Overview of the SAT

The SAT I or SAT Reasoning test is divided into three major components: math, critical reading and writing. ThinkTutoring SAT tutors are familiar with each of these elements. Our SAT tutors are trained to help students earn  good scores on this all-important exam.

SAT Writing Section

The writing section of the SAT I includes an essay. It also includes multiple choice questions that ask students to find grammatical errors, to select a passage that is better than similar passages, and to make improvements in a given paragraph.

Students have 25 minutes to respond to a prompt. Their essay must show how they develop their thoughts in support of a position or opinion or point of view. They also have to be able to substantiate their viewpoint with observations, examples or with conclusions they have logically reached. Of course, their final product must be well-developed and grammatically correct.       

The prompts make an assertion and ask the student writer to respond to it. You’ll find a sample prompt at www.satexamprep.info . At this site, you’ll also find sample student responses. You’ll be able to see why each received the score it did. ThinkTutoring SAT Prep tutors provide the same kind of information to our student-clients.

Helping your Child Prep for the SAT at Home

You can assist our SAT Prep tutors by working at home to help your child develop his critical reasoning skills. To illustrate, here are headlines from one day’s news. Take one headlinea day, and pose a question regarding it to your child. At first, just have him discuss his reasons for feeling as he does about the issue.

1. Millions of Americans slip into poverty
2. Texas man executed for hate crime
3. UN gearing up for expected Palestine statehood request
4. American hikers freed in Iran

Sample assignment questions:

1. What is the best way to avoid being a poverty statistic?
2. What causes the intolerance that can lead to hate crimes?
3. Should Palestine be allowed to become a state?
4. Should the government restrict travel to countries unfriendly to the  United States?

Once your child shows confidence and comfort in discussing current affairs, present her with a prompt more like the ones that appear on the SAT. Ask her to respond to it in writing—outlining or writing a draft first, then proceeding to the actual essay. Of course, proofreading for clarity and correctness is the final step.

A SAT example:

Mother Teresa has observed that “we can do no great things—only small things with great love.” Do you agree that great things are beyond our grasp and that we should concentrate on doing small things with great love?

To be sure, a great love of language will help your child score well on the SAT essay. Working together, our SAT Prep tutors and you at home, we can develop great essays, if not a great love of language.