Best PSAT Prep Materials

[Janice in NJ]

OK. Older ds took a PSAT diagnostic test this morning. Barron's prep book (Are they really easy?). No prep ahead of time; he went in cold. Let's just say that his reading and writing scores surprised the momma. It's good. I just had no idea. His math score was actually his lowest score - by quite a bit; he's forgotten most of his geometry. But I know how to help him review that. For this kid that will be the easy part. I just didn't think he could do the other sections. No false modesty here AT ALL - he really surprised me. :confused:

OK. So maybe all of these years of "doing hard things" is going to pay off. And maybe he should take this test in the fall. I am not kidding when I say that I honestly had no idea. This home-education thing might actually work. :001_smile: I plan to call the high school next week and see about signing up for the test; he did NOT take a practice test as a sophomore.

Anyway. As usual I need some advice. What are the best prep books to work through - especially if you think the kid might have a shot at knocking the ball over the fence with this one? I just don't know why I thought I was destined to hit foul-balls with this kid forever; sometimes things have looked really bleak around here. Really uninspiring.

And does anyone have a heavy-duty paper-bag that I can use for breathing in and out for the next five months. Honestly. I just don't think that I have the constitution for this kind of thing. My dh took me out to Friday's for a large drink last night and asked me how in the world this could be a problem. Smiling, I said, "I know. Weird huh? I just figured that I would work really, really hard and see how things turned out. Now I just don't know. It looks like he might actually have a shot at this test; I don't want to screw it up."

...and I'm bummin that we have to live in New Jersey. Somehow there is something about it that just doesn't seem fair....

Advice please!

Thanks!
Janice

Enjoy your little people
Enjoy your journey

[readwithem]

Barrons has a reputation for being MUCH harder than the actual test. Congratulations!! That must be really encouraging.

If he's taking the PSAT in October, I wouldn't do too much this summer, maybe read some sections of a prep book *if he wants to do it.* I would start in early Sept. to have him do a few more practice tests, read some strategy tips, incorporate what works for him ;) and throw out the rest.

I would take him to a bookstore and find the book(s) that work for him. My dd learned early on that Barrons was beyond her and she couldn't even make sense of what they were trying to say ;) so for her, Princeton Review worked the best, with Barrons or Sparknotes to possibly fill in the gaps.

My dd found little things worked to help ease her nerves during tests - for her, it was having her hair totally out of her face, having TONS of super sharp pencils, and having a sweater in her backpack :)

[Janice in NJ]

Barrons has a reputation for being MUCH harder than the actual test. Congratulations!! That must be really encouraging.



Thanks. Encouraging. Yes. Right. So why do I feel like I'm going to vomit? :001_smile: My tummy is all kinds of messed up. I just want to take the rest of the day off and go for a walk and re-think a TON of stuff. As I said, I've always had the constitution to work hard; I'm just not sure that I have the ability to translate that into doing well. I had always hoped that they would do well. I guess I just never believed it. It's a odd mental hurdle - hope is always so loose; but actually doing something is an entirely different thing. I wish that this was over. I don't want to believe that this could work because it might not. Then what?

I. Am. An. Absolute. Head. Case.
I want my mommy! :001_smile::001_smile::001_smile:

Thanks for the kind words. As I said, these boards and the fellowship here means so much. I KNOW that I couldn't do this without you guys! I think I'll go brush my teeth for the bazzilionth time today. I don't know what else to do with this angst.

Peace,
Janice

[Cornflower]

Hi Janice,

This is my first post! Anyway I just wanted to mention that Chalk Dust math has an SAT prep course. I think it's about $160.00, but I would think that the re-sale of it would be good. I haven't used it yet but I have a friend who has and said that it was very helpful.

Blessings!
Cornflower (Cindy)

[Brenda in MA]

...and I'm bummin that we have to live in New Jersey. Somehow there is something about it that just doesn't seem fair....

Advice please!

Thanks!
Janice



Janice,

I'm totally with you on this one. The PSAT cut-offs for National Merit Semi-Finalist in MA are also insane. I keep kidding my dh & younger ds that we should move before younger son takes the PSAT.

I'd second the suggestion for the Chalkdust SAT math review. That helped my son with his PSAT math score. Also, the Rocket Review Revolution book (I think Gwen recommended this) has some interesting strategies that help good scores do even better.

HTH,
Brenda