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Truth about SAT/ACT Essay

Here's the truth of it: when students take the SAT or ACT essay portion of the exam, they spend approximately 50 minutes reading and analyzing a passage before organizing their thoughts and crafting an essay--only to have the "scorer" read just the first paragraph and roughly five more sentences.

That's right!

More specifically, scorers typically read only the introductory paragraph (the first paragraph of the essay) and the topic sentences (the first sentence of each body paragraph) as well as one or two sentences of the conclusion (the last paragraph of the essay).

Ouch, right? It's hard to believe that reading only a few sentences could accurately evaluate a test-taker's analyzing and writing abilities.

But not really and here's why: each essay has to be read two times for consistent scoring and sometimes a third time when there are conflicting scores. Essay results need to be posted within six weeks of the exam test date and with thousands--and I truly mean thousands--of essays to score that logically doesn't leave much time for a thorough read of each sentence of each essay. It just doesn't happen due to the tight deadlines.

So what does that mean to a test-taker?

Students need to make those key sentences matter! The introductory paragraph must be stellar. A first impression during a job interview or on a date communicates a thousand impressions. So too does the introductory paragraph. When the first paragraph is unorganized, confusing, off-topic or has a weak thesis statement (the sentence that tells the reader, or in this case the scorer, what the essay is going to be about), that is usually the same impression of the rest of the essay.

Thus, test-takers must, must, must craft an introductory paragraph that meets the stated criteria in the essay prompt. To create a strong first impression with a well written and on-topic introduction is to communicate to the scorers that the rest of the essay is just as strong and worthy of a high score.

While students taking these high-stake exams should develop a complete essay (introduction, two or three body paragraphs and a conclusion), it behooves them to make sure their introduction and topic sentences are the best of the whole essay.

Write-on!

#SAT #Schools #ACT #SAT Essay #ACT Essay

NY State Changes Test Results

Parents, as a reminder, there is a noteworthy change with the New York State Assessments this year.

According to the Wall Street Journal, in an effort to be more transparent, parents can view their child's written responses (short responses, essays and math written problems) from this year's state assessment exams administered in April. Viewing these written responses allow parents to see the scores their child earned (0,1,2,3 or 4) to better understand their overall performance score.

Those students who are working with an English or math tutor would especially benefit from this review opportunity. It allows parents, students and their tutor to very closely assess strengths and weaknesses to outline a development plan as preparation for the next set of written assessments, such as the Regents, SAT, ACT and state exams.

In August, when you receive your child's test results in the mail, there should be instructions explaining how to gain access to the responses.

Academic Summer Plans

With the summer months quickly approaching, parents are busy planning a family vacation, maybe a reunion, definitely camp or even daycare. So what about summer academic plans for the kiddos?

Consider this: include in the summer plans one or two hours of math practice, spelling review and silent reading each day. Something like 30 minutes of math practice from a workbook and another 30 minutes of practice from a vocabulary workbook with maybe 30 minutes of silent reading before bedtime or after dinner.

While there is tremendous value in the summer down time, there is also invaluable gain in "no pressure" practice, study or enrichment. Even one hour of academic engagement keeps children's thinking caps in shape. The theory "use it or lose it" applies to the youngsters' brains too. In other words, reading, writing and critical thinking are all skills that need continuous practice--especially since each new school year is more demanding and rigorous. Summer study time is also the smartest way to get ahead as well.

Workbooks of all variety, subject and level are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Staples and even the test prep section of the library. Do a Google search or stroll down the isles for ideas and inspiration.

However, if you are still unsure about what to buy or even what to look for, then email me ([email protected]) with your child's grade and ability level, including the subject, and I will make a couple of suggestions for you.

So this summer have your kids write-on, read-on and study-on!

The "Out Loud" of Reading

Typically young learners do not have much homework, maybe 20 minutes a night, 30 at most. With limited homework obligations, it is an ideal time for parents to help your children bolster their reading skills.

With that being said, elementary students should read regularly. And not just silently to themselves, but out loud! In fact, they should read at least 20 minutes each and every day to someone. And those students who are struggling readers, they need even more daily practice time, closer to 25 minutes.

But why?

While elementary teachers probably read to their students every day, they are unable to read with each student every day. As I have mentioned before in other blogs, the number of students in the classroom as well as the scope of the curriculum just does not allow for it even though that one-on-one reading time is so valuable. It is a quick reading assessment for teachers to answer many questions about their students such as:

--Is the student assigned to the right reading level?

--Is the student struggling with decoding skills, such as the silent e rule or long vowel sounds?

--Does the student's eyes skip words or miss lines while reading?

If teachers cannot read individually with their students, often they will not be able to answer such questions. Students may fall behind, struggle to follow along with classroom lessons or get frustrated with their homework as they do not have the necessary skills to keep up.

Thus, parents and care-givers must step in and supplement that reading time.

So here are two helpful and easy hints for parents while reading with their kiddo:

1) Have your youngster read to you. Sit down next to them while they read out loud. Follow along and help them to sound out words they are unfamiliar with. Refrain from pronouncing the word(s) for them. Practice sounding and putting all the sounds together into a word. Reading and sounding our words together is the perfect opportunity to reinforce phonics, decoding and even enhance spelling skills and vocabulary development.

2) Encourage your young reader to pause at punctuation. A brief stop at commas and periods allows them to slow down and think about what they are reading. A rushed reader, who reads right through all punctuation, tends to miss information and details presented in the story, passage or article. Plus, being aware of punctuation also supports their emerging writing skills.

Yes, setting aside 20 minutes each evening can be a tough task when dinner is calling and laundry piles are beckoning. (And I completely get it. As a working mom of two, I understand those regular demands, for sure!) Yet, learning to read, and well, will outlive any meal or clean towel.

So read on!

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Figurative Language: Words with Wit and Wonder

Often when working with students, they automatically assume figurative language, like metaphor, hyperbole and alliteration, are only used in poetry or short stories.

Not so!

Making unusual comparisons (simile, metaphor or personification) can be incredibly powerful. As an example, one of my 8th-grade students for a social studies project compared NATO to an orchestra conductor: “…taming the runaway violins, corralling the chaos while calling order to the percussions is exactly how NATO oversees global issues…." This unlikely correlation of the world’s leading countries to the world of music created a vivid picture in the readers’ minds while also making a strong and succinct point.

The same can hold true with a science paper, school article and, of course, an expository essay for English class. Sprinkle in alliteration, allegory or analogies to enhance your details or explanations. Your reader will gain a visual image and a stronger connection to the point you are trying to make.

So embrace figurative language as a way to empower your writing with wit and wonder.

To refresh your memory, here are some figurative language elements:

–alliteration

–assonance

–foreshadowing

–metaphor

–simile

–personification

–hyperbole

–onomatopoeia

–irony

–pun

–idiom

–rhyme

–rhythm

–allegory

Figurative Language: Words with Wit and Wonder

Often when working with students, they automatically assume figurative language, like metaphor, hyperbole and alliteration, are only used in poetry or short stories.

Not so!

Making unusual comparisons (simile, metaphor or personification) can be incredibly powerful. As an example, one of my 8th-grade students for a social studies project compared NATO to an orchestra conductor: "...taming the runaway violins, corralling the chaos while calling order to the percussions is exactly how NATO oversees global issues...." This unlikely correlation of the world's leading countries to the world of music created a vivid picture in the readers' minds while also making a strong and succinct point.

So embrace figurative language as a way to empower your writing with wit and wonder.

To refresh your memory, here are some figurative language elements:

--alliteration

--assonance

--foreshadowing

--metaphor

--simile

--personification

--hyperbole

--onomatopoeia

--irony

--pun

--idiom

--rhyme

--rhythm

--allegory

Writing Muscle

Olympic swimmers do it. So do NFL wide receivers and college basketball players. Before each game and practice, athletes stretch and warm up their muscles. They train and condition their bodies consistently to improve their game day performances.

The same holds true of writers. Before writing an essay, students need to warm up their writing muscle by flexing their thoughts and jumpstarting their ideas.

The best way to do that is to use a brainstorming activity. Such practices can vary from graphic organizers and "T" charts to listing and free writing. Whatever brainstorming format students elect to use, it gets the brain focused on the essay topic and ready to engage the writing muscle.

One of the most efficient means to get a writing muscle in shape is through regular training and conditioning. That means consistent practice. So if students want to be a better writer that earns higher grades on their writing assignments, then they need to write on a regular basis.

Writing more often can mean pen to paper, so to speak, every day, each week or every other weekend. It can mean drafting a practice paragraph, rewriting an essay, crafting a poem or jotting down an entry in a journal.

The more a student writes, the more the ideas flow. The maze of words are more organized and cohesive. Vocabulary blossoms and so does critical thinking.

Just remember, high performance athletes, at all levels, work out ALL THE TIME and students that want to be in tip-top writing shape really need to do the same, most especially if they are college bound.

An athlete cannot expect to perform at their best if they are not in shape--and neither can a student writer. Getting that writing muscle in shape means stretching, training and strengthening with regular and rigorous practice.

So go for it and WRITE ON!

Reading in Kindergarten: Not Happening

As an English teacher and private English tutor, many parents reach out to me asking about their children's reading skills, from reading comprehension to learning to read. Their children in kindergarten and first-grade just don't seem to get the instruction they need to adequately acquire literary skills. I understand the parents' frustrations and their children's struggles.

Kindergarteners and first-graders are tasked to learn pre-reading and reading skills in a crowded classroom with students of a wide spectrum of abilities. More specifically, a kindergarten classroom can have some students that already know how to read and write with other students that have absolutely no clue about either and a whole host of students that are in-between. All 20 to 30 squirrely youngsters, with all their varied abilities, are jammed into a classroom usually with only one teacher.

So how can all those students truly enhance their literacy skills to proficiency?

It's nearly impossible!

Which isn't to knock any kindergarten or first-grade teachers. They are just trying to keep afloat on the rough seas. They are supposed to differentiate their instruction to accommodate ALL students at ALL ability levels. That's a tough task for even the most talented of teachers.

However, there is a solution for student success: kindergarteners have to enter the public school system more prepared. In other words, they have to start their first day of school ALREADY knowing how to read.

End of story.

But wait! How can that be? Isn't learning to read the cornerstone of the kindergarten curriculum?

Yes, it is. Yet, it isn't working.

So, moms and dads, you have options to consider for your young ones:

a) Enroll your child in a quality preschool program that teaches phonics, sight words and reading skills.

b) Hire a reading tutor or private English teacher to work with your child on a weekly basis.

c) Teach your child yourself with such easy-to-use programs like "Hooked on Phonics" and the "Bob Books" collection.

d) Roll the dice. Take the chance with the public school system and your child's abilities to catch on to reading quickly and easily.

Easy, right?

Wrong!

Nothing is easy when it comes to being a parent, especially when parents are novice to the school district in their neighborhood or the education system in general. Fortunately, there are options that can and do work.

College Application Essay: Some Tips for Better Essay

Most seniors in high school are under a deadline: college applications are due this fall. Many students struggle with how to get their essay started and how to make it stand-out.

As an English teacher, I teach college essay writing each fall as well as proofread approximately 25-30 college essays every October.

So here are some essay tips to not only get you started, but also help make your essay POP!

1) Writing is a process. The first or second draft is RARELY perfect. So don't expect it to be. Don't put that much pressure on yourself for perfection the first time pencil meets paper. It just doesn't happen. A quality essay takes time and many, many rewrites. So just accept the fact that it is a process of writing, rewriting, tweaking, editing and polishing.

2) Understand the essay prompt. Think about what the question is asking you to write about. Also, don't make up your own question or revise the question. Essays that are off-topic--even if they are beautifully written--move that college application to the bottom of the pile.

3) Brainstorm BEFORE writing. This process of writing down your thoughts or ideas about the prompt helps you organize your thoughts and can only enhance your essay. An organized essay earns a much higher score.

4) Write about a specific event. In other words, BE SPECIFIC. Add details that draw the reader in. It helps create a visual image. So SHOW the reader what you are writing about NOT TELL them!

5) AVOID VAGUE LANGUAGE like "you," "things," "stuff" and "etc." Too general. Again, be more specific.

6) USE SENTENCE VARIATION. Don't bore the reader with the same sentence structures over and over again. Change it up. Use maybe a longer sentence followed by two shorter ones. Or use a dash to add emphasis to your point. Consider using introductory clauses or embedded transitional phrases.

I know six strategies just isn't enough and I left you hanging. Sorry about that. However, I hope at least I got you thinking and heading in the right direction.

For more tips and strategies, feel free to reach out at writeonsusie@gmail.

Or feel free to contact me if you would like your college essay proofread with comments and suggestions for improvement.

Shopping for Grades

When students like a teacher, their teaching style and assignments, they will probably earn better grades in that class. If they don't like a teacher, well, their grades will usually suffer.

So students use word-of-mouth and social media to earn better grades--by teaching shopping.

Here's how it works: if a college student struggles in a specific class, such as math, he will ask his classmates, friends or post an online query seeking information about easier math teachers on campus. Or college students will attend the first day of class, assess the work load by reviewing the syllabus before deciding to drop the class and enroll in another one or stay put.

By finding an easier class with an easier professor, students are, in essence, shopping around for an easier grade.

Is teacher shopping isolated to only the college campus?

No.

The practice is trickling down to high school campuses across the states. Students, even their parents, are lining up at the guidance office requesting schedule changes to accommodate GPAs. Students know a poor grade in a core subject, like English, math or science, hurts their college prospects. So they shift, maneuver and adjust their class schedules, just as college students do, for an easier grade.

Many parents and students believe teacher shopping is just playing the game, working the system. With so much competition for those cherished college acceptance letters, high school students need that edge. Just as college students hustle to maintain a higher GPA for scholarships, graduate schools and jobs.

Others, particularly educators with a scolding finger, state teacher shopping is as good as cheating and is in no way beneficial. Easy grades does not equate to a leg up, only undermining students' abilities to succeed.

Parents, students and educators, where is your head on teacher and grade shopping?

Benefits of Writing: Not So Obvious

Sure, we all know that being a strong writer is useful for most high school and college courses. Even math class, as the New York state math exams, for grades 3-8, require students to explain, in words, how they solved math problems.

We also know that solid writing skills are necessary for the SAT and ACT, not withstanding the essay on most college applications as well. Awarding scholarship money is heavily influenced by an effective essay and cover letter.

Additionally, writing skills bolster vocabulary development too. In an effort to avoid repetition and redundancy, capable writers use synonyms, antonyms and active verbs to make their point or support their argument.

But wait! What about reading?

Sure enough a better writer is also a better reader. When a writer knows an essay requires a thesis statement, topic sentences, supporting details with explanations, they know what to look for in a non-fiction text, such as articles, passages, documents. Not to mention, good writers often use figurative language, such as analogies, idioms and alliteration. Therefore, such writers also know how to find figurative language in fiction stories, passages and poems.

Even more powerful is that stronger writers have stronger critical thinking skills and can apply abstract thinking to a text, math problem, science experience, social studies debate and on and on and on.

What about speaking?

Besides reading and critical thinking skills, writing can also enhance communication skills as in public speaking, especially impromptu speeches that might happen during a scholarship, school or job interview. Writers know how to organize their thoughts into a presentable format that includes specific details and active verb choices that add life and meaning to their message. Such effective communication skills earns the better grade on a presentation, is offered the job or internship and is awarded the scholarship.

All from knowing how to be an effective writer.

Yes, learning to be a well-practiced writer is a lifelong skill. One that goes well beyond the classroom. It is worth the time, effort and fortitude to WRITE ON!!

Just the Facts: Common Core and State Exams

The state ELA and math test scores have arrived in mailboxes throughout New York. And there is a plethora of conjecture regarding the results, Common Core, and Governor Cuomo's latest remarks. So bottom line, what are the facts?

Here's some current concert information:

--Approximately 200,000 parents across New York opted out of the 2015 state ELA and math exams. (April, 2015)

--Top academic experts suggest the exam is "flawed." (September, 2015)

--New York State Council of School Superintendents are urging for a "one-year moratorium on using test-scores in [teacher and principal] evaluations." (September, 2015)

--Governor Cuomo is "reviewing the Common Core." (Hint: Changes to the New York State education policy are brewing.) (September, 2015)

How All This Impacts Your Child:

--The New York State exams do NOT affect our kids' report cards. In other words, there isn't a line item, or even a section, on the report cards making any reference to our children's test scores.

--High School Regents Diplomas do NOT require a proficiency score of level 3 or 4 on the state exams. Again, there is NO box to check on the checklist of requited courses, Regents exams and volunteer hours.

--College applications do NOT require our children's state test scores for admission.

--Scholarships and financial aid applications do NOT require the submission of state scores.

In other words, the Common Core state exams are simply intended to score, rate, rank, evaluate teachers and principals. In business terms, the outcomes of these state exams are their annual reviews.

If the students' test results do NOT really matter for their report cards, diplomas and college applications, what is there to gain by taking these exams?

--The results DO give some INSIGHT INTO OUR CHILDREN'S ACADEMIC ABILITIES, such as their reading comprehension skills, writing (both short answer and essay), math, critical thinking and test-taking abilities.

--These standardized exams are excellent PRACTICE FOR FUTURE TESTS, including Regents (8th-grade and high school), PSAT, SAT, ACT, CTY, SSAT, GRE and GMAT as well as professionalization examinations, like the BAR, CPA, MCATS and such.

--Such standardized tests also allow students to IMPLEMENT TIMED ESSAY WRITING (often referred to as on-demand writing) PRACTICE for final exams in middle school, high school and college.

--Not to mention, HONING STRESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS. As we all know, life is full of zingers and these high-pressure exams are real life examples of one of those kinds of stressors.

After all, school is about prepping our kids for the real world and unfortunately standardized exams are part of that experience. As much as parents and children dislike these kinds of tests, and we all do, they aren't going anywhere.

So perhaps the take-away from the state's need to annually test our children is that it's time to embrace such standardized exams as no more than just spring practice opportunities for the real world.

Curious where your head is on this? Let me know.

Reading Students

As an English teacher, I can find out what kind of writer my student is with just one question: Do you like to read?

A student who "hates" to read usually struggles with writing. While a student who "loves" or even "likes" to read almost always has a strong writing style.

Why is that?

When students read they develop their vocabulary. In fact, the College Board, the organization that prepares college entrance exams, states one of the best ways to prepare for the SAT and/or ACT is to be an avid reader. Improved vocabulary adds depth, knowledge and interest to a student's writing. Rather than using the same words over and over again, students can use the power of synonyms to elevate their work. Instead of using words like "good" and "bad," students can add dimension and variation to their work with words like "benefit," "advantageous," "harmful" or "useless."

Reading also exposes students to varied writing styles, voices and strategies. Students can emulate an author's style and blend it with their own. Writing with a strong voice and solid strategies only improves the quality of the piece.

Regular reading also enhances critical reading skills. The ability to analyze a text--agree or disagree with the author's argument or point-of-view--not only supports standardized test preparation, but also helps students find their own way through the world. For example, after reading "Uncle Tom's Cabin," students might agree with Lincoln's approach to the Civil War or disagree with the portrayal of slave owners. Either way, students can gather information about their world and how they align or fit into it. Such information can bolster a student's writing voice, the way they express themselves with words.

So, students, read on for better writing, stronger testing and preparing for college.

Reading Editorials, Headlines

Read all about it--in the NEWSPAPER! Instead of reading just fiction, such as mystery and romance novels or the Harry Potter series, students should also read non-fiction, like editorials, headlines and local news.

Not only is reading non-fiction important for awareness, but also excellent preparation for state exams (the reading comprehension section is predominantly non-fiction) and, most especially, college entrance exams, such as the SAT and ACT.

The SAT essay and the new enhanced ACT essay both require test-takers to be mindful of national and even global issues. Such issues can include education, technology, social media, government regulations and privacy.

So test-takers need to:

-- be savvy writers (must have strong grammar, mechanics, organization, vocabulary, sentence structures and variation)

-- identify multiple perspectives (be mindful of many different points-of-view on the topic)

--identity opinion (recognize their point-of-view on the topic and how it addresses one of the perspectives)

--address counter-arguments (recognize other opinions on the topic)

Putting ALL that information into a precise and concise timed essay (SAT is 25 minutes while the ACT allows 40 minutes) is a tall order, for students unfamiliar with the world around them.

Reading "Hamlet" or "Catcher in the Rye" or "Animal Farm" in middle or high school certainly has its value, for sure!

However, understanding world events and local outcomes will better serve the college bound student sitting for their entrance exam.

Taking Initiative with Teacher: Useful Scripts

Talking to teachers can be tricky, for sure! Sometimes it is just getting started or knowing the words to say.

Here are three "scripts" to help you successfully navigate a teacher conversation:

1) "My grade in English/science/math is really important to me. Is there anyway I can rewrite this essay?"

2) I really wanted to better on this assignment. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations to do that, like maybe redo it?"

3) "My goal is to do really well in your class, but I am struggling with this assignment/test/essay. What can I do to improve this score?"

If the teacher says "yes," then you have just successfully created an opportunity to enhance your grade. If the teacher says "no" DON'T feel defeated. You are still SUCCESSFUL! You just sent a positive message to the teacher that you are a motivated and determined student who cares about your grade.

A positive or negative teacher response still sends the same message: YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR CLASS. The teacher will hear that message, for certain!

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Taking the Initiative with Teacher

New school year, fresh start. Ahhhhhhh! And the best way to launch this school year is through INITIATION. Yes, that's right: initiate a conversation with your teacher to earn better grades. Here's how it works: a brief, private conversation with your teacher about ways to redo an assignment, rewrite an essay or earn extra credit can bolster grades.

Can you do it?

#earn better grades #talking with teacher #initiation

Scholastic Summer

As an English teacher and parent, my thought is why not allow kids to have the much needed free time to unwind and decompress AND study. In other words, schedule one-hour or two-hours of reading, writing and math each day with the weekends off. That seems reasonable, right? Just five- to ten-hours of academic practice a week has tremendous value. Children are more prepared for the demands of learning with less stress and more confidence.

#studying over the summer #summer tutoring #school #benefits of studying #Where is your head with summer studying?

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