How to Tutor the SAT Essay for K-12
College bound students know the importance of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, better known as the SAT. Scores influence college admissions and financial aid. In addition to testing over a variety of subjects, the SAT now tests writing skills through an essay portion.
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Instructions
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Offer students practice readings similar to what they can expect on the SAT. Too many students rush through the reading to get to the writing. A good strategy is to read the paragraphs for general comprehension and then the essay question. Reread the paragraphs with the essay question in mind.
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Center tutoring sessions around practice essays based on writing prompts. Stress the importance of outlining before writing. The test paper that students will use for their essay has 45 lines, and they should plan to fill all 45 lines or come as close as possible.
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Remind students that there is no right response to the essay question. A student's job during the SAT essay portion of the exam is to communicate his or her point of view through writing. It's OK to use "I."
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Use examples to support your point of view. As a tutor, stress that a couple of comprehensive examples win over longer lists of brief examples every time. If students can pick examples from literature or history, so much the better.
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Teach how the organization of an essay increases the reader's comprehension. An introductory paragraph must state the issue and the writer's opinion. Topic sentences help writers organize each paragraph. A concluding paragraph restates and sums up the points in an essay.
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Expose students to new vocabulary, and encourage them to use sophisticated langauge (or "big words") appropriately in their writing. The word-a-day calendars work well in introducing new words. Additionally, the Princeton Review website offers an SAT word-a-day.
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Review grammar and punctuation rules when tutoring students. This is often the least favorite part about writing, but proper grammar usage can make or break an essay. Vary sentence structure with simple and compound sentences. Introductory clauses contribute to the flow of an essay too.
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Tips & Warnings
Remind students that the essay is handwritten; therefore, they must write legibly and neatly.
