ACT/SAT TUTORING

About the tutor: Mike is a certified teacher (M.Ed. in Language Arts, grades 7-12) with 6 years of ESL and ELA teaching experience, and 3 years of ACT/SAT test prep tutoring experience (Reading/Grammar/Writing).

Within the first couple lessons, I have conversations with each student to determine their academic and testing goals, strengths, and weaknesses. We will then develop a personalized study schedule to meet the needs and desires of the student.

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Once we have developed a purpose and scope, we will begin targeting specific areas that the student wants to work on, using research-proven methods to improve reading, grammar, and writing skills and improve test scores. Beyond the verbal sections of the ACT/SAT, I can also help a student with the Literature SAT subject test (SAT II).

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Additionally, I will provide the student and the student's parent/guardian with a personalized Google Doc that will include a summary of what took place in each session, including comments on particular areas of strength and improvement.

Because this service is completely personalized, the actual tutoring session will look different for each student. For example, if a student wants to work individually on practice questions and then come to me to discuss struggles and learn new strategies, the lesson would consist of brief direct instruction followed by student practice to adopt the new strategy, with regular exchanges to confirm understanding and expand thinking.

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Below is a sample first lesson:

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1. • Determine which tests the student will be taking

   • Plan to take the writing section?

   • Areas of known strength/weakness? 

   • Have you taken/will you take the PSAT?

2. Developing a study plan

   • Develop goals and objectives to be revisited throughout the scope of the tutoring sessions.

   • Determine the timetable before taking the test.

   • Determine particular areas of focus for our sessions.

3. Review tools for study and determine which will be most effective based on how the student likes to learn.

   • Book(s): Princeton Review (New SAT)

   • Khan Academy

   • Quizlet - SAT vocabulary

   • Reading the news each day (vocabulary in context)

   • https://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-question-of-the-day

   • https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/new-sat

4. (Time permitting) Reading/Writing/Essay sample questions

For the next lesson:

1. Complete 1 full practice test

   • Next week, we will go over the test.

2. Begin implementing the individual aspects of your study plan.