PSAT Prep

1. PSAT Prep https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrKE88QkNWw

2. The Brain is a Muscle: You can Improve!!! • Stanley Kaplan – showed the world that performance on the SAT was not fixed. Through his program, he single-handedly demonstrated that the SAT could be gamed. • Henry Louis Gates – Anyone sufficiently motivated and curious can possess a culture (and succeed on the SAT).

3. Agenda – Day One • Vocabulary Development • Strategy Review • Sample Test • Error Identification • Improving Sentences Section

4. Agenda – Day Two • Vocabulary Development • Writing Section Practice • Writing Section Review • Sample Essay -- Optional • Scoring and Anchor Papers -- Optional

5. Critical Reading Section • Context clues • Predict • Mapping the Passage -- • Build your Vocabulary -- • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bji1BjoTGg • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWu0UzC8dtQ

6. Mapping the Passage Practice Step One: Draw the general structure of the concept map (the stage is done before you start reading the passage). Note that in this case, I created a circle for every paragraph, but you can adjust accordingly both to your learning style and to the style of the PSAT passage. For example, if a passage contains several short paragraphs, you may want to combine two or three paragraphs into one circle. Of course, you will not know how many circles to create if you do not know what’ is presented in the passage. However, I would recommend that you create about six circles (you do not have to use them all): one for the main point (usually I like to place the main point in the center) and five others for main ideas of paragraph (s).

7. Step Two • Step Two: Write the main point of passage. You can usually deduce the main point of the entire passage just by the first paragraph. Write it down in the appropriate circle (again, I like arranging the main point in the middle).

8. Step Three • Step Three: Read the paragraphs one at a time (if the passage contains several short paragraphs, you may want to read a couple of paragraphs at a time). As you read through each paragraph or each couple of paragraphs, jot down the ideas present in these paragraph(s) in the appropriate circle. Usually, I like to jot down two points for every circle: one point taken from the beginning of the paragraph(s) and another taken from near the end of the paragraph(s).

9. Step Four • Step Four: Repeat the process described in step three until you are finished reading the passage.

10. Step Five • Step Five: Now you have finished reading the passage, you have a pretty decent idea of how each paragraph relates. At this time, I would draw in connecting lines to show the relationship between each circle/paragraph (maybe even add a few words to describe how one paragraph relates to the next one). This really helps when it comes to questions which ask you about the role of a specific paragraph (the primary function of paragraph 3 is…).

11. Vocabulary • Build vocabulary through on-line programs. • http://www.vocabtest.com/ • Build vocabulary through reading. New York Times Article Activity. H:\SAT Lessons\Personal Stories About Global Warming Change Minds.docx • Build vocabulary through root words. • http://www.vocabulary.co.il/root-words/

12. Sample PSAT • 2013 Sample Test— Booklet • 2013 Sample Test Answers: http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/psat/critical-reading-section1-2013-rev.pdf

13. Review Answers – Which Questions did you get wrong? • Did you sense a pattern? Was it vocabulary? Was it reading? Did you try Chunking the text?

14. Identifying Sentences • 1. Choose the letter that corresponds to the incorrect part of the sentence. If there are no errors, choose (E). • Both Janet and Tiffany want to be a veterinarian and work in zoos when they grow up. No Error. • (A) Both(B) a veterinarian(C) in zoos(D) they grow up(E) No error.

15. Improving Sentences • 1. By the time they arrived at 2 a.m., I was so worried I am fixing to call the police. • (A) (No error.)(B) I am calling the police.(C) I am about to call the police.(D) I was about to call the police.(E) I've geared up to call the police

16. Improving Paragraphs • 1) El Niño was originally recognized by fishermen who were fishing off the coast of South America who noticed an appearance that was unusual of some unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean, occurring very near the beginning of the start of the year. (2) El Niño means The Little One in Spanish. • 1. In the context of the paragraph, which is the best version of sentence (1)? • (A) (As it is now.)(B) Originally being recognized by fishermen off the coast of South America as an appearance of some unusually warm water, occurring very near the beginning or the start of the year; El Niño was in the Pacific Ocean.(C) El Niño was originally recognized by fishermen off the coast of South America as the appearance of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean, occurring near the beginning of the year.(D) Occurring near the beginning of the year, some fishermen originally recognized El Niño as the appearance of some unusually warm water, it occurred near the very beginning of the year, in the Pacific Ocean.(E) Some fishermen originally recognized off the coast of South America, as an appearance of unusually warm water occurring near the very beginning or start of this year in the Pacific Ocean.

17. Writing Section • Pronoun Issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jH8Dlsas9c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyUM9tfrLP8 • Run-ons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8jijdt7yyI • Ambiguous Pronoun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyUM9tfrLP8 • Passive and Active Voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn4Axx9BmhY Idioms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D70Lq2im_fE

18. SAMPLE TEST Debrief • What kinds of questions did you struggle with? • Review Video Tutorials to improve the skills on which you performed poorly.

19. SAT Essay – Review Guidelines • Consider – What makes a good essay?

20. Strategies for the long-term • Read the New York Times, The Economist, The New Yorker. • Keep list of vocabulary words. Use the templates provided.