Award-Winning ACT Writing Tutors serving Vancouver

Today we focused on the test writing section. We went over the tips for success in the test book and went over the different types of questions he would see on the test and talked about which ones were the hardest for him (typically the questions that asked about the passage as a whole required more thought and time). We formulated strategies that would save time and allow him to work faster and efficiently. We did some timed sections and found that the student should practice more in order to work faster on the actual test. He missed a few questions here and there and we went over the logic behind his reasoning and why the correct answer was true. I feel the student has more confidence in himself in this section compared to the reading and science section.

The student did fairly well on his practice ACT Writing prompt; however, his essay was very repetitious, so we discussed ways to simplify his language. We then looked over another of the students essays for further practice, discussing grammatical rules and rhetorical strategies to strengthen his writing. I have assigned another practice Writing prompt for next time.

The student and I reviewed complex and compound sentences. We then selected an ACT essay topic, and she worked on brainstorming, outlining, and writing the essay in a timed setting. We then reviewed her essay. She also followed the same process for an SAT essay. She needs to develop an example bank and a basic essay structure in advance. This is what we will continue working on.

We finished going over structure and strategies for the writing section, and he wrote essays based on two sample prompts. At first, he had trouble staying within the time limit, but he was able to complete the second essay within a reasonable time frame.

Started with a quick joint look at two sample ACT Reading passages, then conducted another timed mini-section. The student managed time well, with about 2 minutes to proofread, and turned in a perfect score. Reading comprehension is clearly not a problem here. We'll focus mostly on test familiarity and simple practice. We then discussed the Writing section. I walked him through a breakdown of what the essay graders look for, and what the essential elements to a strong written argument are. Concluded by writing a practice outline in response to a sample prompt. Our goal for the next meeting is to produce a complete prose essay in response to an ACT prompt. Very productive session.

Focused on the Writing portion of the test since it is the only section we have yet to cover. Also, graded some other practice problems that were worked on over the past week. Her abilities are much improved and things seem positive going into her test date on June 8.