Q: Before you take the SAT, read the standards by which your scorers will be grading your essay. You can find detailed descriptions of each scoring category and numerical score here: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/scores/understanding-scores/essay. Your essay will be graded by 2 scorers. They'll assign individual scores from 1 to 4 for 3 categories: reading, analysis, and writing. The 2 scores from each grader are added up for each category, so your best possible score for each category is an 8. College Board is the company that manages the SAT, and it offers plenty of helpful resources. You can read sample passages, take practice essay tests, and read scored sample essays for every quality level, along with descriptions of why the grader assigned a given score. Find all the help you'll need at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sample-questions/essay. You'll likely take SAT practice tests at school, and your school's writing lab might have helpful resources. In the months prior to the test, take advantage of any opportunities to hone skills such as reading comprehension, and grammar. If your school has a writing lab, have a reviewer offer feedback on an essay you wrote and see if you can get a writing tutor. You could also get extra help from your English or literature teachers. Review grammar topics including subject-verb agreement, proper sentence structures, and punctuation. Additionally, reading more books and articles can improve both your grammar and comprehension skills. Try using a word of the day app or calendar to improve your vocabulary. Command of language is important if you want a high writing score, so try writing a page-long essay every day. One key thing the scorer will look for is varied sentence structures, so avoid monotonous, repetitive wording. For example, avoid writing terse, repetitive sentences like, "The author wrote this. They then explained that. This is a strong argument." Additionally, keep your writing formal and objective. Avoid personal pronouns, slang, contractions, and other informal expressions. In the weeks leading up to the SAT, read newspaper articles, academic essays, and other varied publications. Practice identifying the thesis and the persuasive devices that each author uses to make their case. Try to read at least 1 text a day for at least a month before the test date.
A: Familiarize yourself with the scoring rubric. Find sample passages, essays, and other resources on College Board. Practice general reading and writing skills before the test. Work on varying your sentence structures. Hone your skills by reading and analyzing a variety of texts.

Q: If you're unable to get out of your living situation, seek space whenever possible. Try to spend as much time away from home as possible for your own mental health. You can spend time at public places. You can, for example, bring your laptop to a coffee shop and browse the internet for an afternoon. Spend time with friends. If you're unhappy being at home, go to a friend's house for a night or invite people to go out on the town with you. This is sometimes not easy to do, especially if the controlling person is a parent or a spouse. However, work on getting your own money and finances together. You do not want to be dependent on a controlling person financially, as this will rob you of a lot of independence. You should also protect yourself emotionally. Do not reveal your deepest feelings and secrets to a controlling person. They may use these things to control you later on. Keep your own friends group and support system in tact. You may need to move out if the situation has gotten out of control. You can try staying with a family member or friend. Let the controller know you're not interested in having a relationship with them any longer. It can help to think about what you would advise someone else in your situation to do. Imagine someone else coming to you and outlining these problems. Would you tell them to leave? Think about what you would gain by ending the relationship. Would you have significantly less stress in your life? Would you be able to better focus on your own goals? Think about why you're staying. Do you feel sorry for the person? Often, a sense of guilt keeps people in negative relationships. After moving out, this may be a good option. Controlling people are very good at manipulation. A controlling person may continue to cause you stress even after you're no longer sharing a home with them. Consider avoiding events they will be attending, blocking their phone number, and not seeing them again in the future. Controlling people can sometimes get dangerous. If someone is preventing you from leaving physically, or if someone is harassing after you've moved out, report the behavior to the police. If you are a minor in a controlling situation, contact a family law attorney. Many family law attorneys will offer consultation for free if you're being abused. You can look into legal emancipation if you need to escape an abusive situation.
A: Stay out of your home as much as possible. Avoid dependence on a controlling person. End the relationship, if necessary. Consider cutting off contact. Contact the authorities, if necessary.

Q: When talking to a baby, your actions are as important as your words. Reinforce what you are saying with appropriate facial expressions. A smile is especially important. Babies understand that it is a positive facial expression. Your baby will likely spontaneously start to smile, especially when they see people that they recognize. You can encourage this behavior by smiling at them. Try playing visual games such as peek-a-boo. When you reveal your face, offer a big smile. It's important to remember that everything is new to a baby. They also can't properly vocalize their needs or emotions. It's important to practice patience when talking to any baby and to be kind. Try different remedies. If the baby is fussy, you can try feeding them, changing them, or cuddling them. Even babies need space. Sometimes your baby might seem to be fussing for no apparent reason. It could be that they are over-stimulated. Be patient, and let them have silence for a while. Tone of voice resonates with babies, just as it does with adults. When talking to a baby, the most important thing is to keep your tone warm and happy. This helps reinforce all of the positive things you are saying to them. Research shows that babies respond to the female voice. This is why many people instinctively make their voice sound high-pitched when talking to a baby. This is a perfectly fine way to talk to your baby. Make your tone cheerful no matter what you are saying. It's fine to say "Oh, darn! I spilled the milk!" as long as you say it in an upbeat tone. Don't be afraid to shower a baby with kisses. Research tells us that babies who receive a lot of physical affection grow up to have less anxiety. Physical affection can have amazing positive benefits for a baby. In addition to kissing a baby, you can offer gentle hugs and cuddles. Tickling a baby's tummy or feet is another way to show physical affection. Your baby can tell when you are paying attention to them. Demonstrate that you are engaged by showing that you are actively listening. Make eye contact with them when they are verbalizing. Try not to interrupt when your baby is "talking." Letting them babble is a great way to encourage the development of their language skills. Show your baby that you are interested when they are babbling by making eye contact and smiling in response to what they are saying.
A:
Smile when you talk to the baby. Be patient. Use the right tone. Show physical affection. Listen actively to your baby.