The FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) 2012-2013 is on line

If you have a student who is a senior, than you already have heard from the college or university’s Financial Aide office how important it is to fill out the 2012-2012 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form.

FAFSA is a crucial Application and so most colleges will not award any aid monies (grants, scholarships, etc.) if the form is not in the student’s file.  There is much confusion regarding this form including who should fill it out, and the form itself is time-consuming.  The bottom line is, if you have a son or daughter going to college, you need to fill out this form out.

Even if parents intend to foot the college bill, the form needs to be  filled out as it can allow the university to award monies to the student that are not required to be paid back to the institution .  For example; grants, merit scholarships, specific scholarships for a major, etc.  By not filling out the form, your student may miss out on getting some type of aid and saving you money.

If your son or daughter has already received an award letter that states he or she has been given a scholarship, make sure you read the fine print.  Most letters state that there is a requirement to submit the FAFSA before the student can get the monies offered.

Do not call the Financial Aid Office to ask for help filling out the form.  The schools count on parents being naive about the form, and they want to keep it that way.  If the form is filled out incorrectly, your student may be missing out on thousands of dollars in aid.

There are numerous web sites you can go to find out how to fill out the form.  Be wary of any that charge, however the form is free to fill out; you can print it out and mail it or download it.  I found one site helpful; http://www.fafsaonline.com/fafsa-form/  as it actually breaks to form down to sections and gives you pointers on important areas.

Of course, http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ is where you go to fill out the actual form for free; it is the government website that handles the form.

One of the biggest things I learned is that the FAFSA is not like a home loan application.  You need to be as realistic as possible when providing information related to household income, finances, and assets.  Unlike home loans, where everyone tries to bolster the value of their home on paper, the FAFSA’s purpose is to determine how much the student’s family can contribute to the college bill.  Be realistic about your home’s worth in the current down market.

The second fact I learned is that the typical CPA or financial adviser is not any more knowledgeable about the form than you are.  If you insist on getting help, make sure the person you hire is a financial adviser with FAFSA expertise.

If you have other children who are waiting their turn to graduate, you might consider reading Princeton Review’s book: Paying for College without Going Broke.  This book  gives you advice on how to set long-term strategies for saving for college, how much you can expect to pay for your student’s tuition, and how to increase the odds of your student receiving aid.  The authors share advice on how to compare award letters from different universities, and they encourage you to always ask for more money.  You have nothing to lose by calling the Financial Aid Director of the institution your student wants to attend, and making an appointment.  Many schools will give an additional $500-$1000 dollars a year just because the student or parent called and asked.

Remember to do your taxes early this year, so you can get the FAFSA done and out-of-the-way.  Then all your student has to do is wait for award letters to come in early March and April.  Good Luck.

Here are more vocabulary words to study:

1. Unassailable (adj.) not open to attack, not liable to doubt or question

2. Uncanny (adj.) difficult to explain, weird

3. Unfrock (verb) to defrock, to remove from a position of honor or privilege

4. Unctuous (adj.) oily; slippery; smug

5. Uncouth (adj.) awkward; clumsy

Word Count: 705/3,000

 

A Must Read: What High Schools Don’t Tell You (And Other Parents Don’t Want You to Know)

Browsing through the book store in the education reference section is where I found this informative book that was full of pearls of wisdom for parents and students.

What High Schools Don’t Tell You (And Other Parents Don’t Want You To Know) by Elizabeth Wissner-Gross is a must read for any parent who has a student seeking to get into a top college or selective university.  The author reveals 309 secrets that can help students starting from 7th grade, set long-term goals to help get them in to top schools.

This is the book our parents group uses to help their high achievers stay competitive for merit scholarships and  selective summer programs, and to  become aware of  local and national extra-curricular programs  that will give them an edge when applying to highly selective colleges and universities.

Every parent should have this book in their home library and should read it the minute their son or daughter sets foot in middle school.  The author is not kidding when she says that the information in this book is not readily shared by parents who are in the know, and most counselors simply do not have the time to disseminate so much material.

Some of the secrets revealed are:

1. Parents need to help their teen identify their dreams, passions as early as 7th or 8th grade.

2. Summers activities do make a difference in the college admissions process

3. Talent Searches: most parents of gifted children are unaware of the four universities in the country that offer talent search programs and its significance for the college bound

The book is quite easy to follow, and you can skip sections and still learn quite a bit.  However, I recommend you read it cover to cover; you will be surprised at what you don’t know the college admissions process.  Call your local library and put it on hold, drive to your nearest bookstore, or buy it online.  You need to read this book.

In the meantime, here are five more words for your high school student to ponder:

1. Ubiquitous (adj.) existing or being everywhere at the same time; widespread

2. Ulterior (adj.) further, future; more distant

3. Ultimatum (noun) a final proposition, condition, or demand

4. Umbrage (noun) shade, shadow; hint, suspicion; offense

5. Unanimity (noun) quality or state of being unanimous

Word Count: 700/3,000

Helicopter Parents: so what’s the problem?

Helicopter parent is a phrase that has become part of our language in the 21st century. It describes parents who hover over their children and make decisions for them and help fight their battles. Usually, I hear the phrase more on college campus tours as parents are more involved in their teen’s life when it comes to academics and the college admissions process. These parents do not let their teen do it alone, they supervise and redirect when necessary. So what is so wrong with that; isn’t that just part of being a caring, involved parent?

I hear it from our son’s counselor at school, from college admission officers and from friends. You need to stop hovering over your son, let him be, he will find his way, really! But let’s face the facts, teens are more interested in sports, dating, gaming or surfing the internet. If you want them to succeed in school and prep for college entrance exams; then you need to get involved.

 Our oldest son is now a senior in high school and is looking pretty good in terms of being selected for admission to highly selective schools. He was selected as a National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalist. He also stands a good chance of getting full or partial scholarships from highly ranked schools. However, do not think it was just his innate ability to well in school that got him to where he is today. When he is feeling honest, he will tell you that, if left to his own devices, he would have missed many a school day, forgotten to do homework, not studied for exams, or prepped for the PSAT, ACT or SAT. Parenting does not stop when they reach middle school, and if anything, teens need their parents more in high school. As school work gets harder and takes up more of their time, hormones are raging and responsibilities increase. It’s no surprise most teens are at a loss where to start with the college admissions process.

So it is no wonder that the College Board cited a Harvard Family Research Project finding that: teens whose parents play an active role do better in school and are more likely to enroll in college. Unfortunately, families tend to become less involved as their children progress through middle and high school. Your teenager might even welcome your participation. The College Board and the Art & Science Group found that almost 30 percent of college-bound seniors surveyed wished their parents did more to help them look for and apply to colleges. Only 6 percent wanted their parents to do less. 

To read the full article go to www.collegeboard.com/parents/plan/getting-ready/155044.html , and you can also take the College Board Quiz to see if you are too involved in your student’s college admissions process. In the meantime, here are some more words to help your teen build up his/her vocabulary:

1. Threadbare (adj.) shabby

2. Thrive (verb) to flourish, prosper, succeed

3. Tirade (noun) lengthy speech, harshly censorious language

4. Tier (noun) row or rank

5. Titanic (adj.) huge, having a great magnitude

Word Count 695/3,000

Seniors: Make sure all the colleges you apply to have all your ACT/SAT scores

It never occurred to my husband and me that we needed to follow-up with college admission offices after our son took the ACT and SAT exams.  As any high school student who has sat for the college entrance exams will attest, he/she has provided the ET or College Board with the names of schools that should get their scores.  Only a small percentage of students choose to wait until they know their scores before deciding to send them on to their chosen schools. 
No matter what, the trust is there that the scores are sent to the colleges of choice and that the admission offices will receive the scores and file them.

Well, you could imagine our surprise when we took our son to a college visit, met the admissions officer assigned to our area, and found out that only one of the ACT scores was on file.  Our son had taken the exam in December 2010 and in Feb 2011, and the only score the school had was the one from December.  The problem for my son was that he did extremely well on the Feb test. 

My son panicked and asked “Do I need to take the ACT again?”  The admissions officer recommended we call the ACT Testing and try to find out if the scores were sent.  One call to ACT started a ping pong game as I was told the scores were sent, and the school admissions staff insisted the scores were not sent.  After several calls, I decided to call the other 3 schools on the list that were supposed to get the Feb scores; none of these schools had received the scores either. 

I was about to go ballistic with ACT customer service when a very friendly and competent admissions officer at a Midwest university told me she would check her hard copies of the ACT results.  It seems that all colleges/universities get their scores electronically but many schools also ask for paper results.  The admissions officer was able to find my son’s Feb scores and enter them manually into their computer file of prospective students.

I called the university that started this roller coaster and told the admissions officer that the scores had been sent, but none of the schools had received them electronically and they needed to check their paper copies.  I was told the school did not receive paper copies of college entrance exam results, and I felt my blood pressure go up.  I insisted on speaking to a supervisor, and I explained the problem all over again.  The young lady was courteous and assured me that she would look into it and get in touch with me by e-mail by the end of the day.

After all was said and done, she located my son’s Feb scores and assured me in writing they were in his file at the admissions office.  There was no way we were going through this again so my husband and I called all the colleges my son was planning to apply and checked to make sure all his SATscores were in.

I cannot help but imagine: what if the school never saw his second ACT score.  As a very selective university it could have meant a no acceptance letter in the mail next April.

So seniors and parents of seniors beware; even though college testing services send scores as promised and college/university admission offices start files on students and gather data.  Mistakes happen in our not so perfect technically advanced world.  Call the schools and make sure your student’s scores are in!

While you make a list of schools to call, have your son/daughter work on vocabulary:

1. Throng (noun) a large group of people; a large number

2. Thwart (verb) to oppose or baffle, to prevent from happening

3. Tier (noun) a row, rank or layer of articles

4. Timorous (adj.) fearful; expressing or suggesting timidity

5. Tinge (noun) a slight trace, stain; to affect or modify in character

Word Count: 690/3,000

Just How Impoprtant Is The PSAT/NMSQT?

This coming fall, over 1, 500, 00 high school juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT, can compete for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program.  I find that most high school students in their freshman or sophomore year do not know the significance of this exam nor are well prepared to sit for it.

If you do not believe me, just stand outside your son/daughter’s high school when the bell rings and take a poll.  You are lucky if you get a dozen or so students that know the test only counts when taken the junior year, and that you can qualify to be a National Merit Semi-finalist.  The most frequent answer you will get is that it is a practice test; the important test is the SAT.

I know for a fact that my son heard from teachers at his high school last year, that the PSAT was just a practice test, no need to worry and he was very surprised, considering how much his Dad and I have been preaching to him about the importance of preparing for the exam.  Until we started working with our son, we did not know that the PSAT was more than a practice test for the SAT.  We are surprised the test was not emphasized more than it was.

First did you know that each state has a magic number you need to score in order to achieve Semi-finalist status?  Finding the cut off scores is not found on the College Board site, but some prep books will list them.  My son used Princeton Review: Cracking the PSAT Book and it has a section in the book detailing the significance of the test, and how the previous year’s test takers determine the score needed in each state to achieve semi-finalist status.

A Second less known fact is that a perfect score or index on the PSAT is 240.  In some states, a 201 (Wyoming) or higher will give you a crack at a semi-finalist status.  You might live in a state where students usually achieve higher scores and you need a 221 (Maryland) or higher.  Each year PSAT index scores for individual states change but not by much.

When our son started studying for the PSAT he knew he had to get a 210 or higher, so he had a goal to reach.  Now you know what most prep books will tell you, but there’s more to the PSAT.  You see when high school juniors take the PSAT it is the first time that nationally all juniors in the country can be ranked, in other words compared against each other in their state and the nation.  On any given year in October, the PSAT is given, to roughly 1,500,000 students who sign up for the exam.  The following fall, in their senior year, 50,000 students qualify for National Merit Program Recognition and will receive one of two letters.  A Letter of Commendation or a letter stating they qualified as semifinalists for the National Merit Award.  About 2/3 of the students who made the cut off index will receive a letter of commendation as they are in the 95th-99th percentile.  About 16,000 students in the upper 99th percentile in their states will be National Merit Semifinalist.

Usually the majority of semifinalists go on to qualify as finalists if they submit a packet they get in September that has 7 requirements.  Now this is where reading the Official Student Guide to the PSAT given to a high school junior when registering for the test comes in handy.  Did you know that one of the requirements is that you take the SAT exam and earn scores that reflect your PSAT /NMSQT scores?

I found out that not all students who excel in the PSAT take the SAT.  For example, I met a young lady from Texas who was a Semifinalist but never sent in her packet because she did not know about the SAT requirement.  She took the ACT and aced it, and saw no reason to take the SAT.  When she got the packet in the mail that September, she realized she did not have enough time to prep for the SAT, and decided not to bother with applying for finalist status.

Don’t count on your high school counselor getting all these details to you.  Read the Official Student Guide when you son/daughter brings it home.  Now if, your son/daughter is not a high achiever and is not dreaming of going to Yale or Harvard or very selective state schools then he/she is ok to take the test and not to worry.  However, if you have a student who has the potential to go to a selective or very selective university then you need to know another fact about the PSAT.

The College Board releases the results of the PSAT to colleges and universities usually in the summer to schools that your student has expressed an interest in or schools that match the major your son/daughter identified in the registration form.  Some schools such as MIT reach out to students who are in the 99th percentile and get invited to special programs.  This happened to our son earlier this month; he received an invitation to attend a fall program at MIT with all expenses paid, so he could find out if MIT is for him.  The Dean of  Admissions at MIT sent him a letter congratulating him on his score on the PSAT and felt he had what it took to excel at their school.  So the PSAT puts high achieving students with high scores on the radar of very selective and selective universities.  Our local state university, which has a very selective admission criteria and great Honors College, has our son on their radar.  One of the admissions officer has already contacted the high school to get more information on him.

The importance of the PSAT/NMSQT cannot be overly stressed.  It is the test to get your student noticed earlier on, and if a student preps well for this test, it is a prediction of how well they will do on the SAT.  If you add a zero to 240 you get 2400, and that is a perfect SAT score.  So whatever scores your son or daughter received just add a zero and potentially what they will get on the SAT.  Of course, there is always the student who gets a 195 or 201 on the PSAT then decides to buckle down and study for the SAT and gets a 2100 or 2200 which is great except that he/she missed the first wave of the radar by the Ivies, and selective schools.  The student who got a 2100 on the SAT could have received a 210 on the PSAT and the student who got a 2200 on the SAT could have scored a 220 on the PSAT and probably National Merit Finalist status.

If you have a high school student who will be a junior this fall, then get them to read this blog.  They still have 3-4 months to study for the PSAT and aim for the best possible score.  This fall juniors only have one crack at this test and they should not let this window of opportunity pass them by.  National Merit Finalists tend to get full or partial scholarships so it’s worth the time and energy.

I will share what worked with us; study with your student, make a study schedule, get the whole family involved.  Our younger son was so impressed by his brother’s college and special program solicitations, that he joined a local PSAT study group this summer.  Although he is an upcoming sophomore student, he will take the PSAT for practice in the fall as his high school makes all 10th graders take the test, he wants to do well.  I think he is trying to beat his brother’s score.  Hey, whatever works?

So before you go out to buy PSAT study materials, check out the next 5 words a day vocabulary words and have your high schooler write them down:

1. Tenet (noun) position; doctrine

2. Tepid (adj.) lukewarm; not very strong

3.  Therapeutic (adj.) curing

4. Tenure (noun) a position or an office; grasp, hold

5. Termagant (noun) cap; an overbearing or nagging woman, shrew

Word Count: 685/3,000

The SAT Experience

On a Saturday, 2 weeks ago, thousands of high school juniors around the nation took the SAT college entrance exam.  The June SAT is the most popular college entrance exam for juniors who will be seniors in the fall.  The majority of juniors take the exam with hardly any preparation, just to see how they will do, a practice run.  Good idea?  Not really.

All you need to do is stand at the exit doors of any high school or testing site and watch the faces of the kids walking out the door, to know they have just been through intellectual hell and back.  I speak from experience, as I was there to pick up my son and his friend after 3 hours and 45 minutes of a cerebral workout.  I wish I had taken pictures of the facial expressions that walked by me.  I saw  bowed heads, frowns, disgust, fear, and worst of all a look of shell shock. 

Many of the parents waiting would walk over to their teens and ask “How did it go?” and the most common response was “I don’t want to talk about it, let’s just go home” or “It was horrible, I know I’ll have to take it again.”  There was an occasional smile, a student who must have known what to expect, had prepped and went into battle ready for whatever the ETS (Education Testing Service) had created.  Of all the hundreds of students who walked by me, there was only a handful of them. 

As my son walked toward me, I held my breath and prayed he had a good day.  He was walking slowly and when he saw me he made eye contact and smiled.  I exhaled a sigh of relief; my son has a pretty good sense of how well he does on exams.  As Mike approached me, he gave me his calculator and snack bag and told me he had answered all the questions before the time ran out and even got to finish the essay.  I gave him a big hug.  It wasn’t a football or basketball game where he made the winning point it, was better than that; my son had survived the dreaded SAT exam and felt he had done pretty well.

Even Mike’s friend felt the exam was not as bad as the practice test he had taken a few weeks ago at school.  He had worked on relaxing more and trusting his gut instincts and not dwelling on questions that were too difficult to answer.  He admitted he had between four and six Math problems that he was clueless how to answer or went blank.  Overall, my son’s schoolmate felt that he would get a decent score.

In spite of both the boys stating that they felt good about their efforts, I knew they were still stressed, maybe not as bad as most of the other students, but they still needed to depressurize.  Perhaps this is one of the rites of passage for teenagers; learning how to deal with a stressful situation and recover from it afterwards.  Therefore, I gave them both a hug for a job well done and took them to lunch to celebrate.  In the car, I tried not to say anything as they started going through the test.  They needed to talk about it obviously, needed to find out which questions were too easy and which was were just too darn hard and which ones were traps put in by the SAT test makers to ensure no one gets a perfect score (according to my son).  

I think taking your teen with a friend to take the SAT is a great idea and then going on an outing afterwards, can help each other unwind.  No matter how well a teen has prepared, the test takes its toll.  It is a test of mental stamina.  Another good idea is to not bring up the next test date or schedule another test for the following week; “too much too soon.”  Teens need to recover from the SAT and have enough time pass before taking the test again; he/she needs the day of the test to be a faint memory.  That is why we told our son if he had to take another college entrance exam it would be in the fall; and this way he would have time to prep and by then he would be mentally ready to go through it again.

Of course, as a parent you feel you need to say something after your child walks out of the building looking bewildered and lost.  Sharing others’ experiences, maybe your own can help lighten the mood.  You could point out that he/she survived the test.  I would not be surprised to find out that some students go back to school with a T-shirt stating “I took the SAT and survived”.  In fact, why not surprise your teen with one or a small gift, a token to show him or her how proud you are of them.  After all you’re teen could have waited until fall to take the test, knowing he/she would not be able to take it again or take the other test, the ACT.  I’m just giving ammunition to those parents who need to help their teen recover from a hellish morning.

However, after a week or so has gone by, it will be time to have that discussion about test prep with your teen.  You don’t need to say “I told you so,” but you can say “now you know why some students take prep courses or buy test prep books.  Do you want to do something like that?”  There is nothing like the first SAT test experience to open a teen’s eyes to either how ready they are for college or how much they still need to learn.

Oh, and while you are having that discussion about test prep for the SAT, do not forget to encourage vocabulary building and have a look at the words for today:

1. Tedium (noun) being dull, wearisome
2. Temerity (noun) unreasonable or foolhardy
3. Temperate (adj.) moderate, mild, benign
4. Tenable (adj.) defensible, reasonable
5. Tenacious (adj.) determined, tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance

Word Count 680/3,000

Gifted Student = Great ACT/SAT Scores?

I get asked quite often if the reason my son Mike earned a high score on the ACT was because he is gifted.  Two years ago, when he was a freshman in high school I would have said of course gifted students score high on college entrance exams.  Now I know better.  When we started on the journey with our son to get him ready for college, we knew the ACT and SAT exams would play a vital part in his quest for the right university.  We assumed like most parents of gifted students with 4.0 GPA and a high IQ that he would score in the 99th percentile in both these exams.  After all, that is what he did on his yearly scholastic exams, state required graduation tests and most standardized test given to him at school. 

However, as my husband, a former college test prep instructor, pointed out to my son “it is not what you know as much as how well do you know the test structure and strategy”, so to prove the point we gave Mike a practice ACT.  This entailed a copy of a past exam under testing conditions.  We booked a room at the local library, and my husband proctored the test.  Mike took the practice test at 9 AM, and it lasted a little over 3 hours.  He had one break halfway through the test.  He brought only materials permitted by ACT testing folks in terms of pencils, calculators, no phone, no stop watch with a noise etc.  After the test, Mike had a meltdown.  He was unable to finish all the sections and thought that the Science section was unfair as he had not studied some of the material in school.  He scored a composite 26, which is not bad at all.  This score would get him into most universities.  Mike swore the test was evil, and the people who came up with this torture device for teens should be put behind bars.  Mike stated he wanted no part of any college or university that required this test as part of the admissions requirement.  His dad pointed out that left only a small percentage of schools to choose from, none of which were on his list.

We let Mike calm down and after a few days, my husband sat down with him and explained why he was not able to do well on the exam.  He reviewed the strategies of time management and the areas of reading and scientific reasoning section, and why it seemed so frustrating.  The answers to the Scientific Reasoning are all there as it is a reading test, not a science test, you just need to be able to interpret data, and there hence is why it is called a Scientific Reasoning section.  My husband had to get our gifted son who prides himself on intellectual prowess to admit that it was not a question of not being smart enough; it was all about not having prepped for taking this type of exam.  My husband pointed out that he did what most gifted students do, take the exam expecting to score in the high 30’s and taking the test over and over to see how high the score can go.  Statistically, it can only go up 1-2 points if you do not prep for the exam.  So after much deliberation, Mike agreed to prep.  We got him a copy of Cracking the ACT by Princeton Review and asked him to read all the sections and do the drills. 

Many parents buy their students prep books and leave it up to them to study the material.  We knew our son, so we constantly got on him top prep and reminded him that we would give him another practice test, under testing conditions and that if he indeed prepped for the exam, the score should go up.  That was our expectation and we made sure he studied the book and did the drills.  On the next practice test Mike got a 30 Composite.  He went up 4 points just from reading the general test taking strategies and the scientific reading section. 

It was hard to convince our son he needed to review the English and Reading sections as he is an avid reader, and a great writer but he relented when my husband pointed out that the test takers do not expect many students to get perfect scores.  For Mike that was a challenge.  We gave him a 3rd practice test amid protest of robbing him of a Saturday and leisure time.  He scored a 33 and even before we scored the exam he knew he had done well.  Now we knew he was ready to take the official test and so did Mike.  Our son knew the test back and forth and knew the areas he could have time trouble with and he took the recommendations given in the test prep book to heart.  Yes, he did take the exam 3 times before the official time but those scores will never be seen in his official transcript and he was able to study in between exams, each time with a different goal.  The day of the official test he walked out with a smile and said “I had plenty of time, and did not have to guess at any of the answers so I either did very well or I had no clue.”  He got a perfect score on the Math and Scientific Reasoning sections.  He scored a Composite score of 35. 

I am sure being gifted accounts for Mike scoring higher than average students, but prepping for the test correctly is the only way to insure that a gifted student does exceptionally well.  I speak to numerous parents with gifted students whose son/daughter seem stuck around 28-29 on the test and they feel they could do better, especially when they are applying to Ivy schools where the competition is fierce.  I strongly suggest enrollment in a prep course or do you prep at home with parental assist.  Even gifted students need help mastering the ACT/SAT. 

Mike is taking the SAT in June.  We have done the same type of test prep with him.  He also studies vocabulary as this is his weakness, and the vocabulary on the SAT is undeniably more advanced.  On the last practice test Mike got a 2250, for Reading he got a 760 and for Math 790 which is 1550 out of a possible 1600.  When he first took a practice exam without prepping he got 1250 in Math and Reading combined.  He feels he is ready.  He found reading Up Your Score, a prep book for the SAT, quite helpful and actually read it cover to cover.

Gifted or not, every teen needs to build their vocabulary to be fit for college, here are some more words to torture your teenager with:

1  Taut (adj.) tidy, having no give or slack

 2. Talisman (noun) an object providing magical effects, a charm that supposedly brings good fortune

3. Tawdry (adj.) cheap and gaudy

4. Tawny (adj.) of a warm sandy color, tan in color

5. Tedious (adj.) tiresome, boring

Word Count: 675/3,000

Good Reads: A free online reading log

I recently went to the library and noticed a lady looking into a binder she was holding near the “New Books” shelf.  Being very curious, I inched closer and saw that the binder contained lists of books.  I immediately asked her about her binder.  She explained she keeps a typed catalogue of all the books she has read, and then brings it with her to the library.  She then went on to explain the benefits of having a reading log.

She felt the most important benefit for keeping a reading log; was that you don’t check out a book in a series you already read.  You also will know the exact spelling of a favorite author or which author you have not read in a while.  She then proceeded to give me a demonstration of the sections of her book log and how easy to put one together.  The most notable thing she said to me was that she was able to see how many books she read each year, I liked that part.

So when I got home I went on Goggle and see if there were any free reading logs available to print out, why re-invent the wheel?  Instead, I found sites for free online reading logs.  I tried them all out and checked to see how user-friendly they were.  I found one I instantly loved, that was www.goodreads.com.  This site is wonderful.  You put in the title of your book or author if you cannot remember the title.  You click on your book and fill in several columns, none of the columns are required but are very helpful such as; if you read the book, the date your started reading it, the date you finished reading it, the genre, and comments if you choose to make some.

The site allows for a printer friendly version you can put in a binder, on a clip board or refrigerator.  The best part is the printed version shows the books by title and book covers.  So I signed up for free and got my two teens, to do so as well.  Now I have a way to know how many books my teens are reading and how long it takes them to finish a book.  It also has trivia questions on books you have read which helps with reading comprehension.  If your teen has read the book, and cannot answer any of the trivia questions then you need to find out why.  My youngest son Joe did not initially like the idea, but now he likes to go on the website and is thinking of setting a reading goal for him.

Keeping a reading log helps a teen keep track of how much and what they are reading.  It also helps them realize if they are a slow or fast reader, or if they are reading material below grade level.  Reading fast often leads to skimming over words, a habit that usually starts in junior high school or elementary school where students are graded on how many words they read a week or how many books they finish in a semester.

Skimming words and not stopping to look up their meaning can lead to problems with reading comprehension and a limited vocabulary.  The reading sections on the ACT and SAT are not always going to be about vampires, dragons, and wizards.  Our teens need to be comfortable reading long and often dry passages that might not catch their interest, and need an extensive vocabulary.  Encouraging them to keep a reading log helps them to see for themselves how much they are reading.  In some cases, a teen’s reading log might show a parent how limited their teen’s reading preference is, and some discussion can take place to encourage the teen to expand their reading choices.  After you get your teen to register on www.Good Reads.com, give them the following vocabulary words to study or review.

1. Taciturn (adj.) quiet; reserved in speech

2. Tangential (adj.) touching lightly, incidental; acting alone

3. Tangible (adj.) palpable; definite

4. Tantalize (verb) to tease or torment by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach

5. Tantamount (adj.) parallel; equivalent in value, significance or effect

Word Count: 670/3,000

Princeton Review: Free SAT Practice Test

Recently my husband and I got an email from our son’s high school counselor notifying us that the school was offering a free Practice SAT Test and all we had to do was sign up online.  The directions told us to go to www.princetonreview.com , and write in SAT in the search menu under “find a course”, and then type in your zip code next to it.  A menu pops up with prep classes they are offering in your area.  So I followed the directions and there was my son’s high school, and the test date for the free practice SAT under a tab “Free Events.”.

Of course, we signed him up right there and then.  We had been helping our son prep for the exam and were not sure if he was ready to take on this intimidating test in his junior year.  We dropped him off at the school that Saturday morning and picked him up 4 hours later.  He took an SAT under testing conditions and even brought home his test booklet to prove it.

The best part is he got his results the following week.  The local Princeton Review center sent a representative to pass out diagnostic assessments on the student exams.  It was impressive.  They took each section of the test and gave you statistics such as; how many answers were wrong, questions left blank, what areas were strong and which ones are weak.

It got even better as his essay was graded by two people and they provided feedback on his writing.  The analysis provided a wealth of information and it was free.  As it turns out our son is more than ready to take the SAT in June.  He has been using Princeton Review: Cracking the SAT and found the book easy to follow and found useful strategies for the reading sections.

So , before you decide to schedule your teenager for a SAT find out if Princeton Review is offering a free practice test in your area or local high school If not talk to your local high school counselors and have them call Princeton Review to see if a free practice test can be set up.

Princeton Review reps do an excellent job letting students and parents know the importance of being prepared to take this college entrance exam.  Yes, they do talk about their tutoring services.  If you do not feel inclined to spend a lot of time with your high schooler to help get him/her ready for test day, then you might want to have Princeton Review do it for you.

Either way taking a free SAT practice test is a must for any high school junior or senior.  It’s also a must to study vocabulary as our son Mike can attest, considering how many words on the test he vaguely knew.

Here, are some new vocabulary words to throw at your teenager:

1. Table (verb) to remove from consideration

2. Taboo (adj.) banned on grounds of morality or taste; forbidden

3. Tact (noun) ability to know what to do to maintain satisfactory relations with others; skill in no offending

4. Tableau (noun) picture, painting

5. Tabula rasa (noun) a clean slate

Word Count 665/3,000

National Geographic Magazine: great night time read for teens

My husband and I always look for opportunities to engage our freshman son in reading activities.  He is doing well his first year in high school and likes Math and Science classes but easily intimidated by English class.  He has convinced himself he is not a strong reader or writer.  No matter what we say, we cannot convince him otherwise.

After working with our oldest in getting ready for the ACT, I noticed that the Scientific Reasoning section and Reading section of the test was giving him a hard time.  Our high school junior was experiencing problems in finishing both these sections.  He also was convinced that he did not know enough science to well on the exam, even though it is a section about scientific reasoning not science per say.  In other words all you need to answer the questions is in the section, like an open book test, you just need to interrupt the data presented to answer the questions. All the kids see is the charts and graphs and they get stressed.

My husband and I realized if our high school junior had read more magazine or newspaper articles that involved charts and graphs he would have felt more comfortable with this section.  So we decided to spare our younger son the aggravation by getting him a gift subscription to National Geographic as he wants to be a Zoologist or Environmentalist.

He received two issues Monday, and I couldn’t believe it, he has been reading the magazine every night.  He loves the colorful pictures but is actually reading the articles and yes, there are charts and graphs.  He is learning about threats to the environment, endangered species, and caves under Paris (I didn’t know that).  So our son the poor reader is actually realizing he is a strong reader.  Tomorrow he plans to take them to study hall to show off to his friends.  You just never know what you kids will do next to surprise you!

So whether its science, art, cars, bugs, fashion, get your teen a magazine subscription to a journal that is written a bit above their reading level and encourage them to read an article or two with charts , graphs or experiments.  Ask questions , act dumb, let your teen explain it to you.  All kids love showing off to their parents and love knowing things adults don’t know.

And while you have his/her attention, give them 5 more vocabulary words to study:

1. Scintillate (v) to sparkle; to emit a quick flash

2. Scoff (v) to make fun of, to show contempt

3. Scotch (v) to suppress, cut; put an end to

4. Scrupulous (adj.) honest; conscientious

5. Scrip (n) a small bag or wallet; a doctor’s prescription; a short writing e.g. a list, schedule

Word Count 660/3,000