How to Improve Your Child's Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Score

When I first took the Scholastic Aptitude Test, otherwise known as S.A.T. exam, I was scared out of my mind. I had studied hard, sure. But when I received my score on my practice SAT exam, it was far lower than expected. But, with a little help from my parents and a private tutor, I was able to score more than 200 points higher when I finally took my exam. Here are the tips to change your child's life forever and have him or her get into the college of their dreams.

For most children, they excel in either math or English but not both. Some children may struggle in both areas but it is rare for a child to be equally good in both areas of the test. The logic states that a child can be good in the humanities like English and history but is usually weaker when it comes to math and science. The best and also free tip is to simply read more! I know this may sound simple, maybe even boring and useless but trust me, it is perhaps the most important and useful thing your child can do to prepare for this exam.

The best things to read are the New York Times newspaper or New York Times Magazine. If you don't have a subscription, you can have your child read the articles online through their website for free. The New York Times is an international newspaper that people around the world read. The level of grammar and the type of words used are much stronger and tougher to understand than your ordinary newspaper. Very often, intelligent readers don't know what certain words mean. That is how you build your vocabulary and understanding of more words. By reading words which don't know their meaning, you can interpret their meaning by interpreting what the sentence is trying to say. The best piece of advice is to work with your children as they read each sentence of the magazine or newspaper, and make sure they understand what they are reading. If they come across a word you think they don't know or understand, don't let them skip that sentence. Make them try and figure out what that word means and what that sentence is trying to tell the reader. This is the best way of building your child's vocabulary and helping them do better on the verbal part of the SAT exam.

You can also have your child read as much as possible. This could mean reading sports articles online or in the newspaper. By simply reading more, you develop an ability to read faster and understand sentences quicker because your brain can process thoughts quicker by reading more.

Now, you might ask the question: What if my child can't find anything interesting to them? That's a great question and I'm glad you asked. If your child can't find anything interesting to them, make them read it anyway. On the Scholastic Aptitude Test, almost every essay and article they will have to read in the test will be dry and extremely boring. Some children have even fell asleep reading such articles during the test because they are so boring. Other kids read these boring stories and can't understand what they mean because they can't comprehend the meaning of the story since it isn't interesting to them. By reading stories that aren't interesting, you can gain real experience and practice for the exam.