Both SAT and ACT have reading sections -- and they don't get much press.  They are pretty typical read-the-passage-answer-the-questions multiple choice style sections.  But, there are some subtle but important differences between the sections. 

First, and most importantly, there is a timing difference.

SAT: 65 minutes, 52 questions, five passages (one is actually a pair of passages) with about 10 questions for each passage/pair of passages.

ACT: 35 minutes, 40 questions, four passages with 10 questions each. 

After the last post, I keep thinking about the differences between the ACT and the SAT.  The last time I went down this path, I had barely finished the last post when College Board announced that it was doing a total overhaul on the SAT.  Maybe that's why I stopped blogging? :)

But, given the new landscape, it's worth reviewing.  As last time, I'll have to do a few posts on this topic. 

So, first things first, want to know which test is best for you? Don't make assumptions, don't listen to rumors, take some practice tests. 

As adults we often think of the SAT as a rite of passage for 11th graders. Likewise, schools and school counselors often present a pretty natural test progression: PSAT/NMSQT in the fall of 11th grade, SAT in May of 11th grade, SAT Subject Tests in June of 11th grade. Want to raise a score? Retake a test in the fall of 12th grade.

At EdBoost, we've long pushed back against this particular progression: Who wants to still be taking SAT in senior year? Who wants to be doing SAT prep over the summer after 11th grade? (And, if you don't prep, you probably will not improve your scores by much... they may even go down due to summer brain drain!) And, perhaps most importantly: that summer before senior year is the best time to start writing college application essays, but who can think of essays if they're still thinking about SAT?

We hear this question all the time: is my child at grade level? How can I know? And, if not, what can I do about it?

The question feels like an easy one. Most children are in school, in a grade. And, so, shouldn't that child's grades reveal if he or she is at grade level? They should. In districts like Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), our local district, grades are numerical. A "3" means "proficient" which is supposed to translate to "at grade level." On that metric, "4" means above grade level and "2" or "1" means below grade level. And yet, we find that two children with the same grades can have wildly different skills. Different teachers grade differently. Different schools, which can serve very different communities of students, can have very different standards (although standards are supposed to be uniform and aligned, it's hard not to give your top students top scores). Differences also come from kids: some students remember what they learn and others don't. So, take two students who knew a skill three months ago, one may be able to execute that skill now while the other may not.

The ACT has a science section.  Should bring our gloves and lab coats to the testing center?  Do students need to have mastered Biology, Chemistry, and Physics before taking the ACT?  No, not at all.

So, why do students who take the ACT for the first time tend to do so poorly on the science?

One main reason: they get intimidated and they give up.  

Math is usually the part of a test when you really feel like things are easy or hard.  The answers aren't subjective: you either know how to do them or you don't.

So, many people choose SAT or ACT based on how they feel about the math sections.

And there may be something to the notion that the ACT math is easier (well, at least there are more easy questions).  But, just the feeling that something is easier doesn't mean that it's giving you a comparatively higher score.

Before we get into the details, let's do the basic breakdown:

As the Co-Founder and Executive Director of EdBoost, I wear many hats -- from tutor and test prepper to curriculum writer and college counselor. It not only keeps me busy, but gives a a really broad perspective on how to teach kids and how to approach different ages, subjects, and learning styles. At EdBoost, we're lucky to get to work with kids from all kinds of families, schools, and backgrounds: those who love school, those who hate it, and the many, many kids in between. We also get to write our own curriculum and then test it out with real students. It's a huge learning process -- and one I hope to get to share with other parents, educators, and observers of kids through this blog.

Thanks for reading! Please comment if you find anything interesting, inconsistent with your experiences -- or something you'd like to read about!

It's summer time -- which not only means it's time for SAT and ACT prep, but it's that time of the year when it seems like every student who is unhappy with his or her SAT scores, wants to try ACT.

Sometimes parents call and ask for spelling tutoring.  It's a request for which I never seem to have a good answer.  Bottom line: I don't think that spelling tutoring is a good idea.  I don't think it's very effective (We've tried it!  I've personally tried it -- and not only is it no fun, it doesn't work well!) and it's hard for me to imagine the student whose single biggest academic need is spelling.

And, having said all that, I think that correcting spelling, as a matter of daily homework correction, is critical.

Homework is our stock in trade.

School assigned homework is the cornerstone of our Homework & School Project Assistance (HASPA) program and it also comes up a lot in one-on-one tutoring. So, we see a lot of homework assignments: the good, the bad, and the ugly.