Ever Wonder How the SAT and ACT Differ?

I am frequently asked how the content of the SAT and ACT differ. This morning I was forwarded this link. Hope the information contained on the blog will help those who may have questions.

http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com/blog/?p=241

Warning! There is an amazing amount of helpful information on the blog. You may find yourself immersed in gleaning wisdom :)

SAT Time Again! Thoughts, Helps, and Ponderings

Last Saturday marked the first SAT testing date for the 2009-2010 school year. Students, mostly juniors and seniors numbering in the thousands, took the test. Some were confident. Some discouraged. Hopefully each student looked beyond the test and saw the gifts, talents, and unique personal qualities he or she has been given. Let's face it, the SAT will not be the first or the last challenge in the lives of our students. Success in life is not bound up in a test, and yet, the test for some, is an important tool. So how do we as parents find balance in this issue and then pass that balance on to our children? That is a question we all must ask and answer for ourselves. No matter what our answers, we can offer our students support, encouragement, resources, time, and a listening ear!

If you have a student working through the SAT process, walk along side. Here are a few helpful resources:

• The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board

• 11 Practice Tests for the SAT and PSAT, The Princeton Review

• 10 Real SAT's, Third Edition, The College Board

• Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power, Sam Burchers

This listing is limited to print resources. On-line resources, including classes, are numerous. Check local resources (virtual schools, colleges, libraries) as well. Our sons completed an on-line class (Critical Thinking and Study Skills) through Florida Virtual School which was very beneficial. An out-of-state friend of mine attended a workshop on writing the SAT essay. You never know what helps are offered in your area, some free of charge. Ask trusted mentors in your circle of friends, they may be able to point you in the direction of tried-and-true resources.

Recently I picked up SAT Perfect Score: 7 Secrets to Raise Your Score by Tom Fischgrund, Ph.D. What an interesting read! I have not had a "perfect score student" and I am not sure I will, but I found the research thought-provoking. The author shares the results of his extensive study of "perfect score" students as well as what it took to ace the SAT. The results may surprise you. I blogged about it a few days ago at http://www.cherylbastian.blogspot.com/.

For those who have students preparing for the SAT, keep in mind the deadline for the December sitting is just around the corner, October 31. Register at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/reg.html

Information about test dates and deadlines can be found at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/calenfees.html.

"To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one's self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived —
This is to have succeeded."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ancient World History and Literature

Not long ago I was asked how I designed classes for our high school young adults. We have taken several approaches to formulating classes based on the strengths, interests, and future plans of the individual. Our oldest son had a great interest and gift for history. This was, by my understanding, his favorite subject in high school. He read constantly, checking out books of interest at the library.

With his interest in history, we divided American History into Early American (to 1850) and Modern (from 1850 to present), and World History into Ancient (to the Reformation) and Modern (from the Reformation) so that we could allow time for him to dig deeper into his interest. His self-motivation led to a much more comprehensive course.

For readers who are interested in more detail as to what we constituted Ancient Word History, here is our reading list for the course, for that student. Remember, he was a self-motivated reader and we simply allowed him to use a textbook as a framework and then dig deeper into areas of interest. By the end of the school year, he did less textbook reading and more primary source or living history reading.

*Please do not use this as a comparison for what your student should or should not be doing. Comparing ourselves or our children to others leads to discouragement and discontent. It is in no way valuable. These examples are only intended as an encouragement, encouragement to think outside the textbook when designing courses for your student. My student might be a reader, but your student may have an opportunity to intern with a local businessman. Use what God has provided and pray about how He would be preparing your young adult for the plans He has, not the ones we best intention.


Our textbook was World History and Cultures, George Thompson and Jerry Combee, Abeka Books. God provided an opportunity for this student to tour many sites in Rome, including a day inside the ancient city wall. Though I could be discouraged that my other children may not have the same opportunity, I await the provision He has for each of them as they walk through their lives.

• The Epic of Gilgamesh
• Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
• Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles
• Antigone, Sophocles
• Mysteries of Ancient China, Rawson
• Daily Life in Ancient Egypt, Sameh
• Mythology, Hamilton
• The Roman Way, Hamilton
• The Greek Way, Hamilton
• The Death of Socrates, Plato
• For the Temple, Henty
• The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, Giblin
• The Great Wall, Fisher
• In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great, Wood
• The Republic, Plato
• The Young Carthaginian, Henty
• The Eagle of the Ninth, Sutcliff
• Anna of Byzantium, Barrett
• City of God, Augustine
• I, Claudius, Graves
• Claudius the God, Graves
• Don Quixote, Cervantes
• Julius Caesar, Shakespeare

It's SAT Time!

A new school year! Like me, you're probably working through your high school student's four-year plan. I noticed "Make a plan to take the SAT". Did you?

The day is upon us! It's time to make that plan as the deadline for regular registration for the first sitting of the test, nears. Here is a run through of what we need to do in the next week or so.

1. Go to www.collegeboard.com.
2. Click on "Register for the SAT" on the lower left-hand corner.
3. From the left sidebar, select "Test Dates and Fees".
4. Scroll down to "U.S. Registration Deadlines".
   
5. You will see that the deadline for regular registration for the first sitting, October 10, is September 9.
6. To register, click on "Registering" in the left side bar. Follow the instructions.
   
7. If you are not registering for the first test, glance through the other test dates and deadlines. Write these in dates in your calendar or on your digital reminder.

The site has many helps and tools. If this is new territory for you, spend some time reading and familiarizing yourself with the information. If it is too much to digest in one sitting, bookmark the site and return frequently.

Areas we have found helpful include:

• Registration
  
• Test Dates and Fees
• Test-taking Approaches
  
• SAT Test Question of the Day
• SAT Free Practice Test
  
• Subject Test Calendar (for the SAT Subject Tests)
• Scores
• AP Credit Policy

College entrance testing can be daunting, but with some planning and preparation, you can head off unnecessary anxiety. It truly does help to be prepared. Take those first steps this week.

High School 101: Plan Well to Finish Well (Part II)

Time for Part II. This will wrap up the remains of the notes from my first session.

There are many ways to obtain hours towards high school credit. I highlighted the most popular from the list in my book:

• Traditional textbooks
• Primary source documents
• Literary works
• Lab experiences
• Independent study
• CD/DVD supplemental material
• Co-curricular activities
• Travel opportunities
• Hobbies
• Tutors
• Volunteer opportunities (cannot be also counted for community service hours)
• Apprenticeships or internships
• On-line classes (FLVS, Thomas Edison College)
• On-line AP classes (PA Homeschoolers)
• Dual enrollment (local community colleges)
• CLEP testing (local testing centers)

In high school, we keep two notebooks: the current year's portfolio and the cumulative folder. In session one I focused on the current year's portfolio. At the beginning of the new school year, I give our high school students a four-inch, three-ring binder stocked with tab dividers and plastic document sleeves. Our students label the tabs with current course titles. As course work is completed, it is our student's responsibility to file papers behind the labeled dividers. Items which are not "three-ring friendly" are placed in protective sleeves. This method is similar to the portfolio I kept for my children in the lower grades. Our students keep their weekly logs (see page 15 in Celebrate High School) in the very front of the portfolio.

The purpose of the portfolio is to verify course content, record the progress of the student, and verify course hours. Work samples vary from course to course. Math samples might include problems from the lessons, scratch work, and tests. Science work samples may include lab reports, assignments, photos of dissections, and tests. Research papers, writing assignments, study guides, magazines articles, interviews, book critiques, theater tickets, and primary source documents are also important. If the student aspires to attend art school, an additional art portfolio may be required for admission.

At the end of the session I explained the similarities and differences of the most common college entrance exams.

The PSAT is a three-part test, offered once a year in October to prepare students for the SAT and determine qualification for National Merit Scholarship. It is not a college entrance exam. Students can sit for the PSAT in their sophomore and junior year, however, the score earned on the PSAT during the junior year determines qualification for National Merit.

The SAT is a three-part test measuring critical reading, mathematics, and writing. Scores on each test range from 200-800. All three parts are taken in the same sitting, however, scores from different sittings can be "mixed and matched" when determining the total score. It is offered seven times a year. Registration is through http://www.collegeboard.com/.

SAT Subject Tests are also offered numerous times during the year, but not every test is offered at every sitting. Check the College Board website testing schedule for details. Colleges, especially highly selective universities, may require three to five subject tests in addition to the SAT and ACT. The SAT Subject Tests include: Literature, U.S. History, World History, Mathematics Level I, Mathematics Level II, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and various foreign languages. SAT Subject Tests are taken in eleventh or twelfth grade, but no later than December of the senior year.

The ACT, offered six times a year, is a four-part achievement test measuring knowledge in math, English, reading, and science with an optional timed writing component. Not all colleges require the writing component. Each of the four parts are scored from 1 to 36 and the scores are then averaged to obtain a composite score. The composite score is the score most colleges require.

The College-Level Placement Examination Program (CLEP) enables high school students to complete college-level independent study and earn college credit. Students use CLEP to earn dual enrollment credit for general education classes. Earning CLEP credit can also be a beneficial method of validating the student's ability to complete college-level course work. Students should inquire with their colleges of choice to be sure the credit will be honored. There are thrity-four possible exams. Each exam costs $70, a much cheaper alternative to earning college credit.

I had time for one or two questions at the end of my workshop and then we dismissed for session two. I will post the notes for that session, Getting It On Paper, soon! Check back!

High School 101: Plan Well to Finish Well (Part I)

Hello fellow high school travelers! I wanted to post my notes for the first session I presented at Finish Well. I will do this in two blogs, to aid the digestion process :)

Several travelers mentioned they wanted to get to more than one workshop in the first session (physically impossible) or that they could not attend, but wanted to. So, whatever circumstances kept you from attending my first workshop, here's the material we covered, though I go into more detail in my book Celebrate High School: Finish with Excellence.

Plan well to finish well! For those on the high school journey, that means sitting down while in eighth grade (ideally) and working with your student to develop a four-year plan for high school. During the session, I walked through this process with the attendees. We covered all the major points on page 5 of my book.

The next step in developing the four-year plan is to consider important factors:

• the student's career goals or plans after high school
  
• the educational or experiential requirements for those career goals (two-year or four-year school, vocational training, apprenticeship, internships, travel)
  
• the graduation requirements to meet the goals (selective college, highly selective college)
• NCAA Collegiate sports requirements (for college athletes)
  
• scholarship requirements (state merit, Presidential, private)

Once we considered the above factors, we compared the graduation requirements for each scenario, with the bottom line being to hone and to polish the student's talents and skills for use as God intends. The majority of students should consider taking (at a minimum):

• 4 credits in English
• 4 credits in Mathematics (generally Algebra I and higher)
• 4 credits in Social Studies (including American History, World History, American Government and Economics)*
• 3 credits in Science (two lab sciences)
• 2 credits in Foreign Language (two years of the same language)
• 1 credit in the Arts (Performing or Fine)
• 1 credit in Physical Education
• 1 credit in Computer Science/Business Education
• 5-8 credits in additional electives (based on intended career or parental preference)

*I mentioned that our students took two years of World History: Ancient World History and Modern World History so that we could dig deeper and add more literature and primary source documents.

With ALL this in mind, I had the attendees fill in what they could on one of the four-year plans printed on pages 7 and 10 of my book.

I then presented the basics for determining credits, mentioning that there is not a standard formula for determining how many hours equal one credit. I explained the Carnegie Unit. Basically, a student earns one credit for working 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 36 weeks for a total of 120 hours. By adding just 5 minutes a day, the total hours becomes 150 hours. For a half-credit, simply divide the required hours in half, hence 60-75 hours. I did mention that one of our students worked on a traditional schedule (45 minutes to 1 hour per subject per day) and the other student used a block schedule (2 days of Physics, 2 days of Math and the other day for Literature~ fitting in writing and electives all five days). I cautioned parents to realize home education is a tutorial method of education (more concentrated) and mastery is more important that the hours worked. Mastery is the goal. If that takes 115 hours, it is still worth the one credit.
All of this material is covered in detail on pages 12-14 in Celebrate High School.

During the last fifteen minutes of the workshop I discussed documenting hours and organizing the high school portfolio (a three-ring binder with dividers and labeled tabs). Both methods must be student-friendly to encourage the recording and filing of important information. I also mentioned the major similarities and differences of the most commonly used college entrance exams. I will save those topics for part two of this blog.

Finish Well... Finished Well!

Meredith, Cheryl and I felt so privileged to present the Finish Well workshops yesterday! We didn't know how many people would show up, so we were so blessed when about 40 ladies arrived. Each of us treasures the opporunity to mentor other mothers through the journey of home educating their children. We will try to post our workshop notes, PowerPoints, and/or videos soon, as well as other resources that will help you along the way. Check back!

High School 101 by Cheryl Bastian

Credits. GPA's. Transcripts. Where do I start? Cheryl Bastian will explain the nuts and bolts of home educating through high school. Attendees will learn the high school lingo, how to establish goals and create a four-year plan, how to award credits, and how to organize records. Come hear practical tips for keeping a clear vision while on the high school journey.

This workshop will be offered during Session 1 at 10 AM.

Getting it On Paper by Cheryl Bastian

High school is not a one-size-fits-all experience. High school is a time to refine the skills needed to polish a student's God-given gifts and talents. But what does that look like on paper? How do you tailor courses which will prepare your child for what God has planned for their future? Cheryl Bastian will walk parents through the paperwork needed for employment and college entrance, explaining how to write course descriptions to highlight your student's strengths, how to develop a transcript people want to read, and how to write supporting documents to reflect your student's educational experiences and character.


This workshop will be presented during Session 2 at 11:15 AM.