PSAT Prep: Mastering Reading, Writing, and Math

This comprehensive 8-week PSAT prep course equips students with essential strategies and skills in reading, writing, and mathematics to maximize their test performance. Through focused instruction, practice problems, and targeted review, students will gain confidence and proficiency in tackling all sections of the PSAT and build a strong foundation for future academic success. By the end of this course, students will possess a deep understanding of the PSAT format, content, and scoring, along with proven techniques for effective test-taking.

Reading Comprehension Strategies

• Identifying question types — main idea, inference, vocabulary in context
• Implementing active reading techniques — annotating, summarizing, predicting
• Analyzing passages for tone, purpose, and rhetorical devices
• Recognizing common reading traps and avoiding errors

Writing and Language Skills

• Mastering grammar rules — subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, verb tense consistency
• Applying punctuation conventions — commas, apostrophes, semicolons
• Improving sentence structure — clarity, conciseness, parallelism
• Recognizing and correcting common writing errors — run-on sentences, misplaced modifiers

Math Fundamentals and Problem-Solving

• Memorizing essential math facts — powers of two, squares, and cubes
• Applying math strategies — plugging in answers, working backwards
• Solving word problems — translating words into algebraic expressions
• Utilizing the algebra toolkit — distributing, factoring, solving equations

Algebra I and II Concepts

• Manipulating algebraic expressions — simplifying, combining like terms
• Solving linear equations and inequalities — isolating variables
• Understanding functions and their graphs — linear, quadratic, exponential
• Working with systems of equations — substitution, elimination

Geometry Essentials

• Calculating area and volume — triangles, circles, rectangular solids
• Applying the Pythagorean Theorem — finding side lengths of right triangles
• Understanding triangle properties — isosceles, equilateral, scalene
• Using the triangle inequality theorem — determining possible side lengths

Data Analysis and Probability

• Interpreting graphs and charts — bar graphs, line graphs, scatterplots
• Calculating measures of central tendency — mean, median, mode
• Understanding probability concepts — independent events, conditional probability

Test-Taking Strategies and Time Management

• Pacing strategies for each section — allocating time effectively
• Identifying and prioritizing easy questions — maximizing points
• Eliminating incorrect answer choices — improving accuracy
• Managing test anxiety — staying calm and focused