by judiethcarol & rocketcat Keep Coming back to http://www.coolrocketschool.org/
This is brain exercise with the SAT question of the day!
We favor our patent RACECAR strategy for just about every language arts style question, whether filling in one blank or two or noticing a way to improve sentences. Most of the time, we reserve this strategy for the Q&A of the type that is quick for us. Part of the strategy is checking by going forwards --and then backwards, like RACECAR, which reads the same either way (a palindrome).
For math, the rocketcat strategy is generally forward only. On the SAT test, you do have to consider speed. You want to pace yourself so you will get to just about every problem. Though there are some advisors to tell us that the questions get more difficult, that will depend upon what is difficult for you. Never assume that the higher level mathematical problems will be more difficult for you.
The SAT is designed to measure aptitude. The mathematics on the SAT will require several steps; but the actual numbers will usually be low enough numbers to consider without a calculator. The calculator is useful for two (2) major areas on the SAT: (1) quickly checking arithmetic as you figure out the steps of a problem and--(2) quickly solving an infrequent but more complex style of problem by plugging in each of the possible answers. These two best uses for the calculator on the SAT display the reasons the calculator is allowed at all. Your use of the calculator is not going to make you seem smarter than you are. You really are smart if you can use it in the top strategic ways!: Check your calculations as you move along, and plug in possible answers.
If you do some of the math problems on a daily basis, using other sources to supplement the SAT Question of the Day, you will start to notice a trend in the math problems that will help you to gather in points on this section. The way you may gain more points in the math section is to learn to write a word sentence into an algebraic sentence--in the shortest form possible. Another strategy in math that is not the first thing that comes to mind is to fill in the codes for unknown numbers with a made up number. (Use a low number that is easy to manage!) Often, if you will just plug in a number for 'x' or 'a' or whatever the unknown is called, you will see the relationship among the numbers and symbols better.
Ironically, the hard thing about some of the problems in math for people who read a lot is the variety of questions that 'could' be the question coming up. You see, a strong reader is constantly 'predicting' what is next. You will 'hear' yourself predicting what the question will be. This is a good sign. You ARE reading with attention and comprehension. It is just very important to keep noticing that the question may be different from what you are assuming.
It is not just to trick you that the answer to the question you 'think' they are asking will be on the list as well as the answer to the question actually asked. The reason a test designer does this is that this is an easy way to measure whether you are focusing on the big picture--and, then, the details.
We need some more math strategies to make that portion of the test as easy as checking your language arts questions. Tune in later. We will do some examples.
judiethcarol&rocketcatapril2010
