Whitneyz Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 If you had a 15 year old whose whole life has been competitive swimming and who could've cared less about school work (and shame on me for not demanding higher level work) who all of a sudden is getting some letters from colleges that are tough to get into and decides she'd like to try.....what would you do in one last summer and one last year before the SAT to get her ready so that she can score well? (I know that's not the only thing, but it's a big one!) It's not that she doesn't have the ability. She does, but she never cared. Now she does. I think I will get a booklist ready for her for the summer. She will be finishing up Alg. 2 this summer and covering some chemistry. I know you can't cram in what should have been done over a longer period of years, but......what would you do? Thx, Whitney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Get several SAT practice books and do a test section every day, going over the answers with her. Do the SAT Question of the Day that comes to her email. Do timed math facts worksheets. Do a couple of "Practice" tests, following the real time limits for each section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitneyz Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 Do you mean go out and pick up The Princeton Review SAT prep and the College Board one and work through a lesson a day? What are Math fact drill sheets? What kind of facts? She does do the Question of the day. Thx, Whitney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Yes, the Princeton Review book is great, and the College Board one. There are others too. Yes, work through a lesson each day, then have her do a section of a practice test a day. There are enough different practice test books to do this til she takes the test. Let her do them at her own pace for awhile, striving for 100%, then, when you're pretty sure she understands all the concepts, start having her do them with the time limit. A week or two before the test, have her do an entire practice test, timed. By math fact worksheets, I just mean a page with about 40 - 50 multiplication, division, addition or subtraction problems on it. Time her on it. The goal is to be able to finish the page correctly, as fast as she can write the answers down - no stopping to think about them. You could google math worksheets or just make your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I'd pay a tutoring place to coach her. My dh did this in grad school as a p.t. job. It's not cheap but he got the kids up to speed FAST. They usually do a before and after practice test and you should be able to tell a significant difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitneyz Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I'd get her into a good SAT/ACT prep program to help her prepare and buy some prep books she can use at home, as well. I've often found these cheap (unused), second-hand at library book sales, Half Price Books, etc. I think the things you're doing sound good. I've always heard great things about the online classes Pennsylvania Homeschoolers offer if you have the money to invest in that. To be honest, if they really, really want her for swimming, she may be able to get in even without strong academics, especially if she can show well on her testing. Here's one example I know about this year: It's not a prestigious school unless you're in band/music areas I don't think, but I know someone who just got in to a Division I school without great grades. They will provide daily tutoring for him once enrolled and the swimmer's get to enroll first in classes because their time during the day is so limited by their practice time. They also required a staff mentor and his mother got someone to agree to do it who's in a field that's of interest to him, so it sounds like it's going to work out beautifully for him. Good luck to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 My dh worked at a private tutoring place in S. Cal. I'd just check the phone book and call around- ask about SAT prep and find out what their guarantees are (like you'll be so many points ahead after the prep course). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4wildberrys Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 First of all---congratulations on having such a motivated daughter! Good job mom! :001_smile: I also second either getting a good tutor or just cram hard with SAT prep books ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitneyz Posted June 18, 2009 Author Share Posted June 18, 2009 thx, Whitney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 There's an interesting book, that may be out of print now, Parents Who Love Reading, Parents Who Don't: http://www.amazon.com/Parents-Love-Reading-Kids-Dont/dp/0517591642 If you can get a hold of a copy, at least skim it for ideas. My husband and I call the author the "trashy book lady," as her book includes some interesting anecdotes about kids who quickly and dramatically raised the verbal SATs by doing nothing but reading large quantities of trashy books. Her premise is that you let kids read anything they will read, pushing for quantity over literary merit. I don't necessarily buy into all of it, but one of her anecdotes if of a previously indifferent student, also a girl, who suddenly realized she needed a higher verbal SAT to get into a particular school. At the author's direction, the girl started reading lots and lots of historical romances and got her SAT score. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Since your dd has not had Geometry it might help if you had a 'handbook' available when she goes through the SAT practice books-- two that I like are CliffsNotes Geometry and Geometry for Dummies Neither will replace a full Geometry course (and your dd will most likely take the SAT test again) but they are nice resources to have on hand for quick study. Jann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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