The Test-Prep Course for the SSAT is a 14-hour enrichment course designed to provide students in grades 5 – 7 with additional skills and test-taking strategies necessary to build confidence and score up to their potential on the very difficult Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). It was designed to help students become better prepared, to alleviate excessive fear and test anxiety, and to help parents and students establish realistic goals. In this course the test-taking and thinking strategies are taught explicitly using direct instruction. Students are taught to think like effective test-takers. The skills taught in this course will also help students score higher on other tests they will be taking in the years to come.
Experience has shown that most students expect the private school entrance tests to be similar to the standardized achievement tests they have been taking since the first grade (i.e. SAT, CTBS, ITBS). The big surprise is that SSAT tends to be much more rigorous than expected and likely includes some unfamiliar sections. Many students, even the brighter ones, experience a sense of panic before and during this test. It is not uncommon for such feelings to adversely affect their performance on this test. One of the purposes of The Test-Prep Course is to deal with this issue and help the students know what to expect. Knowing what to expect will build confidence and help each student put his/her best foot forward when taking the SSAT.
For the most part, test preparation courses have been devoid of one important aspect–direct instruction. Many concentrate on practice, practice, practice without showing students specific and effective strategies to use to answer the questions. Test-taking skills and strategies must be taught in a clear, concrete and meaningful way before they can be practiced. The Test-Prep Course for the SSAT does this for all five sections of the SSAT.
The Test–Prep Course teaches the language of the SSAT. Many researchers have highlighted the importance of helping students become very aware of test-–specific vocabulary (Allen, 2002, Green and Milton, 2007, Calkins, Montgomery and Santman, 1998.) Students deserve to have better tools to strategically and successfully navigate the SSAT and be given the opportunity to show their best thinking on this very important test. Helping students understand a test’s unique characteristics increases the likelihood that they will approach the testing situation with confidence and a clear sense of purpose.
The SSAT contains some sections on which students typically have not had much experience. These include the sentence completion and analogy parts of the verbal section, problem solving on the quantitative section and writing an essay on a specified topic in a timed situation. The Test-Prep Course for the SSAT provides students with strategies and an understanding of these sections and includes a variety of sample practice questions to give them the needed experience. This understanding will allow the test results to reflect a more accurate picture of each student’s true ability or in other words to help them "show what they know." |
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The Test Prep Course for the SSAT is offered after school one day per week for seven weeks in 2-hour classes. Since the majority of entrance tests are given in the fall, The Test Prep Course for the SSAT is only offered in the fall of each school year. The enrollment is typically limited to 12 students per instructor. With a second instructor the course has been taught to 24 students using a team teaching approach. Sections of sample admission tests are administered to help students become familiar with the test format and the difficulty level of the questions. A wide variety of activities and games are used to reinforce the skills while keeping the students actively involved and making the learning experience fun.
The Test Prep Course for the SSAT will help students:
- Gain insight into the test organization, layout, format, types of questions, and time constraints on the SSAT.
- Learn to use the difficulty level of the questions to their advantage.
- Understand the test language of the SSAT (test-specific vocabulary)
- Know how and when to use test directions.
- Develop the proper mental and psychological attitude toward the SSAT.
- Learn how to move back and forth between the test section and the answer sheet without losing their place.
- Know what to do when there is a guessing penalty.
- Use process of elimination
- Learn to make intelligent guesses.
- Learn to avoid test traps on all sections of the SSAT.
- Detect and eliminate distractors on all sections of the SSAT.
- Manage their testing time wisely and develop an “internal clock” so pacing each timed section becomes manageable.
- Balance speed and accuracy.
- Learn to identify if a comprehension question is general or specific.
- Learn techniques to quickly answer reading comprehension questions.
- Learn strategies for answering synonym questions.
- Learn how to solve 2 and 3 step analogies.
- Learn quantitative strategies.
- Develop an effective “game plan” for taking the various sections of the SSAT.
- Improve essay writing techniques.
- Develop stamina to sustain their concentration throughout a long and demanding testing situation.
- Use effective interview techniques.
- Reduce test anxiety.
- And much more!
| Unit #1 |
Overview of the SSAT
Sections of the SSAT
Difficulty Level of the Questions
Tips for Taking the SSAT
Guessing on the SSAT
The Guessing Penalty
Tips for Interviewing
Possible Interview Question |
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| Unit #2 |
Verbal Section of the SSAT
(Two types of Vocabulary Questions–Synonym Questions and Analogy Questions)
Synonym Questions
Three Levels of Questions
Good Word/Bad Word Strategy
Break the Word into Parts Strategy
Look for a Small Word Strategy
Tips for Answering Synonym Questions
Traps to Avoid
More Traps to Avoid
Don’t Lose Your Head Game
The Types of Synonym Questions on the SSAT
SSAT Synonym Practice Test
Analogy Questions
Two Word and Three Word Analogies
What’s the Connection
Top 15 Analogy Types
The Bridge Sentence
A Reverse Order Bridge Sentence
2 Step Analogy
3 Step Analogy
When to Use Step #3
Analogy Trap
Throat Grabbers in Analogy Questions
SSAT Analogy Practice Test
Analogy Knockdown Game |
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| Unit #3 |
Reading Comprehension Section of the SSAT
Using a Reading Game Plan
How to Identify General Questions
How to Identify Specific Questions
Using the Signal Word Strategy
Using the Reading Game Plan
A Clue for Answering Tone, Attitude, Style and Mood
Questions
Reading Comprehension Tips
Dart Wars Games
SSAT Practice Reading Comprehension Test |
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| Unit #4 |
Quantitative Sections of the SSAT
Types of Math Questions
Math Tips
Throat Grabbers to Avoid
Types of Math Questions on the SSAT
SSAT Quantitative Practice Test
Math Hoops Game |
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| Unit #5 |
Writing Sample for the SSAT
Indication of How Well You Write
3 Parts of the Writing Sample (Essay)
Pointers for the Writing Sample
Use 6 Steps to Write Your Essay
Guidelines for Writing the Essay
SSAT Essay Practice Test I
SSAT Essay Practice Test II |
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| Unit #6 |
Tips for Taking the SSAT
General Tips
Time Tips
Bubbling in Tips
Test Anxiety Tips
Following Directions Tips
Guessing Tips
What to bring to the SSAT
What not to bring to the SSAT
What to do on test day
What not to do on test day
True / False Test |
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The Teacher’s Manual for the Test-Prep Course for the SSAT has over 225 pages of easy to follow, teacher-friendly and detailed lesson plans, plus transparencies or Power Point CD, as well as brain-friendly games and activities. The course includes explicit and direct instructional methods using a step by step approach focusing the students’ attention on an immediate goal-- mastery of one targeted strategy at a time. There are in-depth explanations and examples for each of the targeted strategies followed by practice of the strategy.
Students will receive a Test-Prep Course Notebook which includes 90 pages of important information, practical activities and practice questions for the SSAT. |
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