WHY SKIP THE "TRIAL ACT"

Don't let the first ACT obscure your true potential to succeed in college.

Taking a "trial" ACT just to see "how I might do on the real test" is putting the cart before the horse.  The ACT and SAT are supposed to predict readiness for college, and although you might be intellectually prepared for everything a university curriculum might challenge you with, a "pop quiz" effort is not likely to present a realistic portrait of your talents.
  
Taking any test without knowing how to respond to the
unique parameters (content, format, structure, allotted time) is like  trying to take a typing test on a manual typewriter without ever having seen a QWERTY keyboard.  You will be slow.  You won't know how much pressure is needed to make those keys hit the paper. Your fingers will accidentally hit wrong keys.  Mistakes
generated by lack of practice will obscure your true ability to type.  Don't let your first ACT obscure your true potential for success in college.

According to the publishers of the ACT, the practice of retaking the exam has gained popularity over the years.  In 2009, 41% of the tested students took more than one administration; by 2015, the number had increased to 45%.  Although 57% of the multiple-testers improved the score, 27% went down!  Of the retesters, an average increase of only 2.9 points was earned and only by sitting up to 10 times!!  Based on statistical analysis, ACT predicts that simply taking the test a second time will earn an average of only 1.1 composite points. 

To achieve a noticeable elevation in score requires identifying
     -- a clear baseline of existing knowledge,
     -- gaps in comprehension AND application, and
     -- suggested alternative strategies.

The first ACT experience should be untimed and given over a period of days so that each section receives "fresh eyes."

Analysis of the results should differentiate between concepts the student already knows and can be exploited, as well as principles that require a revised approach or additional study.

The test, taken in a stress-free environment, should pinpoint the student's natural pace in order to predict the need for timing mitigations to be instituted after sufficient mastery of concepts has been proven.

And the results should be presented as input for the sole purpose of designing an efficient, effective study program, not an intimidating appraisal of the student's intelligence.

Sitting for the ACT or SAT (in either a national administration or a "mock" setting) without sufficient preparation doesn't give a fair reading of the student's true potential on the exam.  So skip those options and find a program that focuses on a workable analysis that will inform your personal study plan.

Work smarter, not just longer or harder.

Prepare NOW to Study for Semester Finals

School has started and so should study for January’s final exams. A little effort NOW can pay off in huge benefits 12 weeks later. It’s the first rule in “STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER!”

#1 SET A GOAL. Think about your previous results in similar classes. Don’t underestimate yourself (or overestimate your motivation). Set a goal for the final grade and work toward earning every point possible in all assignments, quizzes and tests. Strive toward meeting that goal on every quiz and test.

STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER! One way to approach grades intellectually is to keep track of where you stand in the class at every moment. This way you’ll know how close you’re coming to meeting the goal you have set.

#2: KEEP TRACK. For many classes, you’ll have a spiral notebook. Staple a sheet to the inside front or back cover and record every score you get in the class.....homework points, quiz scores, and test results. As you finish off the first spiral, take the grading sheet along to staple on the next spiral. When the Winter Break rolls around, there will be no question about where you stand in class and how far you’ll need to go to earn the semester grade that was your original goal.

STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER! Another suggestion in our plan to make studying for Finals a breeze is to KEEP EVERYTHING!!

#3: SAVE ALL CLASS WORK. I’ve mentioned before my “box” organization system. I keep everything from each class so it’s all available when the Final Exam Review Sheet is assigned, somewhere around Winter Break. My simple system uses sweater boxes (although recently I discovered a boot box that is nice and sturdy, a little bigger than the usual 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper, and fits under the bed). When I need to clean out the old book bag, I drop class notes, worksheets, returned tests, etc. into the appropriate box and slide it under the bed where it lives until the next clean-out job. When the Review Sheet comes, all my notes are easily accessed.

STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER. Fourth on the list of suggestions for preparing for final exams will undoubtedly not be your favorite -- but stick with me here.

#4: CONSISTENT REVIEW. Some classes will assign homework daily, others only periodically. But your review should continue to consistently occur daily. Well, not ACTUALLY EVERY day -- that would be obsessive. But there are ways to productively invest 10 or 15 minutes 5 days a week, even when homework is not required.

Review class notes. Reread a chapter. Work unassigned math problems. Rework missed questions on old tests and quizzes.

Here’s a little dose of reality (for me). I AM the compulsive student, so recognizing that not everyone will study every course every day (or spend 4 hours on Sunday doing more Calculus problems) is a major milestone for me. Realistically, it is probably not necessary to paw through all your work every day, but it is beneficial to periodically review everything you have, maybe on a weekly basis.....or at least monthly.

OK, let’s agree to monthly as a reasonable compromise. Say you have 5 academic classes. Each week, review your boxfull of materials for one class. The next week, review a different class. Now that’s not OCD, it Studying Smarter.

Following through on this "collect and review" plan will have significant impact on lessening the amount of work you'll have to do come semester final time. A little consistent effort NOW will allow more time to enjoy Winter Break and STILL earn grades that will knock the socks off an admissions counselor when you apply to college!!

ORGANIZE YOUR RESOURCES (CALCULUS)

Since this is my first year focusing on the Calculus curriculum, final exam time is the perfect opportunity for me to refresh my own study skills. For those who struggle with preparation for the cumulative exam each semester, perhaps seeing how someone else studies could give you some ideas of your own.

My situation is slightly different than the students’. I have 4 Calculus students in 3 different schools, 4 different teachers, and 3 different textbooks (one of which is a newer version of another with many of the same problems, some new ones, and all on different pages!). The organization needed to remember where each student was in the various schedules and what homework I had completed in preparation for tutorials for whom got the better of me and was in need of serious revamping even before I began over Winter Break to study for finals. At that time, I collected all homework and piled up assignments by student, then within each student’s pile, I put things in chronological order.

Some teachers had flitted around the text, while others had followed the order given in the book, so when one student was working on Inverse Trig differentiation, another was working on Related Rates. My solution for organizing was to make 4 lines of work (one for each student), assembled by TOPIC. And that gave me the idea to make my own workbook with notes relating to topic and separated with tabs so I could access my backup materials as needed.

MY TIP TO YOU
You already know I expect you to keep all class notes, homework assignments, tests and quizzes (from the first day of the semester until the day you retire to a nursing home). If you’ve been following my suggestions, this material is already organized by chapter or unit according to the chronological order established by your teacher.

That’s a lot of paper and probably difficult to use as reference. I suggest you acquire either the “Stickies index tabs” (mine are the Staples brand but I think 3M has a version also) or actual binder tab sheets. Mark the tabs according to the topics you’ve studied and separate your work by topic. When you come across a final review question that relates to the Mean Value Theorem, for example, you can easily find your past work on that subject.

Here’s a list of the topics in my newly organized, personal reference binder:

FUNCTIONS
LIMITS

RULES OF DIFFERENTIATION (this is my universal sheet with all of the examples including derivatives of Trig functions, e, and all that sum, difference, quotient, chain rule stuff in one location. Not every text provides the handy list on the book cover, so I have my own to use as reference if I forget a rule or just want to verify my work.)

VELOCITY/ACCELERATION
EXTREMA
MEAN VALUE THEOREM
F’’
OPTIMIZATION
NEWTON’S METHOD
IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION
RELATED RATES (by far the most voluminous section complete with examples from the internet. I defy any teacher to find a problem I have not researched and copied the algorithm for solution.)

Finals are fast approaching. You may already have your Final Review Packet. I’m thankful to have the organizing completed before trying to work on 4 entirely different sets of problems from 4 uniquely disparate teachers!! Your study plan will surely be less complicated than mine, so take heart in knowing that STUDYING SMARTER, NOT JUST HARDER has many positive rewards.

WHAT MOTIVATES THIS STUDENT?

Sometimes students lack the success to which they are capable, not because they can’t learn, but because they just “don’t wanna.” There are many distractions from learning for teenagers and the trick to getting better performance is to find the right motivators.

Parents often struggle with advise from one reliable source that is diametrically opposed to advise from another, equally trusted colleague. One family uses financial rewards while another tries strict discipline. One parent supports free will and natural consequences while another prefers rigid controls. The problem with selecting motivators comes when they are imposed upon a student rather than springing from the wants and needs of the student him- or herself.

To begin assessing the options available for making the learning process easier and more effective for our students, let’s look at what motivates the teen in the first place. In later blogs, we can examine perception and processing avenues, but for now, let’s work off the premise that our kids will prevail if we can arouse the desire to invest as heavily in academics as in their non-scholastic endeavors.

In terms of motivation, people can be placed in 4 general categories based on the desire to be active or passive (sometimes referred to as the demand for results where active means outcomes are vital and passive means "whatever") and the relative necessity for strong relationships.



Two cautionary comments must precede assessment of the student’s classification:
1. Although it is frequently postulated that teens are social creatures (witness the phone bill, social networks, and the like), that generalization is not appropriate when dealing with an individual student.
2. While one category might be significantly stronger than the other three, no person is monochromatic. Each student will be a conglomeration of all 4 styles, which
3. might be manifest in different situations. My own father, for example, was a highly dominant figure at work but in a family situation tended toward the steady personality. A student will also vary in his or her identity, disposition, and nature based on the situation. In a class where the teacher or subject is a favorite, the student may be extroverted while favoring a compliant approach if the class is high risk. In the first case, the motivator may be approval and recognition from the teacher or other students, but the second instance may require clear-cut rules and time to organize.

THE MOTIVATION PICTURE
Step one is to determine where the student falls within each of the 4 categories. The student should complete the Adjective Checklist:

ADJECTIVE CHECKLIST

Read each adjective listed and check ALL ADJECTIVES you feel describe you.

Score the Adjective Checklist:
Every eighth row marks the delineation between categories. Draw lines all the way across the three columns between the 8th and 9th, 16th and 17th, and 24th and 25th rows. Count the number of checks in each category. The first group is D, the second is I, the third is S, and the fourth is C. These totals indicate the relative strength of each of the categories, at the time the student completed the checklist. (Remember that this could change for any given situation. If the student is having difficulty in one particular class, it would be worthwhile to complete the checklist again with that class in mind, just to see how things change.)

To obtain a pictogram of the student’s style, enter the highest and lowest scores on the grid. Calculate the average and graph each score by category. (This mathematical step is optional, but meets my personal commitment to visual input and organization! A layer of mean-median-mode or box-and-whiskers could be added for those even more compulsive than I am. Email me if you want directions.)

The next step is to identify the motivators which will inspire the student to devote sufficient effort in the process of learning. The “wants” are what the student expects in return for the endeavor and the “needs” are external stimuli and personal improvements needed to work more effectively.






PROVIDING APPROPRIATE MOTIVATORS:
Now that we have the edification provided by just one of many assessment devices, how can the information be put to constructive use? There is no avoiding the rigors of trial and error. But here are some practical approaches which have worked with the students at Tutoring Resources.

If your student is highly DOMINANT, he or she wants the freedom to make independent choices and the benefits of immediate feedback. If not kept busy, this student can find a plethora of ways to “push the envelop.” Expected outcomes should be clearly defined and guerdon awarded expeditiously. Checking the answer to a math problem immediately upon completion (look in the back of the book) is an example of timely feedback as well as a productive study strategy. Younger students might respond to checking off duties on a task list or daily “chips” for completed work. Added up at the end up at the end of a week, the "chips" can satisfy a desire for longer term gratification.

The INFLUENCER student could flourish in a group situation where his or her prowess can be recognized. The caution is to provide sufficient direction so group work does not regress into just play. Published Honor Roll lists are a form of reward for this student. “Refrigerator” recognition -- the A+ paper posted on the frig for the whole world to see and admire -- is a classic motivator for the Influencer. This student will appreciate Mom or Dad “checking” the work or proofing the essay, provided it is accompanied by a healthy dose of “good job” in appraisal.

STEADY students could benefit from predictability of scheduling but need to be reminded that there is an expected productivity outcome. An established time and/or place to complete homework is comforting for this student and presents the opportunity to set time limits and express approval when tasks are completed. Remembering that there was a History test today and asking how it went can open the doors of communication.

The high COMPLIANT student needs well-defined rules and predictability in order to self-assess results. Threats are rarely effective since they raise the risk level which the Compliant is trying to reduce. Encouragement is a strong, positive motivator which comes naturally to many parents who have adopted the mantra, “You can do it,” which can be heard frequently at almost every sports event. Goals for this student should be set in small steps in order to provide frequent recognition of success, and failure should be immediately mitigated so as not to inhibit further effort. Getting right back on the bike after a fall is an example of overcoming failure through subsequent success. Correcting errors on a test, especially when accompanied by the possibility of extra points, is a teacher’s paradigm for motivating the Compliant student.

No matter which category is paramount at this moment, on this day, in this situation, a combination of motivators should address the secondary and even tertiary styles that the student may exhibit. If YOU are the student, help you family, friends, advisors, confidants, and various significant others to be effective motivators by sharing with them the “wants” that have been identified here. They can support you in STUDYING SMARTER, NOT JUST HARDER!