1. Begin with the end in mind: Set a Goal
In short, students who score well on the SAT set goals for themselves – students with low scores do not. If you have no idea where you’re trying to go, how are you supposed to get there? We follow this principle in our everyday lives, yet many students fail to set a target score when it comes to the SAT.
2. Frequent practice tests are essential
Practice makes perfect. If you want your child to get a better score, the best way to get there is to have him take as many full-length, timed practice tests as possible. Full length tests increase mental endurance, produce more familiarity and comfort with the test, allow students to practice pacing, create a tracking system for measuring improvement, and (with careful post-test review) improve skills.
3. Tactics first, strategies later
Strategies are overall concepts that guide one’s actions. Tactics are specific actions intended to realize one’s strategic objectives. Tactics take much longer to learn than strategies. Examples of SAT tactics are knowledge of vocabulary, mathematical properties, and grammatical principles. If a student doesn’t have solid tactics in place, strategies become ineffective. The sooner a student begins strengthening her tactics, the better.