Seeking advice on what kind of preparation I have to do for SAT during 9th grade. I need to work on my Reading Comprehension and Writing Narratives. What are some of the activities I could do to make meaningful improvement in those areas.
Thanks.
Take a look at Khan Academy. They offer free SAT prep.
When are you planning on taking the test? If not until your junior year, I don’t think you should be prepping at all. It’s too early. For now, read a lot, do well in school, be sure you are understanding math. That’s what you can do for now.
One thing that we found helpful for reading comprehension - listen to audio books with your family and periodically stop the book so that you can discuss what is happening in the story. While it might seem odd to be listening rather than reading, we found that the discussion was helpful in that different people pick up on different aspects of the story.
Also, try to increase your average reading speed. There are lots of techniques out there but we found the one on Tim Ferriss’ site particularly useful.
Thanks for all responses. Yes, I am not prepping for the test right away. Would like suggestions on how to increase the core skills. Will look into Tim Ferriss’s site.
The SAT measures academic preparation for college. The most important preparation occurs in Hugh school. So, pay attention in class, read the textbook and anything else,complete assignments carefully and by due date, study for tests, earn good grades. Along the way figure out how you study successfully, how you know you have mastered content, how do you measure time usage, work on reading fluency and comprehension.
Best way to practice is to read intensively. Consume books like no tomorrow. Read literary publications. Challenge yourself with difficult books. Practicing now for SAT is kinda pointless since you’ll just be practicing your ability to fill in mc bubbles, while reading will naturally develop your r/w
Read. Trust me. The verbal section is way harder to improve on than the math section. The New York Times and The Economist are great reading material
Honestly, I would just take it with no prep than possibly 1 practice test the week before to know format. That will give you a sense of where you’re going. Your score will go up every year and your comfort level will too if you have exposure. I have a homeschool kid that started taking the ACT in 8th grade. He’s not a natural tester on a timed, bubble format (has hit ceilings of other tests) but that exposure has made a big difference over time. He has raised his scores significantly every year and it is a great position for a final score. As a 9th grader (or younger) you can take it through a talent search.
I do agree reading complex material is very important to building the english/reading skills. Classic literature is great for that. Take rigorous classes. Keep some math review going regularly.