Modeling as a Math Skill
Critics of standardized tests often paint those assessments as aloof from everyday exercises of knowledge and learning, conveniently ignoring the primacy of reading and written communication in most activities. That’s right: tests like the SAT and ACT evaluate the kind of reading and writing skills that matter in school, work, and life. Math, however, seems to be more of a disconnect; how often do you need trigonometry or geometric theorems in your non-scientific day-to-day? However, tests like the SAT and ACT do assess math skills and knowledge that matter beyond high school, from broad conceptual quantitative literacy to creative problem solving. One more oft-overlooked skill that carries into real life is modeling, the application of math skills to answer questions about real world situations. What are some common examples of modelling? How much does a shirt with a retail price of $40 cost during a 30%-off sale? How long will…
Be Calculator Smart on Test Day
Your graphing calculators are powerful tools, but do you know how to use them effectively on the SAT and the ACT? This summer, I participated in a teacher training with Texas Instruments on the use of the TI-Nspire on the ACT. Most of my fellow participants were classroom teachers. Many of these teachers said that they personally do not teach their students the full use of their calculators, because the teachers want their students to master the math on their own. While this reasoning is understandable for classroom teachers, it can harm their students on the tests. Students need to know the most effective ways of using their calculator to get their best scores on the SAT Calculator Math and ACT Math sections. You can use these skills on the TI-Nspire to maximize your time. Something as simple as getting an answer in the right form for the test can…
Making SAT & ACT Math Flashcards
The SAT & ACT test tons of math terms, concepts, and formulas learned over the full span of a K-12 education. Flashcards represent one of the best ways to organize and memorize such a diverse body of knowledge, and the process of physically making these flashcards is an irreplaceable step in the learning and encoding process. Join us for a lightning round of math flashcard production. Index cards are not included, so make sure you have a stack ready along with your favorite writing implements! The fee for this one-hour online seminar is $30. Advance registration is required. Register through our Student Information Form and specify Math Flashcards. We will reply to registrants by email with the invitation to this Zoom seminar. ABOUT YOUR TEACHER: Kaeti Stoss combines her interest in science with her passion for education. When not teaching students, she helps develop Chariot Learning’s research-based…
Testing and Meta-skills
After over 25 years of trying to explain what complex standardized instruments like the SAT or ACT are meant to test, I still find the general explanation of “math, verbal, and test taking skills” woefully inadequate. Just as frustrating is the disconnect between the way these skills are tests in school as opposed to the exams themselves. Why is SAT math, for example, so different from school math, even though the discrete subject matter overlaps entirely? A recent comment from deep thinker Shane Parrish of Farnam Street helped me wrap my head around why the conventional view of what is tested fails to describe how multifarious and sophisticated those skills are: We tend to think of meta skills as the skill. For example, we default to thinking that reading is a skill. But there is really no skill called reading. Reading is the meta-skill that results when you alloy other…
Algebra 2 Preview
**Review the Fundamental Skills Necessary to Succeed in Algebra 2!!** Chariot Learning’s Algebra 2 Preview is grounded in the fact that a student’s success in an Algebra 2 course requires a fundamental understanding of the basics of algebra that are typically taught in an Algebra 1 course. Algebra 2 takes these fundamentals into the real world by providing word problems related to real life situations. Algebra 2 also introduces more advanced algebra techniques that build on the basics taught in Algebra 1. Finally, many students take an Algebra 2/Trig hybrid course which sacrifices valuable concept and problem review for an overview of important trigonometry concepts. Facing the need to cram so much material into their Algebra 2/Trig courses, math teachers have limited in-class or after-school resources available to help struggling students. Students must therefore hit the ground running right away or risk falling behind quickly. This is compounded by the…
Advanced SAT Math
The ACT and SAT math sections may test the same fundamental concepts and problem solving skills, but the two tests diverge in important ways–especially for those seeking the highest scores. Find out the special content areas only tested on the SAT along with essential strategic and time management insights for maximum success on test day! This two-hour online Master Class is ideal for any student seeking a high percentile Math score on the SAT who has already begun the process of preparing for the exam. Advance registration is required. Register through our Student Information Form and specify the Advanced SAT Math Master Class. We will reply to registrants by email with the invitation to this Zoom seminar. ABOUT YOUR TEACHER: Kaeti Stoss combines her interest in science with her passion for education. When not teaching students, she helps develop Chariot Learning’s research-based curriculum. Kaeti loves seeing the…