Archive for the ‘Summer Learning’ Category

Should I Take the ACT or SAT?

Monday, April 8th, 2013

One of the questions we are asked most frequently is “should I take the ACT”?

I always tell juniors that they should try both the SAT and the ACT.  Even if you do not take an official test, you should at least take a practice test of each to get an idea of the differences and see which test showcases your strengths better.  This does not mean that you need or should send both SAT & ACT scores to college.   Since both tests are meant to test a student’s college readiness, one set of favorable scores is all you need.

You can take a practice SAT  or  a practice ACT here.

Historically, the test that you took was determined by the schools in which you planned to apply—East coast and California schools preferred the SAT while mid-West schools preferred the ACT.  Now, schools use either test for admissions with no preference.  For more information about the history of the tests, check out this interesting blog.

Who tends to do better on the ACT?

The primary difference between the ACT and SAT is that the ACT covers more content but the questions are asked in a way that students often find more familiar or more straightforward.  For example, the ACT math section includes trigonometry, imaginary numbers, logarithms, and matrices.  These topics are not found on the SAT.  However, the way that the questions are asked on the ACT look more like what students would see on a math test in school.  For this reason, the ACT often favors students that have taken a rigorous course load in school but do not test well on tests that require a lot of logic and reasoning skills like the SAT.

Another big difference is that the ACT does not penalize students for guessing incorrectly while the SAT deducts ¼ raw score points for each incorrect answer.  This can add up to a large scaled deduction.  Leaving questions blank on a test is not an idea that students are familiar with in school so it can be tricky to decide whether to guess or omit on top of the pressure of taking the test in the first place.

The ACT also does not have any compare/contrast passages or vocabulary questions.  These are often two of the most challenging areas of the SAT Critical Reading section so that can be helpful for some students.

Who tends to do better on the SAT?

The ACT has more questions in less time.  For example, the writing multiple choice section allows an average of 36 seconds per question on the ACT but about 43 seconds per question on the SAT.  For this reason, students that have a lot of difficulty with time management on tests often have more difficulty on the ACT. 

Also, as mentioned, the ACT does have more content.  Students that have taken a less rigorous curriculum may find the ACT more challenging.  The ACT also includes a science section.  The primary skills needed to be successful on this section are a basic understanding of experimental design and the ability to interpret data tables and graphs.  This does not require a lot of general science knowledge but it can be challenging for students that are not familiar with lab sciences.

Scoring:

As mentioned, there is a benefit to the ACT in that students are not penalized for guessing incorrectly.  On the SAT, students lose points for guessing incorrectly but earn 0 points for leaving a question blank.  In school, students are taught to do their best and put an answer for everything so this is not an idea that students are familiar with.

However, the SAT has a benefit in how the scores are combined across test dates.  On the SAT, there are three scores of 800 each for a total of 2400 points.  Most schools will combine the highest math section, highest reading section, and highest writing section even if they are taken from different dates for admissions decisions.  For example, if these were a student’s scores:

 

Math

Reading

Writing

March

650

580

450

May

600

620

570

October

620

640

550

 

Then, the overall score would be the highest section, which is a total score of 1860.  This is higher than any single date.

On the ACT, the score is a composite score from 0-36.  This means that the 4 scores from reading, English, math, and science are averaged to give you a composite score.  Most schools will not take the highest section from different dates.  Therefore, students have to do well on all 4 sections on the same test date

Overall, there is no downside to trying both tests.  Determining which one highlights your strengths is a great strategy for being competitive during the college admissions process. Good Luck!

 

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Making Up for Summer Learning Loss

Friday, July 29th, 2011

Nothing is quite like summer vacation. As young students, we counted down the dwindling days of the school year in anticipation of our big breaks. Now, as parents, we contemplate what exactly to do with our children now that they are out of school. It is looking more and more important that we find something educational to occupy their time if we want them to stay competitive with their classmates.

The ordinary nine-month school year is an antiquated idea. Two factors contributed to its inception. First, the percentage of families that had agricultural backgrounds was high when public schools were in their infancy. A summer break was needed so that those students who needed to help on the farm could do so. Also, air conditioning is a relatively modern invention. In the days prior to its existence, schools couldn’t provide a climate-controlled environment for the students. In the summer months, the heat could be too much for classroom instruction.

A lot has changed. Most families have no ties to agricultural work, and air conditioning is standard in every school. The reasons for the nine-month schedule have changed but the schedule remains. That can be a problem because studies show that students lose some of what they’ve learned when they take a prolonged break from school.

A meta-analysis of studies about summer learning loss showed that students can lose about one month of education instruction over the long break. The effect on math skills was particularly pronounced. Also, it appears that the learning loss in reading for low-income students is greater than it is for their better-off peers.

The effects of summer learning loss can be devastating. For instance, students from well off families may receive additional instruction over the summer while lower class students do not. This can leave lower income students at a disadvantage when the school year begins anew – a disadvantage that they may never recover from. Also, it is just a major setback for school systems when they essentially waste a month’s worth of instruction thanks to summer break.

Many school districts are taking steps to fix this problem. Year-round school has become more common, for one thing. Two other possible solutions are summer school and extended school years. But if you are a parent whose school system doesn’t provide any easy solutions, you may have to take it upon yourself to give your children extra education opportunities over the summer.

Check out this article from education.com to get more details about summer learning loss and the origin of our modern school calendar.

And go to education.com’s section on summer learning to find links to other helpful articles that can provide ideas and activities for summer education opportunities.

Refer to an earlier Tri-Ed blog to get some more ideas of how you can work learning into everyday activities.

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Summer Learning at the Battlefield

Monday, June 7th, 2010

TIME TO PREPARE

It may sound a little crazy, but for something as significant as the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, one needs to take extreme measures. The sesquicentennial (say that five times fast) of the battle that ripped our country in two approaches in 2011, and what better way to get prepared for it than to spend this summer boning up on the history?

In addition to others, the city of Manassas, home of the historic first battle of the war – called the Battle of Manassas or Bull Run depending on whether you were Yankee or Confederate – is going to pull out the stops for the celebration, and so should you.

During 2011, leading up to the commemoration of the anniversary on July 21 through 24, the city will have re-enactments, battlefield tours, museum exhibits and more.

Months will be spent focusing on the nation’s divisive past, but if you want your children or students to be enthusiastic and involved come next year, spend this summer laying the groundwork for the love of our history.

Now is the perfect time. With school out, the young brain is preparing for the typical sedentary summer, but what it really needs is a little continued education in an attractive package.

Fortunately, in history-rich Northern Virginia, our young learners have plenty of places they can go in person to learn.

LET THE LEARNING FUN BEGIN

We mentioned the need to ready the young mind for the historic celebration approaching in 2011. Well, Independence Day is around the corner, and that is a good time to prepare a unique educational outing for your son and/or daughter. Tell them that in a year, the 150th anniversary of our nation’s great family dispute will be launched into high gear by jurisdictions hoping to cash in on history, and they should prepare to take it all in by spending some time learning this summer.

A great place to start is the Manassas National Battlefield Park in Prince William County. This sprawling area of fields and forest is an almost untouched memorial to the Civil War. A visitor’s center provides books and exhibits discussing the famed First and Second Battles of Manassas (Bull Run to you northerners) that took place in the battlefield. Guided tours combine a sense of place with stories to bring history alive. Additionally, at various times re-enactors come out to the battlefield. If you are lucky, you might even catch the loud BOOM of a historically accurate Civil War cannon. Also, if your children are spending a little too much time indoors this summer, the battlefield features historic walking paths that can take you on vigorous marches through history. That’s a great way to combine exercise with education. Head out to the battlefield visitors center and find out what’s available and when.

For more Manassas information, you can drive a few miles up Va. 234 from the battlefield into Old Town Manassas and check out the Manassas Museum. It is dedicated to telling the story of the historic town, including its part in the Civil War.

LEARNING FUN CONTINUES

Looking elsewhere in Prince William County, we see more places where the area’s rich history can be explored.

In Dumfries, the Weems-Botts Museum can give one an understanding of the town’s historic past. Additionally, town history can be further examined at a variety of significant locations.

Henderson House in Dumfries was built around 1750 by Daniel Carrol Brent. During the Civil War, this house was used as a hospital. Though it was there to save lives, it was not spared the travails of battle – cannon fire damaged a portion of the house during the war.

Then there’s the Williams Ordinary in Dumfries. This two-story building was built to look like an 18th century mansion and served as the headquarters of the Confederates during a portion of the Civil War.

Prince William County’s oldest courthouse, the Brentsville Courthouse, is a place with many historic links as well. Confederate soldiers used the courthouse lot as a recruiting area, Union soldiers stormed it in 1862 and raised the Union Flag, and at one point, the courthouse roof was destroyed. That is just some of the historic courthouse’s involvement in the Civil War. The building’s significance goes further back than the Civil War and continues long after its end. A trip out there could definitely bring history alive for children and teenagers.

If you are looking for ways to keep your child’s mind active over the summer or to prepare them for the Civil War’s 150th anniversary, visit any of the areas we have talked about. Also do some research for yourself — there are many more places in Northern Virginia where one can learn about the historic importance of the region.

With the Internet, we have a wealth of resources at our fingertips, and that information can help guide us out into the world to learn more about it. Take advantage and see what you can find.

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Avoid Summer Learning Loss

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Washingtonpost.com published an article yesterday about the “Summer Brain Drain”.  This is the amount of knowledge that students lose during the summer months.  Many parents are concerned about the possible loss in progress of reading but what some may not consider is the effect that the summer has on math skills.  According to the article, most students lost 2-2.5 months of math skills during the summer.  The decline in reading skills is largely dependent on socio-economic factors.  Students from lower socio-economic groups generally lose gains made in reading during the school year whereas students from middle and upper class families generally continue to progress in reading throughout the summer.

What we can definitely take from this research is that students must continue to have educational experiences during the summer.  Parents and students often hear the word educational and think “boring” but there are many educational experiences that can be a lot of fun.

  • Libraries: For younger students, story times and craft times are available at the public libraries. They often also have reading programs to encourage summer reading.
  • Museums and Parks: All age groups can enjoy the museums and parks available locally.  Up the educational benefit by getting a little creative.  Have students research and journal about what they would like to learn before they go or write about their favorite part of the trip when they return home.   Before going to the park, create a scavenger hunt of things you may see on a nature walk.
  • Around the House: Cooking is a great time to talk about the applications of fractions.  Grocery lists can provide an opportunity for writing for students and doing the shopping provides an application for discussing budgeting, needs vs. wants, and measurements (such as weighing produce).
  • Games: Almost anything can be made into a game.
    • Cards: With most of my math students, I keep a pack of cards in my bag. When we have some down time, I will take out the face cards and play a game with them. For example, you can deal the cards. Each player flips two cards.  The player whose cards add up to the highest sum gets to keep the cards.  For older elementary students, you can change the game to multiplication.  For upper elementary or middle school students, the game can be modified again to create fractions.
    • Mental Math: On a long car ride, challenge your students to a competition of mental math.  Pick a number that is not a perfect square and see who can get closest to the
      square root.  You and your child each choose a two digit number and see who can multiply them the fastest.  Another game is to use only the numbers from the year that we are in, see how many of the numbers from 1-100 you can make. Any operations can be used.  For example, you could use 2009 to make 11 by adding 2+0+0+9. Or you could get more creative by saying 20-09. More advanced math can be used for this game such as roots and exponents.  For example, 1 can be made by √9 -2 +0+0.
    • Storytelling: For younger students, you can tell number stories to encourage math facts.  For example, “On the way to the beach, we passed 3 cars and 4 trucks.  How many total automobiles did we pass? While driving, we had to stop twice to let your brother go to the bathroom, three times to get gas, and three times to ask for directions. How many total stops did we make?” Encourage your students to also make their own stories for you to answer.

The idea is that educational opportunities can take place any time and any place with a little creative energy.  For more ideas, feel free to contact Tri-Ed Tutoring.  If you feel that your student would benefit from more structured instruction during the summer, contact us about how a private tutor may help.

To read the rest of the article from the Washington Post, click here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061402427.html?referrer%3Demailarticle%26sid%3Dhttp://www.washingthttp://www.washingtonpost.com:80/ac2/wp-dyn?node=admin/registration/register&sub=AR

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