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Helping Your Student Succeed on the SAT
You value
education. This is evident by the time you’ve spent
cruising the internet, looking for ways to help your child
excel on the most important standardized test of their high
school career. Believe it or not, you have already given your
child the single greatest advantage on the SAT and in college
admissions. Children who are raised in an education-oriented
home typically perform better in school, on standardized tests,
and in the admissions process.
However,
your job as an SAT coach is not yet finished. There are many
steps you can take in the months leading up to the test to
ensure that your son or daughter has the competitive edge
on test day. The test preparation experts at PowerScore have
found that our top-performing students have supportive and
enthusiastic parents who help their children in the following
ways.
Set
a Goal
The goal of every student is an ‘A’ in each one
of their academic classes, but sometimes this just isn’t
realistic. If Stacy struggles in Chemistry, she might aim
for a ‘B’ or ‘B+,’ because she needs
a practical and reachable goal. The same goes for the SAT.
If she’s only averaging a 1530 on her practice tests,
it is unrealistic for Stacy to aim for a 2200. An 1800 is
a practical goal; a 1950 is possible with dedication and determination,
but may not be right for every student.
Help your
child by setting a reachable goal. To begin, use their score
on a practice test as a guide. You can download a free practice
test at www.collegeboard.com,
or enroll them in a prep class that gives practice tests in
class or at home. Then, research their top college prospects
and choices. What is the average SAT score at each university?
You can find this information on the school’s website,
through online search engines at U.S. News and World Report
(www.usnews.com)
or the College Board (www.collegeboard.com),
or in many of the college guides published in books and magazines.
Finally, use all of this information to set a realistic goal.
Maybe your child has already surpassed the average score of
the colleges to which he or she plans to apply. If so, set
the goal 200 or 300 points higher to open up more opportunities
in case there are unforeseen events in the next year. Or,
suppose your child is well below the average SAT score needed
for his choice of schools. Set the goal at the score needed
for admission, but begin looking at other schools that have
a lower average. Remember, every child is different and has
different attributes and abilities; just because the neighbor’s
teenager made a 2000 does not make this a realistic goal for
your son or daughter. Nor does an easily-attained practice
test score make a suitable goal; set the bar higher and make
your child work to their full potential. PowerScore guarantees
a 200 point increase in our full length course because we
believe that nearly every student can improve with repeated
practice and exposure, whether the student begins with a 1200
or a 1900.
Create
a Practice Schedule
Jameel is a typical high school student. A member of the varsity
soccer team, he enjoys learning the drums and playing video
games. On average, he spends 12 hours a week playing soccer,
5 hours a week practicing drums, and over 20 hours a week
conquering his favorite video game. He knows that practice
is the only way to improve.
However,
when his mother asks him to take a practice test for the SAT,
he bellows that he doesn’t have the time and that it
won’t help anyway.
Jameel
might be typical, but he’s definitely wrong. For one
thing, he has the time. Right now, he spends nearly 40 hours
a week on hobbies and extracurricular activities. These leisure
activities are important, but unless he is extremely talented,
they won’t get him into college. He shouldn’t
give them up, but he can definitely set one aside for a month
or so in order to prepare for the exam.
He is
also incorrect in assuming that practice won’t help
him improve. Just as practice enables advancement in athletic
ability and musical skill, practice also facilitates academic
success on the SAT. The exam is very “coachable,”
meaning that there are patterns to test questions and concepts
which students can learn to recognize with repeated exposure.
Help your
teenager by creating a practice schedule to prepare for the
SAT. This might come in the form of a classroom course or
practice test questions from the College Board. Some parents
have their children read a Reading Comprehension passage every
morning at breakfast, or go through vocabulary flashcards
every night before bed. You know your child best; taking into
consideration their schedule, their academic ability, and
their SAT goals, create a schedule that allows them to practice
test questions and concepts. For many students, a course is
the most structured option, but only you know the best practice
method for your active teenager.
Offer
an Incentive
While most parents and teachers feel that personal satisfaction
and achievement should be sufficient motivation to study for
the SAT, these reasons have little effect on many of today’s
teenagers. Most are looking for an extrinsic reward for their
success. If your student needs extra motivation, offer up
a creative and fun reward for an official SAT score at or
above the goal you set together. Your incentive does not need
to be expensive; rather look for rewards that are funny, original,
or meaningful to your child. For example, offer to take the
next official SAT (there is no age limit), promise not to
chaperone the prom, or vow to dye your hair blue for one week.
Remember, though, that if you do promise an incentive, you
must be ready to follow through when the goal is met!
Avoid
Excess Pressure
There is a lot of pressure
associated with the SAT. Students are worried about letting
down their teachers, scoring lower than their friends and peers,
and failing to gain acceptance to college. However, students
report that the largest source of pressure is from their parents.
Some parents create this pressure themselves, but more often
the student is simply afraid to disappoint their mother or father.
Therefore, anything you say about the SAT can be interpreted
as added pressure. It is extremely important to remain positive
and encouraging throughout the testing process. It is okay to
stress the importance of the SAT, but assure your child that
you are confident in their abilities. If you have older children,
do not cite their former test scores in comparison to where
you expect this child to score. During practice tests, avoid
expressing any disappointment in results or in your child’s
ability to grasp a certain concept. Never make statements like,
“How could you miss this?” or “This is an
easy one.” Instead, assure them that all questions are
valid and that it’s okay to make mistakes. Your teenager
might not appear to be the most motivated or serious student,
but he or she will perform to the best of their ability on test
day. Encourage
Plenty of Sleep
The entire SAT experience takes about five and a half hours
to complete, from the time the students arrive at the testing
center to the moment they are released. The test is ten sections
long, and the last two or three are grueling even with a good
night’s sleep. Limit your child’s activities the
night before the test. Our instructors have heard horror stories
of students who were out late the previous evening, resulting
in the loss of concentration and focus at the end of the exam.
One student even claims to have fallen asleep while working
through a reading comprehension passage! We know that it is
sometimes impossible to avoid athletic competitions or school
events, but strongly encourage your child to get at least
eight or nine hours of rest before the test.
Make
Breakfast
Your child must eat breakfast the day of the test. Not only
will breakfast provide the energy needed to perform well,
but it will keep your child’s stomach from growling
in a silent testing room. Many students report that a rumbling
belly—either their own or the nearest test takers’—has
distracted them from a top performance on the SAT! You should
also ensure that your son or daughter takes a snack and a
bottle of water in a backpack. While students cannot eat or
drink in the classroom, they do have short breaks at the end
of every testing hour. Remember, the test finishes around
1:00 p.m., long after most high school students eat lunch!
In the
end, your child’s SAT score is dependent on dozens of
factors, many of which are beyond your control. However, by
providing positive support, encouraging practice and study,
and helping set realistic goals, your son or daughter will
have the confidence required to master the test.
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