Preparing for high school testing

[Sweet Home Alabama]

My dd is in 7th grade this year, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to prep her for high school testing.

 

High school in general seems daunting. I'm looking at this as, "I've only got one shot to get this right, and I better not mess this up!!!"

 

What classes would you suggest we do in 8th grade that will get us on the right highschool path??? (If 8th grade were our "first" year for the high school 4x4 so that 12th grade could be used for duel enrollment.)

 

What specific skills should we focus on..... the MUSTS that will make a difference on those tests that will have consequences on college acceptance?

 

I know we're only in 7th grade now, but I really want to be actively planning so that when we're in the heat of high school, I won't have any regrets.

 

Any advice???:bigear:

[Michelle in AL]

I've studied the ACT pretty extensively, basically it's testing a solid education.

Here's what I've found that they emphasize:

Reading: Comprehension: these aren't easy selections. It tests comprehension, main point of a selection, main point of a paragraph, close reading and word meaning within a sentence.

 

Reading a variety of materials and summarizing would help greatly: read fiction, nonfiction, science journal articles and current events.

 

English: A good grammar program will help here. It tests punctuation, dangling and misplaced modifiers, subject verb agreement and pronoun antecedent agreement, sentence combining and preferred style.

 

Math: A thorough overview of algebra 1 & 2, geometry and about 3-4 problems from trig/precal. Know geometric formulas, cosine, tangent, sine formulas, formulas for arithmetic & geometric series, and probability.

 

Taking the test after trig/precal will proabably yield the best score since this is where the hardest problems are from. A good review of The lower maths prior to the test helps.

 

Science: The ability to summarize scientific studies is mostly what's tested here. Emphasis on reading graphs and charts and the ability to derive conclusions from them. Stats helps in this area along with summarzing and

comparing 2 different studies.

 

Essay: the ability to write a persuasive essay. What they want to see is a clear thesis statement with at least 3 points to back it up. You must show real life examples or evidence for your points. Also you must address the complexity of the issue and/or the other viewpoint.

 

It sounds a LOT harder than what it is. A good basic foundation in all the above courses will go far. Adding in reading from extra sources and being able to analyze them will go far.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I've studied the ACT pretty extensively, basically it's testing a solid education.

Here's what I've found that they emphasize:

Reading: Comprehension: these aren't easy selections. It tests comprehension, main point of a selection, main point of a paragraph, close reading and word meaning within a sentence.

 

Reading a variety of materials and summarizing would help greatly: read fiction, nonfiction, science journal articles and current events.

 

English: A good grammar program will help here. It tests punctuation, dangling and misplaced modifiers, subject verb agreement and pronoun antecedent agreement, sentence combining and preferred style.

 

Math: A thorough overview of algebra 1 & 2, geometry and about 3-4 problems from trig/precal. Know geometric formulas, cosine, tangent, sine formulas, formulas for arithmetic & geometric series, and probability.

 

Taking the test after trig/precal will proabably yield the best score since this is where the hardest problems are from. A good review of The lower maths prior to the test helps.

 

Science: The ability to summarize scientific studies is mostly what's tested here. Emphasis on reading graphs and charts and the ability to derive conclusions from them. Stats helps in this area along with summarzing and

comparing 2 different studies.

 

Essay: the ability to write a persuasive essay. What they want to see is a clear thesis statement with at least 3 points to back it up. You must show real life examples or evidence for your points. Also you must address the complexity of the issue and/or the other viewpoint.

 

It sounds a LOT harder than what it is. A good basic foundation in all the above courses will go far. Adding in reading from extra sources and being able to analyze them will go far.

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much, Michelle!!!

I started thinking that my question was sort of silly.... of course math, grammar, and writing... and I wasn't sure about science. History? Even in SAT testing now, history isn't the most important thing to study for.

 

I definitely want to use 7th, 8th, and 9th in the most efficient ways so we are ready for these tests.

 

I appreciate your answer. This is very helpful! :001_smile: