Meaning

emerges

during

active reading.

    A Random House editor was recently asked how long it took to determine the quality of a newly submitted novel. His reply?  The first sentence. "What?" I exclaimed. On reflection, however, one realizes how important first sentences – of paragraphs, of chapters, of books – are. Like a newspaper headline, they announce what is to follow and provide the narrative tone. One thinks of the abrupt, no nonsense first sentence of Moby Dick, “Call me Ishmail” or the rhythm in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times”.

    I apologize for the long preamble. But close reading of first sentences helps unlock the meaning of paragraphs and is a skill SAT students must grasp. Test passages also possess a structure with periodic shifts in direction or thought (like the signpost above!) which one can learn to spot.

    I have been teaching such strategies all my professional life as an English teacher in the UK and, most recently, as English Department chair at Morristown-Beard School. I have been saturated with words, a lover of language, and have always taken pleasure in working with students of all ages (including an eighth grade student for the New Jersey ASK test) and, more recently, as a private tutor.

    I focus on the underlying skills embodied in the PSAT and SAT such as critical thinking, making connections, judging the relative importance of ideas and focusing on logic. Vocabulary building is important, too. The Anglo-Saxon word for vocabulary is word-horde. What a wonderful idea – storing up one’s own words like a pile of treasure!

    For sure, there are skills to develop and tactics to adopt in tutoring students for standardized tests:

• rereading the first sentence of each paragraph to anchor one's thoughts,
• skimming examples,
• eliminating unlikely choices,
• looking for key transition words,
  
• practicing constantly,
• vocabulary building using my recorded words or vocabulary.com.
  

but one hesitates to be too programmatic. Test prepping is not an exact science. Each student has particular strengths and weaknesses in response to which I need to adapt the pace or vary my approach, negotiating back and forth between the teacher's plans and the student's progress.    
With a good coach, we train, build confidence and learn to improve performance by developing a success psychology. I consider myself a well-seasoned coach.
   
    Text used: The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd edition. The College Board.
    Tuition sessions, in students' homes if close to Morristown, are usually in increments of five, typically ten in total at $100 per session inclusive of travel. A special rate applies to groups. Skype sessions also welcome.