The Sat and College Preparation Course for the Christian Student

Rating:
Summary: excellent for strengthening the spirit and critical thinking
Review: Looking for a miracle fix to improve SAT scores? You won't find it here,or anywhere else, but what you will find is well worth the price. Stobaugh emphasizes building up the student as a person, not just a test-taker. He emphasizes critical thinking and spiritual strengthening that will benefit the user throughout life. The methodical preparation works to remove the mystery--and fear- of taking the SAT.

Rating:
Summary: From the Author
Review: Several national newspapers and magazines have argued in the last year that SAT I coaching does not work. I would agree that "orthodox" SAT preparation does not work very well; that is the reason I have written an "unorthodox" book. My book emphasizes the empathic and spiritual. That is one reason the devotions are in my book. My work with SAT prep students over the last 25 years has shown me categorically that the state of mind of the test taker will greatly affect his/her score. The SAT I is an "aptitude" test; not an "achievement" test. It has the laudable but esoteric goal of measuring potential for college performance. That is not to say some actual test preparation is in order. I provide this test preparation in the book. And, the fact is, concerning math, most of the SAT I math is pre-algebra, arithmetic, and geometry--it is not advanced math. What makes the SAT I math so difficult is that it often comes in word problems. Ironically, the verbal and math sections of the SAT I are similar--one needs to have strong critical reading skills to do well on both. Finally the reader would like more test taking techniques. I am unsure why he would need more than I give him--I give 25 years of test taking experience/tips throughout the text. But this I know: I am not teaching my students "to break the system" or "to crack the test." No, I am teaching my students to make a high score the old fashioned way: by working hard to bring glory to the Lord. If higher scores have to be sacrificed on the altar of character then so be it.

Rating:
Summary: From the Author
Review: Several national newspapers and magazines have argued in the last year that SAT I coaching does not work. I would agree that "orthodox" SAT preparation does not work very well; that is the reason I have written an "unorthodox" book. My book emphasizes the empathic and spiritual. That is one reason the devotions are in my book. My work with SAT prep students over the last 25 years has shown me categorically that the state of mind of the test taker will greatly affect his/her score. The SAT I is an "aptitude" test; not an "achievement" test. It has the laudable but esoteric goal of measuring potential for college performance. That is not to say some actual test preparation is in order. I provide this test preparation in the book. And, the fact is, concerning math, most of the SAT I math is pre-algebra, arithmetic, and geometry--it is not advanced math. What makes the SAT I math so difficult is that it often comes in word problems. Ironically, the verbal and math sections of the SAT I are similar--one needs to have strong critical reading skills to do well on both. Finally the reader would like more test taking techniques. I am unsure why he would need more than I give him--I give 25 years of test taking experience/tips throughout the text. But this I know: I am not teaching my students "to break the system" or "to crack the test." No, I am teaching my students to make a high score the old fashioned way: by working hard to bring glory to the Lord. If higher scores have to be sacrificed on the altar of character then so be it.

Rating:
Summary: From the Author
Review: Several national newspapers and magazines have argued in the last year that SAT I coaching does not work. I would agree that "orthodox" SAT preparation does not work very well; that is the reason I have written an "unorthodox" book. My book emphasizes the empathic and spiritual. That is one reason the devotions are in my book. My work with SAT prep students over the last 25 years has shown me categorically that the state of mind of the test taker will greatly affect his/her score. The SAT I is an "aptitude" test; not an "achievement" test. It has the laudable but esoteric goal of measuring potential for college performance. That is not to say some actual test preparation is in order. I provide this test preparation in the book. And, the fact is, concerning math, most of the SAT I math is pre-algebra, arithmetic, and geometry--it is not advanced math. What makes the SAT I math so difficult is that it often comes in word problems. Ironically, the verbal and math sections of the SAT I are similar--one needs to have strong critical reading skills to do well on both. Finally the reader would like more test taking techniques. I am unsure why he would need more than I give him--I give 25 years of test taking experience/tips throughout the text. But this I know: I am not teaching my students "to break the system" or "to crack the test." No, I am teaching my students to make a high score the old fashioned way: by working hard to bring glory to the Lord. If higher scores have to be sacrificed on the altar of character then so be it.

Rating:
Summary: One of the BEST SAT books available!
Review: This is one of the best sat books on the market. James Stobaugh does an excelent job writing this book, and I can't wait for more! A must buy!

Rating:
Summary: Don't Buy This Book!!!!
Review: This is such a big waste of money. It is such a shame that it is being so highly praised in homeschooling catalogs as such a great SAT prep course. That is such a lie. Mary Pride is the only person I've seen who has criticized it and I could kick myself for not reading her review before I bought it. The book does not give you any real preparation to speak of. It is basically a very expensive devotional and booklist. It gives you occasional little "vocabulary exercises" but does not teach you how to study roots, prefixes, suffixes, or common SAT words. It just tells you to read a lot of classic books and fill out word cards. I could have figured that out without paying.... The math questions are just a hodge-podge of various concepts, some of them elementary school stuff. There's nothing students aren't going to learn in their regular math courses. There are no real test taking tips or instructions like in most of the books on the market, either. The devotional aspect of the book is nothing great; there's a lot of better (and much cheaper) stuff out there. The ONLY good thing about this book is the list of classic books, but it was NOT worth the $... that I paid for this book. This is probably the single most expensive mistake I've made in 9 years of homeschooling.

Rating:
Summary: A Well Tested Course
Review: We used this book with our son during his High School years. It is not a replacement for regular course work, but an additional resource for reinforcing what is taught at home or in the school. By following the 'hodge podge' (as one reviewer called it) of reviews for Math, the student doesn't forget how to work these problems once the regular math class is over. The critical thinking skills are also reinforced so they can be incorporated into the student's thinking rather than merely trying to 'cram' before the SAT. It takes time to apply this course. Quality of learning will never come as a quick fix.