Changes are definitely coming to the SATs. They’ll affect students who are currently in 9th grade (during the 2013-2014 school year). No one knows precisely what those changes will be.
So how can you possibly prepare if you don’t know what the changes will be?
There are two changes which will be likely:
- Fewer “SAT”-type words and more common words used in less common ways
- Less emphasis on writing a long essay without any real content, and more emphasis on writing a DBQ-style essay that has to incorporate actual facts
To prepare for new vocabulary as it will appear on the SATs, be alert to words around you and in your reading that seem to mean something other than you might expect. I’ll be giving a list out to my SAT tutoring students (and I’ll even send it to you if you request it by email), but think about the meanings of words like flag, check, arrest, and pedestrian. Can you think of words that have more than one meaning?
To prepare for the new essay, take seriously your Social Studies teacher’s comments on your DBQ assignments. Plan before you write so your examples are in a logical order. Use sufficient detail. Don’t forget to answer the question clearly and often. Don’t just look for your grade — if you don’t understand a particular comment your teacher made, ask for clarification.
And the most important thing you can do to prepare for the SAT test you’ll be taking in 11th grade is to read, read, read! Read on the school bus, read in the bathroom, read when you have a substitute teacher, read on weekends, read on vacation. Once you’ve checked out how everyone is doing on Facebook, shut the screen, and read! If you want a few suggestions, tell me what books you’ve read that you liked, and I can tell you about other books you might also enjoy. But most of all, just read.
Don’t forget to let me know if you want a copy of my word list!
Wendy Segal
High School 2 College 