Study-plan for child close to Natl Merit cut-off

[mjbucks1]

DS (currently a sophomore) took the PSAT in fall and scored a 204, which I believe would have been good enough for commended status this year.  We live in Ohio, and I believe historically the NMSF cut-off has been between 212-215. 

 

First, is ds close enough to even think he has a chance as a NMSF?

 

Second, does anyone have a study plan they used to help bump their child's scores by a few points?

 

I don't want to put too much pressure on my ds, but I thought this summer would be a great opportunity to study for the PSAT (as well as the SAT and ACT).  Last year, end of 9th grade, he took the ACT and scored a 30.  He would like to bump up this score a bit as well.

 

I think a math review would be helpful.  Has anyone used any math reviews (Chalkdust, etc) that they felt were beneficial?

 

Thank you in advance for the advice!

[Ann.without.an.e]

:lurk5:

[Kareni]

My daughter found the Chalk Dust SAT Math Review to be helpful for the math portion of both the PSAT and SAT.  I had my teen watch the DVD and stop it whenever she needed/wished to work a problem. She also did several practice tests (in their entirety) as well as worked through math sections in the big blue book. Ideally, I'd start the Chalkdust program about 8 weeks before the test for maximum effect.

 

I'd also suggest reading/working through a SAT math prep book such as Princeton Review's Math Workout for the SAT to learn some test taking strategies.

Regards,
Kareni

[JanetC]

Diagnose carefully. With a score like that, there is a lot of stuff your DS does not need to study.  Identify what he doesn't know carefully and just review those areas, not the entire math section.  Towards the end of summer or closer to test day, work a few timed, complete tests to get a feel for the pacing required to finish all the questions.

 

--Janet

[mjbucks1]

Thank you both for the tips.  Any other suggestions?

[Barb_]

Aleks has SAT prep math. That would be a good place to begin efficiently filling in the gaps. Also, focus primarily on math and writing prep. Much harder to budge the reading score.

[GoodGrief]

Prep can definitely be helpful for those borderline students.  My oldest daughter took an SAT prep course here locally.  It went over a few weeks and time was spent identifying trouble areas.  Her score went up a couple hundred points, and she even got an 800 on the Verbal section.

[Kendall]

Yes, he has a chance.  I had a child move from 198 to 224 soph-jr year.  I don't have any prep advice though.  All he did was take 2 or 3 of the old PSAT  tests available from the..., well, I can't find a link.  I wonder if anyone else knows if they discontinued offering these for sale.  He didn't score well on those, the highest was around 207, but did well on the test somehow. 

 

He also listened to Car Talk regularly and tells me it helped him answer 2 vocabulary related questions and one math one. :)   This child did look up every unknown word he encountered in life (this was his own curiosity, not my direction).

[mjbucks1]

So now I am wondering if I should sign him up for a test prep course.  I have no idea which one would be good :confused: . 

 

And I did see where College Board no longer sells the old PSAT tests (if anyone has any they would like to sel, please PM me).

 

And Barb, we used Aleks as a review last summer (not their SAT prep).  I will take a look at that.  He only missed 3 on the writing, so I know we need to focus on the math and reading. 

 

If anyone else has any suggestions, I am all ears :bigear: .  You all have given me hope that this may be within reach for him.

[angela in ohio]

I think that is very reasonable. I have heard 10-15 points increase from sophomore to junior year is average. Where is he at in the math sequence? Some increase will come just from learning new concepts in the course of his regular classes - math, literature, writing, etc.

 

Okay, for math: My oldest is running through Aleks Alg II, Trig, and Pre-Calc this year, just as a refresher, and she says it would have been great prep for the SAT math section. She had some trouble because she hit Calculus so early and forgot so much of the rest before she ever took her SAT and ACT math. My second dd will be a junior next year and was a few points shy on her sophomore PSAT. She is finishing Calc II, and I foresee the same problem, so I have her starting Aleks next week as her outside classes start winding down.

 

The rest: I think specific prep is more important in the non-math sections. You can't get many real PSATs, but oldest worked on old SATs and it helped her in her Critical Reading and Writing sections (both high 70s, missed one question each.)  She is a reader and had years of R&S Grammar and IEW Writing, but I think the test prep was the real key to figuring out the system of the tests, which increases speed and handling questions they are unsure of from just a content stand-point.

[dirty ethel rackham]

You can google the Xiggi Method for studying.  I don't think the prep classes are worth the money unless you know that your child will not do the work without a teacher.  I think prep for the SAT can suffice for the PSAT quite nicely.  We basically had ds take several test from the Blue book (the one that the College Board sells) and go over every single answer and explanation so that he thoroughly understood why he got it wrong or why he got it right.  We only did a couple full tests under timed conditions.  Others, we just did a section or two timed and had him comb through the results.  This garnered him about 50 points in writing and 40 points in critical reading.  His math score went up as well, but it was already pretty good to start with. 

[Brigid in NC]

So now I am wondering if I should sign him up for a test prep course.  I have no idea which one would be good :confused: . 

 

Does your son have a friend or two who would be interested in test prep?  The very best test prep that we did in high school involved my ds working with two friends.  I stewarded it, but they took practice tests together and then we talked through the answers/rationales.  They explained the "whys" to each other and we ended up going over more "right answers" than we normally would have.  Understanding the rationale for the right answers can be benefical--especially if you have to explain/teach them to someone else.

 

It kept the guys accountable and made the prep time more fun.  Good luck.  Test prep is definitely worth it in our experience--especially if you have a student who is motivated, but just needs a bit of help staying on track.  :)

[mjbucks1]

You can google the Xiggi Method for studying. 

 

I have seen this on college board, and it seems simple enough.  I think right now I will plan to have him review math (either ALEKS or Chalkdust), and then work specifically on the questions from SAT Blue Book.  His math was the lowest (a 65, mssing 6/38).  I think there is a good chance he can improve on this.

[Muttichen]

I've found that one sure way to bring up the CR score is to work HARD on vocabulary.  You can find lists of words online.  Drill with him every day and have him make it his goal to never miss a vocab question.

 

The writing section is also easy to prep for.  Have him work on writing questions in the College Board's Official Guide to the SAT.  There are only a few kinds of errors that come up on the writing test, and when you learn to recognize them, it's a breeze.

 

For math, have him do a section in the Official Guide every day.  If timing is an issue, be sure he times himself.  Go over everything he misses.  He should make it his goal to never miss a question due to a sloppy mistake.

 

A half hour or so every day this summer doing these things should help him bring up his score significantly!

[snowbeltmom]

Imo, I don't think a test prep course would be that helpful for your son because he is already in the top 2%.  Those test prep classes are not geared for the top 2%.  He would be much better off self-studying his "weak" areas.

 

My son's two "weak" areas were the Sentence Completion questions and the Writing section.

 

He studied the vocabulary words in Book 2 of the Direct Hits book the summer before the start of his junior year.  He ended up getting all of the Sentence Completion questions correct his junior year PSAT and said that the Direct Hits study helped a lot. 

 

My son also worked through Erica Meltzer's book "The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar."  The Writing section is my son's weakest area, and this book helped some.

 

Good luck.

[mjbucks1]

Does your son have a friend or two who would be interested in test prep?

 

Ds has a friend who is trying raise his ACT score from a 22.  I have thought about them trying to do some studying together. 

 

He studied the vocabulary words in Book 2 of the Direct Hits book the summer before the start of his junior year.

 

I have this book.  He wil definately be using it!  Hopefully if he studies more vocabulary, this will improve.  He miseed 6/48 on this section.  It seems alike a lot of vocabulary to study to try to get a couple more questions correct, but if he could get every question right it would be woth it!

 

DS only missed 3/39 on the writing skills section.  He thinks that section is the easiest.

 

He just needs a couple more questions correct in each section to make a difference.  I am hoping that with focused review, including going over every question on the practice tests, he can add a few more points to his score.

[ElizabethB]

I would buy these two books over a test prep class:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1618655779/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1618655779/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

The each have different study ideas and some practice tests.

[mjbucks1]

Elizabeth, each of those links is the same book.  Is there another book you meant to link?  I will put it in my cart :001_smile: .

[Barb_]

Also Geneva school has the actual PSAT tests from previous years posted here: http://www.genevaschool.org/upper-school/college-counseling/test-prep

[mjbucks1]

Thank you so much, Barb!  I just printed them out (in case they get taken down from the site). 

[ElizabethB]

Elizabeth, each of those links is the same book.  Is there another book you meant to link?  I will put it in my cart :001_smile: .

 

Sorry, here:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307945693/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Kareni]

Also Geneva school has the actual PSAT tests from previous years posted here: http://www.genevaschool.org/upper-school/college-counseling/test-prep

 

Thanks for these links.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Elisabet1]

My daughter did 180's sophomore year and then 216 junior year.

 

She did a PSAT class though.

[arborite]

Honestly, given his ACT score I would focus not on content but on test-taking strategy. His friend with a 22 needs to learn new material; your kid needs a few targeted tactics to get over the NMS cut.

 

Strategy is what the prep courses are best at: how to rule out wrong answers, when to guess, speed.

[katilac]

Ds has a friend who is trying raise his ACT score from a 22.  I have thought about them trying to do some studying together. 

 

 

I think it would be fairly tough to pair a 22 and a 30 together for studying - which is also why I wouldn't do a prep course. 

 

I'm a firm believer in 'slow and steady wins the race.' Also in enjoying your summer, lol, so I would set a modest goal of 2 to 3 short prep sessions per week, targeted to his weakest areas. Short for me would mean just 20 minutes or so. 

[ElizabethB]

Honestly, given his ACT score I would focus not on content but on test-taking strategy. His friend with a 22 needs to learn new material; your kid needs a few targeted tactics to get over the NMS cut.

 

Strategy is what the prep courses are best at: how to rule out wrong answers, when to guess, speed.

The books have that for much cheaper!

[arborite]

Yes, the books have that info. A lot of what is in the books would be unnecessary review for him. The nice thing about the online tests and prep is that they adapt to the kid's level. He can get quickly to what's hard for him and work on it.

 

Homeschool Buyers Coop often has the online courses at a steep discount.

 

That said, do what works for you and your kid!

[showelott]

I recommend staying with authentic tests:  the College Board's The Official SAT Study Guide has 10 old tests in it. AND they publish full explanations of every question and answer here: www.collegeboard.com/satstudyguide.

 

There are about 4 old SAT tests floating around the internet: 2013-2014, 2012-2013, 2007-2008, 2004-005

 

The College Board also offers an online course which is $70 which has 10 more tests in it. (sometimes you can find it for $40 on Amazon)

 

PWN the SAT is a great (fun!) math guide for kids already doing well in math. 

 

And I agree that making sure his strategy is optimized for the SAT can help push him over the top. (For example, bubbling this way can save him 1-2 mins per section)

[mjbucks1]

I recommend staying with authentic tests: the College Board's The Official SAT Study Guide has 10 old tests in it.

 

Yes, we have that.

 

 

PWN the SAT is a great (fun!) math guide for kids already doing well in math.

 

 

I have this in my Amazon cart :001_smile: .

 

And I agree that making sure his strategy is optimized for the SAT can help push him over the top. (For example, bubbling this way can save him 1-2 mins per section)

 

Never heard of this strategy before! :D

[showelott]

@mjbucks1 - Yep - there are all sort of quick tips like that which can help kids get to the right answer more quickly. Which means they can answers more questions. It can really make a difference for kids who need just a couple more right answers to make it through a score cutoff for a scholarship or other reason.

Let me know if you want more ideas!

[mjbucks1]

Let me know if you want more ideas!

 

Any strategies would be appreciated!

[showelott]

@mjbucks1 - Have him take the Blue Books tests in short time - from 2-5 minutes shorter in each section to force errors - you want to see where his weaker areas are. Use the PWN the SAT book for practice on those specific topics - and make it more challenging.

 

Usually, at that level, it's not so much a matter of content knowledge as it is of execution. And excellent execution comes from repeated, challenging practice. In addition to the shorter time, you might also want to slowly increase the distraction level - instead of isolated in a quiet room, maybe he takes the test in the middle of the living room. I've done everything from setting a metronome to having one kid practice in Starbucks. 

 

You'll also want to make sure he's getting to the right answer in the shortest possible way - ala quick and dirty math rather than fancy math. I have one student aiming for Yale who was deriving the sequence formula on easy and medium level problems - which was overkill. He was wasting time using the fancy formula when he could have just looked at the problem and figured it out. He used the time he saved to answer more hard problems correctly and got a 30 point increase.

 

Drawing pictures and creating charts to organize information can also be time-saving strategies.

[mjbucks1]

@mjbucks1 - Have him take the Blue Books tests in short time - from 2-5 minutes shorter in each section to force errors - you want to see where his weaker areas are. Use the PWN the SAT book for practice on those specific topics - and make it more challenging.

 

Usually, at that level, it's not so much a matter of content knowledge as it is of execution. And excellent execution comes from repeated, challenging practice. In addition to the shorter time, you might also want to slowly increase the distraction level - instead of isolated in a quiet room, maybe he takes the test in the middle of the living room. I've done everything from setting a metronome to having one kid practice in Starbucks.

 

You'll also want to make sure he's getting to the right answer in the shortest possible way - ala quick and dirty math rather than fancy math. I have one student aiming for Yale who was deriving the sequence formula on easy and medium level problems - which was overkill. He was wasting time using the fancy formula when he could have just looked at the problem and figured it out. He used the time he saved to answer more hard problems correctly and got a 30 point increase.

 

Drawing pictures and creating charts to organize information can also be time-saving strategies.

 

 

Wow!  What great suggestions!  I never thought about shortening the test time..  I think I will start by letting him work the problems without a time limit, see where trouble areas are, and then start reducing time.  And we have plenty of distractions in our house with his 6 yo brother running around!  Thank you so much for the advice :001_smile: . 

[showelott]

Hi Michelle - Glad they were helpful.

 

For everyone else, if you need to figure out where to start, here's a breakdown of the most common topics on the SAT math sections.

 

So, for example, if your student misses a reflection question, no need to worry because they rarely show up. On the other hand, if he or she misses a function question, you'll need to tackle it since function questions show up all the time.