Lucas - Private tutor: SAT writing 2013-2014 prep course with Amy Lucas

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PRIVATE TUTOR SAT Prep Course on DVDs & BooksPraise from Reviewers, Librarians, Teachers, Tutors & Parents this series in critical reading is an excellent way to prepare for the exam. Host Amy Lucas is young, lively, and engaging and brings an extensive background in test prep tutoring to her discussions. She helps students through every aspect of SAT critical-reading work through an approach that is clear, well organized, and certainly student-friendly. Students can work at their own pace to learn how to analyze passages, read the questions, build vocabulary, and understand the formats of the test. Lucas is always aware of the variety of student learning styles, presenting three different techniques for dealing with reading passages. VERDICT: A very useful SAT package that can aid students on the test and beyond in all reading work. Strong supplementary materials include a student workbook. Recommended for all collections serving junior high and high school students.Library Journal, Critical Reading section review, April 2013 In stark contrast to the teacher in front of a chalk board the presentation is personal, conversational, relaxed, and effective.Peggy Dominy, Liaison Librarian, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 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.School Library Journal, Starred review, Math section 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.Rosemary Arneson, University of Mary Washington Library, Fredericksburg, VA Amy Lucas brings more than a decade of tutoring experience at the highest levels of the tutoring/test prep industry to this production. Starting with math vocabulary and then offering a discussion of the range of SAT problems from algebra to geometry to functions, this series offers the student the broadest coverage of the SAT math section. VERDICT: Highly recommended for students facing the SATs.Library Journal, Math section review The three different techniques for reading based on ability is an amazing idea. I have never seen it addressed this way and it is so important. The sample readings were excellent... the one on video games was particularly good... the answer explanations are great and are key to a students success. If they can understand their error it will help immensely.Kevin Murchie, teacher, Garfield Senior High School, Los Angeles, CA Teens will easily relate to her upbeat and friendly approachLucass 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.School Library Journal, Starred review, Critical Reading section

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. Linda M. Teel, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC I was really impressed! It gave me insight of an easier way to look at a problem one of the best study skills books Ive come across. Amneris Gonzalez, Instructional Support Services Secondary Math, LAUSD Amy Lucas has an engaging, clear, conversational style Explanations of difficult math concepts, especially the process for determining the different plug-ins used are quite excellent. Step-by-step explanations are clear and concise.Home Educating Family, Math section review The tutorial on the essay section covers the important points in a clear and concise manner the technique she employs will produce results it works.Nick Garrison, private tutor, Greenwich, CT 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 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.Library Journal, Writing section review I like the informal approach that the author uses to get on the students level about the topics. Identifying each example and exercise with its relative difficulty also gives students a better sense of what to expect on the exam... well done; the portions where Amy gives her explanations with graphics are well thought out and producedDavid Hammett, Math Department Chair, Oakwood School, Los Angeles, CA she has an expressive style that should hold the attention of students. All incorrect responses are explained clearly. There are easy-to-follow tips for writing the essay as well as sample essays that received high and low scores.Ellen Frank, School Library Media Specialist, Jamaica High School, Jamaica, NY Students looking for a comprehensive review of the Writing portion of the SAT will find this program very helpful, especially since they can select specific areas in which they need improvement.School Library Journal, Writing section review This will really help the students get stronger in SAT. Great product for the students.Sam G - parent, Houston

SAT Writing 2013-2014Prep Course with Amy Lucas

SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board. Neither The College Board nor The Educational Testing Service (ETS) was involved in the production and do not endorse this product. For additional test prep coaching, contact Amy at www.testpreptutor4you.com.

Copyright 2012-2013 Private Tutor All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form orby any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. While every effort is made to ensure this manual is complete and error free, mistakes may occasionally occur. Any errors discovered will be posted in an errata sheet available at www.PrivateTutorSAT.com. Please let us know if you find an error by emailing info@PrivateTutorSAT.com. No teaching tool can guarantee specific score results and Private Tutor makes no such claims. Written by Amy LucasLayout and design by Kathy Cotter All inquiries should be addressed to:Private Tutor15124 Ventura Blvd., Suite 206Sherman Oaks, CA 91403tel: 818.508.1296 fax: 818.508.9076info@PrivateTutorSAT.com More SAT tutorial books and DVDs are available at www.PrivateTutorSAT.com. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Introduction

Hi, Im Amy Lucas and Im going to be walking you through the SAT Writing section, which is made up of an essay and multiple-choice questions that test your ability to identify grammar errors and improve grammar usage. I have included an overview of technique for each of the different types of multiple-choice questions, a parts of speech refresher, the 19 grammar rules the SAT tests accompanied by over 80 practice problems, and an essay section that includes a fool-proof formula and sample essays. The SAT Writing section is my favorite portion of the SAT because it is the easiest to improve. Learn the 19 grammar rules and you can get a perfect score on the grammar portion of the SAT. The same rules are tested over and over again in pretty much the SAME WAY EVERY TIME. You only need to know the grammar rules I give you. If you see what you think may be an error on the SAT that wasnt covered in this book, then chances are its not an error at all. Treat this program like a class youre taking in school. You are learning SAT grammar. I might teach you things that contradict what your schoolteachers have told you about essay writing or grammar rules. For instance, many teachers have drilled into students brains never to start a sentence with the word because. On the SAT, however, it is perfectly acceptable to start a sentence with because. So who are the Mensa geniuses behind the SAT? The SAT is owned by the College Board, but administered by the Educational Testing Service. Im going to refer to the test makers as ETS. Many SAT experts will tell you that ETS is evil and out to get you. If that motivates you use it! I personally think ETS could get a heck of a lot trickier. Either way, Im here to help you master the game. STRUCTURE The Writing portion of the SAT is made up of 49 multiple-choice questions and an essay. The first section of the SAT is always the essay. You have 25 minutes to write an essay on a given assignment. The first multiple-choice grammar section can fall anywhere between sections 2 and 9 of the SAT (usually it shows up in sections 3 through 7). You have 25-minutes to complete this multiple-choice section made up of 35 questions: 11 Sentence Correction questions, 19 Error ID questions, and 6 Improving Paragraphs questions. The last section of the SAT is always a 10-minute multiple-choice grammar section made up of 14 Sentence Correction questions. EXPERIMENTAL SECTION You might end up with two 25-minute multiple-choice writing sections on the SAT. If this is the case, one of those grammar sections is the experimental section. Leave it to ETS to make you do an extra 25-minute Math, Writing, or Critical Reading section that doesnt count towards your score and makes the test a good 3 hours and 45 minutes. ETS is using you as a guinea pig to test out future SAT questions. The experimental section does not affect your score in any way, but you still have to do it because you wont know which of the two 25-minute sections is the experimental section.