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Preparing for college entrance exams
"My
youngest son's SAT Math score went up 30
points after he worked with you for two
weeks. My oldest son went to one of the
other prep courses, received the same
results, and he spent more of my money for
the class. When I tell parents about your
prices, they think it's too high, but they
don't realize that they are going to have to
pay later. Thanks for the newsletter.
Darling, continue to do what you are doing
for the community."
— M. Bourgeois,
mother
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Q: Ms.
Jennifer, I want to improve my vocabulary.
How can I learn new words?
— T.L., High School for Performing and
Visual Arts
A: Because you probably enjoy using your
creativity, go beyond the flashcards.
Make a word quilt. Let's say that you would
like to learn the word munificent, a
word you read in a magazine article. Follow
these steps to fully understand the word:
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Write
munificent at the top of the page.
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Record the sentence that uses
munificent.
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Using the dictionary, look up
munificent, and write each of its
meanings.
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Draw of
picture of
munificent.
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Use munificent in conversations
with friends, family, and teachers.
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36
on the ACT |
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Which do you prefer: a yawning road of
boredom or a vibrant highway to success? I
know that if you are a member of the
Scholar Ready community, then you choose
success. |
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Eventually, you or someone you love is
going to sacrifice sleeping in on a
Saturday morning (or afternoon, too) to
take the SAT, ACT, GRE, HSPT, or THEA. If
you can read, then you have the power to
transform a torpid experience into a
treasure hunt. If you can read, then you
have the power to answer all of the
passage-based reading questions correctly. |
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I'm not the voice from a late night
infomercial. This is for real. You can
earn a perfect 36 on the Reading section
of the ACT. Follow these steps, and you
boost your Reading score of any
standardized exam. |
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1. Memorize the vocabulary in Word
Smart and Word Smart 2. One
test-taker learned all of the definitions
and attained a perfect score on the GRE. |
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2. Each reading passage is not for
enjoyment: just read it. You know how your
parents are always encouraging you to read
more? Well, now is not the time to become
that well-read person. Don't study the
nuances of the writer's language. Don't
even read it for complete comprehension.
Don't reread any of the words. The
passage's questions (all reading
comprehension) will point to what the
author wants you to understand. |
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3. Read the first question. |
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4. STOP!!! Cover up the answer choices.
Most of them are distractions. |
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5. Return to the passage for the answer.
Hunt for the answer in the text; the
answer is always there. Make up your own
response to the question. |
6. Now, go to the answer choices. Find the
choice that matches your response.
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Q:
My daughter is registered to take the
SAT. Should she take the ACT too? Is there a
difference between the tests? |
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Yes and yes. Your daughter may perform
better on the ACT than the SAT. Some
differences: |
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1) Penalties: Guessing is encouraged on the
ACT. Wrong answer = 0 points. Answer a
multiple choice question wrong on the SAT
and lose 1/4 of a point. |
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2) Extra Section: The SAT covers Critical
Reading, Writing, and Math. Add a Science
section, and you have the ACT. |
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3) Math: Expect straightforward Algebra,
Algebra II, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus
questions on the ACT. Study basic
arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry AND tricky
test questions to do well on the SAT.
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Q: Ms. Jennifer, I'm taking the ACT in
April, and I'm focusing on the Reading
section. Your tips on the ACT are not
realistic ("36
on the ACT"). I took a practice test,
and I just don't see how it's possible for
me to get a high score on the Reading
section. For one thing, the passages are
super boring and I ran out of time. How can
I follow those steps if I'm worried about
not finishing the exam? — Tired
test-taker
Discipline is a bulwark against test
anxiety. First, learn the words from the
Word Smart books. Then, gather as many
ACT prep books that you can buy or borrow.
Pick a reading passage a slowly complete the
following steps: |
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1. Read the passage. |
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2. Read the question. |
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3.
STOP!!! Cover up the answer choices. Most of
them are distractions. |
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4.
Return to the passage for the answer. Hunt
for the answer in the text; the answer is
always there. Make up your own response to
the question. |
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5.
Now, go to the answer choices. Find the
choice that matches your response. |
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Be sure to repeat steps 2 through 5 with
each question. |
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Practice and practice until you can answer
all 40 reading comprehension questions in 35
minutes. |
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