Happy Thanksgiving

We'll be in the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week, but will be out on Thursday and Friday.  We hope all of you have a wonderful, safe Thanksgiving with family and friends.   

Almost Halloween already...

Wow, the year is going by fast. Our student load is growing with each passing week. 

I'm grateful to have help with test prep (SAT & ACT), so that I'm able to spend a bit more time developing test aids.  I'm working on the third edition of the Wise Owl Vocabulary Workbook; I plan to get this one published.  After that, I'm going to analyze math questions, and publish a workbook arranged by category of question.  The grammar one will be last. 

Need tutors

I lost one tutor in May and I'm losing another one in September. I need at least two tutors to replace them.  I'm looking for tutors proficient in the following subjects:  physics, chemistry, calculus, statistics, Spanish, and test prep (SAT/ACT).  If you have experience in any of these areas and are looking for part-time work starting in August, please go to http://wiseowltutoring.net  and contact us.

New SAT Class

We have a large group for the June-July Tuesday evening SAT class. Because the scores were spread out, we divided the class into two groups, moving one group to Thursday. I hope this will make the class better for all the students.

We already have five students in the July Saturday class, a lot this far in advance. So if you've been thinking about that class, better call us soon.

Otherwise, it's been quiet the last couple of weeks. We're using the time to get caught up on the to-do lists.

What I learned from the ACT this morning

Hi there alll,

I sat for the ACT this morning. The room I was in didn't have a clock and guess who forgot a watch?  Yes...me.  Oh well.

The English and Math tests went well--or so I think now. (I might find out otherwise when I get my scores.) Perhaps overconfident, I was enjoying the reading passages, thinking I was using the time well, when the proctor announced "5 minutes remaining."  Yikes!  I was still on the 3rd of 4 passages. I hurried on to the last passage and barely finished. I probably made mistakes because of rushing. Then I think I totall bombed the science. By the time that test began, I was in the "hurry" mindset, and couldn't seem to find my concentration again.

We'll see in a few weeks, but I'm betting that my composite for this test is lower than for last year's test.

Last push for grades this year

Most of you either have already enjoyed spring break or will soon.  After that comes the last push to the end of the year--and the last chance to maintain grades or bring up grades.  If you are a sophomore or junior, you must be aware of the importance of your GPA.  I'm sure you get regular reminders by your parents and teachers.  If you're on the borderline of that next higher grade, a little extra help could make all the difference.  Keep us in mind.  We pride ourselves on being friendly and knowledgeable--and we're affordable.

Also, summer is a great time to do some serious test prep, whether you're taking the SAT or ACT.  We've just recently posted the dates for summer SAT classes on our web site.  WiseOwlTutoring.net   We've added Saturday classes to the schedule again. 8-week class:  $375.  Individual instruction:  $40/hour.

ACT test tip, importance of Vocabulary for SAT

I've noticed that for math questions, often the last answer is the obvious answer. Before evaluating expressions for answers A, B, C, and D, look at answer E and see if it's the obvious answer.

I've been asking students to report vocabulary progress every week.  More than half of my students say, "I didn't get to it this week, but I plan to do more next week."  Not a good answer.  I realize that most students are already overloaded.  But I also realize that critical reading scores are SO dependent on vocabulary that students need to set up a schedule for learning SAT words.  Find 5 minutes a day.