion; possessive/apostrophes; pronoun antecedents; and how to avoid redundancies.
