Private Tutor - MATH, WRITING & READING - 20 hour Interactive 2013 SAT Prep Course - DVDs & Books
This…series addresses the MATH concepts that students must be familiar with on the SAT, the types of problems they can expect to encounter, the problem-solving processes, and basic test-taking skills so that they can experience less anxiety during the test. Instructor Amy Lucas uses an informal lecture-style format to clearly and concisely explain and present arithmetic and algebraic processes. Her introduction puts students at ease by providing them with a basic description of the SAT along with information on when to make educated guesses in selecting the correct response. Lucas divides the test into four categories - test numbers and operations, geometry and measurements, algebra and functions, and statistics and probability - and further breaks these categories into understandable chapters so that the complexity of both the subject and the test is reduced. Ten chapters provide step-by-step instructions and simplify concepts by utilizing illustrated sample problems as well as comprehensive drills at the end of each lecture. Drill questions are reviewed and correct answers are discussed and explained. The accompanying book reviews each lecture and drill. This series will appeal to auditory and visual learns. Library collections serving high school students as well as homeschoolers seeking instruction, practice, and basic standardized test-taking tips for the Math SAT will find this series an essential purchase. --Math section Starred review, School Library JournalAmy Lucas, an experienced private tutor, acts as a personal guide to the READING comprehension portion of the SAT, keeping students invested in and focused on content and practice exercises. Teens will easily relate to her upbeat and friendly approach. Topics covered include vocabulary, sentence completions, and reading comprehension techniques. She suggests that students group the vocabulary lists in the workbook into one of three categories - Rockin', Rollin', or Sinkin' - based on difficulty. The DVDs' chapters are easily navigated and contain descriptions of the test parts and practice drills for each. Lucas's technique-oriented process for the reading comprehension portion of the SAT requires the same strategies for short and long passages: summarize the main idea, read and restate the questions, go back to the passage and dig, answer the questions in your own words, and use the process of elimination. Uncluttered graphics on a split screen, with Lucas on the other half, compel students to follow her step-by-step instructions, which may be paused at any point for explanations or a return to the main menu. Lucas's mantra to restate information in your own words before answering a question allows students to trust their judgment, making it less likely that they will be confused by tricky questions. Viewers are given the option to personalize their learning by choosing one of three reading comprehension techniques. The accessible workbook, containing most of the DVDs narration and practice questions, also features a master list of vocabulary words. --Reading section Starred Review, School Library JournalIn 2005, the College Board added a WRITING component to the SAT, the standardized test used by most colleges and universities in the admissions process. This set of two DVDs and a workbook walks the viewer through the writing component of the SAT and offers advice on how to approach the test. Narrator and tutor Amy Lucas is attractive and vivacious...her delivery makes the videos easy to watch. Lucas clearly states that she is coaching viewers on test-taking strategies, not teaching them general rules of grammar. Her examples are lucid...VERDICT: Watching these DVDs and completing the workbook will not make the viewer a great writer, but the processes will help a student gain confidence in the writing skills required by the SAT. --Writing se --Writing section review, Library JournalAmy Lucas, an experienced private tutor, acts as a personal guide to the READING comprehension portion of the SAT, keeping students invested in and focused on content and practice exercises. Teens will easily relate to her upbeat and friendly approach. Topics covered include vocabulary, sentence completions, and reading comprehension techniques. She suggests that students group the vocabulary lists in the workbook into one of three categories - Rockin', Rollin', or Sinkin' - based on difficulty. The DVDs' chapters are easily navigated and contain descriptions of the test parts and practice drills for each. Lucas's technique-oriented process for the reading comprehension portion of the SAT requires the same strategies for short and long passages: summarize the main idea, read and restate the questions, go back to the passage and dig, answer the questions in your own words, and use the process of elimination. Uncluttered graphics on a split screen, with Lucas on the other half, compel students to follow her step-by-step instructions, which may be paused at any point for explanations or a return to the main menu. Lucas's mantra to restate information in your own words before answering a question allows students to trust their judgment, making it less likely that they will be confused by tricky questions. Viewers are given the option to personalize their learning by choosing one of three reading comprehension techniques. The accessible workbook, containing most of the DVDs narration and practice questions, also features a master list of vocabulary words. --Reading section Starred Review, School Library JournalIn 2005, the College Board added a WRITING component to the SAT, the standardized test used by most colleges and universities in the admissions process. This set of two DVDs and a workbook walks the viewer through the writing component of the SAT and offers advice on how to approach the test. Narrator and tutor Amy Lucas is attractive and vivacious. Although the content is not particularly exciting, her delivery makes the videos easy to watch. Lucas clearly states that she is coaching viewers on test-taking strategies, not teaching them general rules of grammar. Her examples are lucid, and the suggestions consistent with those offered by other standardized test guides. The accompanying workbook reinforces the discs and provides a number of examples and drills. Lucas's credentials include work with test preparation companies, and she seems familiar with the kinds of questions used in the SAT. VERDICT: Watching these DVDs and completing the workbook will not make the viewer a great writer, but the processes will help a student gain confidence in the writing skills required by the SAT. --Writing section review, Library Journal