 2022 is already proving to be a year of changes, and recent announcements about the SAT are no exception. The controversial standardized-testing exam, which many colleges and universities are removing (or considering removing) as an admission requirement, announced significant changes beginning in Fall 2024. Here’s what you need to know…
What is Changing – and Why? Many areas of the SAT are receiving updates or enhancements, in an effort to streamline the exam, offer greater access, and reduce opportunities for cheating. Current updates that have been announced include: -Reduced time of the test from 3 hours to 2 hours -Shortened content
-Built-in timer -Embedded digital calculator -Scores released within days of taking the test versus months What Does This Mean for Your Student? We understand that so many changes can be daunting for students and their families. Our team is actively following these updates and will continue to share information as we receive it. For now, a few of our experts provide their thoughts and recommendations. Matt Wolszon, a TVT math tutor, says, “With the new SAT allowing a calculator throughout, calculator proficiency and efficiency will be more applicable now than in the previous version of the test. Additionally, with the updated SAT in an adaptive format, scores will most likely better reflect the amount of information a student has mastered instead of any advantages previously reflected for test-takers who excel at strategically guessing.” It appears that the changes to the SAT directly address the challenges students have been facing during the pandemic – difficulty maintaining focus and reading for extended periods of time. As tutor Ann Wilson shares, “Many students state they have trouble focusing for three hours and do not like reading on paper. Since students spend so much time on screens, a digital test will feel more familiar to them and play to how their brains are wired. This may aid in taking the SAT, but will it prepare students for college?” TVT’s Questions The updates to the SAT continue to be rolled out and announced, so there is still much to learn about the enhancements. Some of the questions on our team’s minds include, -Will colleges view the updated SAT as an equal to the current ACT, or will the SAT be considered easier and not as relevant? -How will colleges compare the SAT to the ACT, in order to convert one score to the other? -Is this updated SAT a new test altogether? We will continue to provide updates as we receive them. In the meantime, if your student is ready to begin standardized-test prep, see our services here.  At The Village Tutors, we are proud of all of our students and the many successes they achieve. We are also thankful for our volunteer opportunities. This month, we are featuring Yanfu, who TVT supported as a part of our partnership with the non-profit Green Halo Scholars. Yanfu consistently goes above and beyond in his studies, and his dedication earned him a prestigious QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania. We are honored to showcase his hard work and accomplishments.
Green Halo Scholars is a local organization that helps high-achieving, first-generation and/or low-income high school seniors get to and through college. The Village Tutors fully supports the group’s mission, and our tutors often volunteer to assist the scholars. This is where TVT met Yanfu and had the privilege of playing a part in his story. Originally from China, Yanfu began working with TVT last summer to boost his SAT reading and writing score. With a very specific number in mind, Yanfu was focused and resourceful in his quest to attain his goal. His commitment and diligence were off the charts (it was challenging to find SAT practice tests he had not already completed!). And, unsurprisingly, Yanfu scored exactly what he wanted on the SAT. Yanfu continued to carry this work ethic through the college application process, keeping in close contact with his Green Halo mentor. Yanfu applied for the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship, a highly selective program. Out of the almost 16,500 applicants each year, 6,500 are selected as “finalists.” From that group, only 1,600 are matched with one of the nation’s best universities. The match process includes a four-year, fully funded scholarship that covers tuition, room and board, books, and travel expenses. Yanfu, the first Green Halo Scholar to attend an Ivy League institution, plans to study computer engineering at Penn. As Sara Miller, the program director at Green Halo Scholars, said, “Yanfu takes so much pride in his work and is more organized than any student I’ve ever met. He had spreadsheets upon spreadsheets to organize his college search (and the endless essays that went with it) and arrived at meetings with questions and topics to discuss. He exudes a contagious enthusiasm that helps him make the most of opportunities (or challenges!). His gracious spirit and quick wit are at the top of the list of traits that make him exceptional, too!” As Yanfu finishes his senior year of high school, he continues to be involved as the captain of the Lyons Township VEX Robotics Team and Science Olympiad, a math and science tutor, and a member of the track team. From all of us at The Village Tutors, we thank Yanfu for setting such a wonderful example for his peers and the community. And we look forward to hearing about his continued successes!  It can be challenging as a parent or caregiver to know exactly what support your child needs. When it comes to reading, we understand the difficulties families face - especially if a student has reading challenges. This month, we are featuring the Orton-Gillingham approach as an effective solution to help those struggling with reading.
The Orton-Gillingham approach is a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive way to teach literacy when reading, writing, and spelling..What does all this mean? It’s particularly effective when teaching these skills to individuals with learning differences, like dyslexia. Always focused on the needs of the individual student, Orton-Gillingham (OG) practitioners design lessons and materials to work with students at their level. Instructors pace the instruction and introduction of new materials based on the student’s individual strengths and weaknesses. When taught correctly, this method can be a powerful tool of great breadth, depth, and flexibility. TVT tutor Eileen Norton has this to say about the Orton-Gillingham approach, “As a learning tool, reading programs and strategies based on Orton-Gillingham methodology are known to be effective with struggling readers, especially those students with dyslexia. What’s perhaps not as well-known is that there is much evidence that the Orton-Gillingham methodology is effective for teaching many groups of students to read, not just those who struggle. As a result, students in regular classrooms, those who need extra support, as well as those in tutoring situations would benefit from the use of Orton-Gillingham-based reading programs.” In order to maintain the high standards of the Orton-Gillingham approach, educators and tutors can earn certifications and trainings in order to properly serve students. At TVT, we are proud to have several tutors certified to teach the approach. If you have a student who is dyslexic and struggling with reading, or you want your child to have supplemental reading support within their current curriculum, contact us today. We are ready and excited to support your student on their academic journey!  The school year is well underway, and as the seasons continue to change more families find their activities moving indoors. This change in scenery offers a wonderful opportunity to encourage reading as an indoor activity! Now is a great time to remind your children to curl up with a book and get lost in their story. Did you know there are also tactical ways to improve reading comprehension? Our expert tutors share their tips and tricks for cultivating this skill at home.
Read with Your Child Reading with your child is imperative to improving reading comprehension. As tutor Michelle Vranicar shares, “One of the best things parents can do to help their child improve reading comprehension is to read to or with their child at all ages. It has been my observation that students who share the reading experience with their families are well on their way to developing strong reading comprehension skills.” Encouraging reading with your child and as a family fosters quality bonding and discussions, which only further promotes comprehension. Children often learn by modeling what their parents, siblings, and caregivers do, so reading together shows your child the value and importance of reading. Talk About What They’re Reading Another step to improved reading comprehension is discussing with your child about what they are reading. Tutor Michelle Vranicar again shares, “For emerging readers, stop often to talk about what is happening in the story and ask questions to model comprehension. For young readers, take turns reading together and discussing key elements of the story as well as unfamiliar words. This will help to build vocabulary skills. Finally, for independent readers, have a ‘book club’ with your child where you each read a chapter and then talk about what happened or what they think might happen next.” Taking the time to talk with your child about their reading shows them that reading is valuable and special. Having quality discussions about their stories offers them the opportunity to share and verbalize their ideas, while also improving their comprehension. Encourage Reading Out Loud If your child is reading independently – or you are enjoying a book together – encourage reading out loud. Tutor Jill Suter says, “I find reading out loud with a student expands their vocabulary, increases their attention span – which in turn improves their comprehension – and helps to develop an increased interest in reading.” Reading out loud also presents your child with the opportunity to sound out difficult words and ask questions about vocabulary or the plot of the story. Providing this comfortable setting to ask questions and discuss their reading facilitates increased comprehension and models for them that reading is an activity that is meant to stretch and challenge the mind. If you’re looking for additional support, or have any questions, reach out here.  It’s the season of standardized testing, and at The Village Tutors our expert team understands how stressful this can be for students…and their families. To help alleviate some stress and provide helpful guidance, we’ve compiled our top tips for test taking and preparation.
Emphasize Time Management Both the SAT and ACT are timed exams, so diligence with time is essential. One way to practice time management – and strengthen it as a necessary skill – is to have your student become familiar with each section of the test and its allotted time. Once they have this information, encourage them to complete practice work within these timeframes. For example, the English section of the ACT allows 45 minutes for 75 questions. This equates to roughly 36 seconds for each question. With this knowledge, your student can time their test prep to see how long they average per question. If it is longer than 36 seconds, then there is room to improve their speed in order to complete all questions on test day. Focus on Focusing It may sound obvious, but we know that there are so many distractions competing for our students’ time! From social media to texting to binge watching a favorite show, there are a lot of activities that can take our students away from studying. So how can we help tune out this noise? Encourage your student to study in an environment that most mirrors the setting they will experience on test day. Make sure the area is quiet and free from distractions, but still includes a clock for time management, so that they can focus on their practice questions and tests. Practice Testing Strategies When it comes to test preparation, there are many strategies that can be employed to encourage efficiency and accuracy in answers. Our expert tutors cover such strategies in detail during our test prep sessions, and we customize our sessions based on each student’s unique needs and learning styles. For standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, common testing strategies include working questions out of order, seeking to find the wrong answers first, and tailoring strategies to each specific section of the test. What if you have a younger student, who isn’t at the standardized testing stage yet? There are still testing strategies to practice, many of which can be encouraged at home. For example, our tutor Alex Laws, who works with younger students on ELA/Reading testing strategies says, “I like to teach my students to be active readers, always. We practice previewing the questions and answer selections before reading, then circling key words and highlighting evidence that supports their answer.” This is excellent advice for younger students. If you and your student are seeking additional test prep support, reach out to our team for help. We are ready and excited to assist you, and our test prep services never include contracts. We offer test prep support both in-person and online, so your student can connect with a tutor in an environment that is best for them. Contact us today for information and registration details. We look forward to supporting your student and family!  With a few weeks of school under most of our students’ belts, we’re finding that there is still quite a bit of transition during this ongoing pandemic life. It is difficult for both students and parents to navigate, as there are unprecedented choices that both groups are faced with every day. To help support your students, our team of experts has put together a few tips and tricks to help manage this transition and set everyone up for a successful school year.
|
Website by RyTech, LLC