Study Materials Review: The Critical Reader

I’ve been skimming an advance copy of The Critical Reader by Erica Meltzer, and I have concluded that if you want an 800 on the critical reading section of the SAT, this is the book to buy.  It is intended to be a companion volume to The Official SAT Study Guide.  Given that, and the purchase price, it may be the most expensive option out there. 

The book isn’t a quick read, either; it’s 334 dense pages of material and exercises.  You won’t work your way through this book in a week. It will lead you through hours of intense study.

Now, if you’ve read some of my previous blog posts, you might have noticed that I have recommended against spending hundreds of hours preparing for one test.  Have I changed my mind?  Not at all!  Here’s the difference:  while some study guides focus on the test itself with tunnel vision, this book is designed to help you raise your test scores by becoming a more critical reader. The author recognizes that your motivation is to do better on a test; however, she takes the time to explain why the skills measured on the test are important skills for a college student.  Then she teaches you those skills.  Once you have worked your way through this book, you can reap the benefits of being a better reader for the rest of your life! Isn’t that worth a good bit of your time?

If you plan to go to college, get this book.  You will want to work through it before your college entrance exam, so if you are planning to take the test during the next school year, buy the book now and work through it over the summer. This book is also a must-have for test prep coaches.

A note to the high school sophomores

The junior class is currently about 2/3 of the way through the spring testing season and they are STRESSED.  Spring is a crazy time of year:  AP exams are looming and teachers are assigning projects. Then there are rehearsals for the spring musical, practices for spring sports, and, oh yeah: prom. Most of this is all packed into April and May.  Add in an April ACT exam or a May SAT and something's not going to get the full attention it needs.

This year I had hardly any March SAT students*; everyone signed up for the May SAT instead. I'm juggling 20+ students and so far most of them have had to cancel at least one session, and only two are consistently completing their test prep "homework." Now I'm not one of those companies that makes you pay for your sessions whether they happen or not, and if you don't do your homework, there  are no repercussions.  However, most of these students will not do as well as they were hoping to do on the next SAT.  Instead of being finished with testing in spring of junior year, many of them will elect to take an August or fall test as well.

Often this can be avoided with a little bit of planning, so sophomores, listen up!  When you are a junior take the January SAT at the latest. If you have already completed precalculus, then a junior year fall test is even better. Your scores will come back by the first half of February.  If you will need to retest, sign up for the March test.  I know it feels like you will have more time to prepare if you push the test out until May, but that is an illusion.  Not only will April be too busy to devote the time to test prep, but you will be distracted by other things and you won't study as efficiently.

As for the ACT, a lot depends on when (or even whether) you take precalculus.  North Carolina juniors  in public school will take an ACT in February or March.  If you decide to retest, you will need to consider whether to take the June or July test or wait until September.

*This year sleet and freezing rain pushed the January SAT to February 16. Scores didn't come back in time for students to take the March test.  "The best laid plans..." It was a good reminder that postponing all testing until senior year is dangerous because you never know when some outside event will come along to wreck your plans.