Gearing Up For Test-Taking Season
A Review of Score Builder for the SAT and PSAT
Grace Smith, Ph.D.
On entering the study in Dr. Gruber's house, you'll find doorways, tools, and other graphics leading toinstructional areas, help, lessons, and diagnostic pre-tests to determine yourcustomized study plan for passing the SAT or PSAT with flair. Your plan willidentify your specific needs in both strategy and content to maximize theuse of your study time. Based on the proven skills and strategies of thenation's leading expert on SAT preparation, Score Builder for the SAT andPSAT draws from personalized tutoring by Gary Gruber, Ph.D. and his dynamic instructors, Rance and Maia.
After you hear Dr. Gruber's introduction, you can click on the doorway to the Test Lab to start taking your GATs. The four Gruber Assessment Tests (GATs)are short assessments to identify which skills and strategies you already know.On completion of the tests, Score Builder provides you with anindividualized study plan, tailored specificially to what you need to work on.Although similar to the SAT, GAT questions are untimed and more straightforward. You canreview your progress at any time and compare your practice test scores with theaverage scores at a specific university or college.
When you begin your adventure, you'll notice that some unlikely students arestudying along with you. Elvis, Martin Luther King, and MarilynMonroe join the fun as you move around the various components of well-designed multimedia.Drawing from more than 60 animated lessons that cover more than 40 math, verbal, and generaltest-taking strategies, there are 20 math skill areas, 2200 vocabulary words,90 root words, 800 practice problems and three, full-length practice tests.These in-depth practice activities emphasize the skills-and-strategiesapproach to test-preparation and critical thinking techniques to help youraise your test scores.
Score Builder uses "Chalk Talk" with Dr. Gruber, Rance, and Maia toexplain lessons in a step-by-step style. You can repeat, stop, and start anylesson part at any time.
Score Builder does a fine job with its emphasis on prefixes and roots, animated diagrams, blackboard notes, and well-chosen examples. A solid vocabulary review in the form of synonym-based flash cards also helpswith the analogy section of the verbal area. Rance's lessons coach youon verbal strategies, and a vocabulary game helps you learn 227 of the most important words on the SAT. Scores are based on how many triesit takes you to choose the correct definition. Your lifetime score and thenumber of words learned are tracked from game to game. Critical reading, sentencecompletion, and vocabulary strategies augment the verbal strategies section of theprogram.
Maia helps you through all of the important math question examples, including quantitativecomparisons. By reviewing the math you have forgotten but need to pass the SAT, you'll learn strategiesfor eliminating wrong answers and choosing the right ones. The math skillscovered in the lessons include the arithmetic skills of integers, exponents, roots,ratios, and more. Algebra skills include factoring, equations, and inequalities.Geometry skills include lines and angles, triangles, circles, quadrilaterals, coordinates, and other figures.
Students who prepare in advance for the SAT, concedes the Educational TestingService, score better results. The strategy area is a real strength of the program. Rather than learning quick-fix methods or memorization techniques, Score Builder provides proven methods for answering questions and mastering specific skills. Since the new SAT places more emphasis on critical reading skills, grid-ins, and actual classroom content,Score Builder's highly interactive test prep program simulates theSAT while providing six simple steps to higher scores. These helpful steps are:
1) Overview of the Program
2) One-on-One Tutoring
3) Skills Assessment and Strategies
4) Implementing Your Personalized Study Plan
5) Chalk Talk
6) Testing and Tracking Your Progress
The sophisticated computer-based diagnostic tools found in Score Builder help to increase your confidence as you develop skills and strategies to passthe SAT or PSAT. By helping you set your own personal goals, develop practice opportunities, and followa study plan to enhance test performance, Score Builder is a powerfulSAT preparation tool that motivates and engages learning with all of theright bells and whistles. By consistently applying the strategies and skills development techniques in Score Builder for the SAT and PSAT, you should expect substantial scores when the official test results roll in.
School House Scorecard
| Product: |
Score Builder for the SAT and PSAT |
| Company: |
The Learning Company
|
| Cost: |
Not Available |
System Requirements:
IBM or 100% compatible PC (486/25 or higher processor)
Windows 3.1 or Windows 95
MS DOS 5.0 or higher
4 MB RAM
Hard Disk
256-color SVGA
Double-speed (2X)or better CD-ROM drive
Windows-compatible sound card
Mouse
Breakdown:
Ease of Use 5
Learning Value 5
Entertainment Value 5
Graphics 5
Sound 5
Overall Score:
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