ECLECTIC ARTICLES

Company Offers Unique Resources to Help Improve ACT and SAT Scores

By Kellie Houx

More than five million students will take Scholastic Assessment or American College tests or other college entrance test this year.

Many students take the SAT or ACT during the fall or spring of their junior year and if scores are not high enough for admittance or to compete for scholarships, students can try again in the fall of their senior year.
           
To help improve scores, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions offers test preparation material options that may appeal to today’s students and their individual learning styles. College Prep Programs Director Kristen Campbell says nothing really beats the traditional classroom setting, but one-on-one tutoring may be good too.

“When it comes to preparing for the ACT or SAT, remember these are paper and pencil tests. These tests are intense experiences so the best advice is to take as much realistic practice as possible,” she says. “However, supplemental preps, in many formats and mediums, may help. Learn in any way possible.”
           
Some of these options include SAT in a Box, which provides studying on the go and a chance to quiz friends during any sort of break.

“What students need to look for are the tools to reinforce their own learning styles,” Campbell says. “The need is to help students develop the confidence to tackle these tests.”
           
One of Kaplan’s latest tools is the use of manga, the Japanese-style comics or graphic novels. In June, Kaplan teamed with TOKYOPOP to alter a few titles to add SAT and ACT vocabulary. The series kicked off with three graphic novels: “Warcraft: Dragon Hunt;” “Psy-Comm;” and “Van Von Hunter.”
           
“We were actually at a convention with school librarians who were talking about how students were using these comics,” Campbell says. “Then we heard about teachers using them in the classroom. We thought it would be fun to collaborate with folks in this popular genre if educators were already using the comics.”
           
Campbell says the comics have not been altered in look or feel.
           
The company also has six classic novels such as Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” and Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” marked as SAT score raising. The novels are full of highlighted words with accompanying definitions on the opposite page.
           
“How many people want to study vocabulary by using a laundry list?” Campbell asks. “By reading and seeing the words in context, meanings are reinforced. It is a fun way to approach vocabulary and read a classic.”
           
Last June, Kaplan also united with Apple to create interactive systems. A handful of test preps can be purchased and downloaded from iTunes so students can practice for the exam on their iPods. Programs focus on the exam’s three graded sections: critical reading, mathematics and writing. Campbell says the excitement comes when students track their problems and gain strategies.
           
Campbell says she hopes students, especially those who are busy, find the right tools to help them. Many online courses, including several offered by Kaplan, can be free.
           
“We want students to get as much practice as possible,” she says. “Students may need several tools to help them succeed on these tests. It is not longer about getting a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast before these tests, but true and honest preparation. Students are savvy. They are learning through their peers; they are holding group studies. Often it takes a combination of tools to succeed. If adding a manga comic and some online practice tests, all the better for these modern students.”