In My 54 Year Love Affair with the
SAT the author, Stanley Kaplan, argued that he could prepare students for a
test that defied preparation. The foundation of his tutoring preparation began
with a high school junior named Elizabeth. Also in this article, Stanley Kaplan
argued his belief of the SAT’s potential and the preparation for it. Kaplan
decided that he would have to take a methodical approach to prepare students
for the SAT, since the test was systematic and demanding. He added that some
students needed to learn the material for the first time, while others needed
to review the material. Furthermore, he stated that once you are familiar with
what the material is, it is essential to go a step ahead and establish the
“hows and whys” of the information, when preparing for the SAT. Establishing
the “hows and whys” is essential because, students are tested on “reading
comprehension, problem solving, math concepts, and vocabulary skills,” which
challenges students to comprehend and understand the subject matter. According
to Stanley Kaplan, “answering SAT questions required focus, reasoning, and practice.
“All of which results in superior test-taking skills. When it came to preparing
Elizabeth for the SAT, Kaplan fed her with “pages of vocabulary and reading
comprehensive drills, math problems and vocabulary questions to stimulate the
SAT.” Kaplan concluded that he wanted to prepare students for a test that could
help admit them into college based on their academic excellence.
Inclusively, I believe that Stanley
Kaplan did a wonderful job defending his arguments. At the end of his
preparation process, he left students with confidence and familiarity. They
were enabled to succeed through his ability to offer an initiative to students
that required constant practice and repetition. With Kaplan’s assistance
Elizabeth became “a powerful problem solver and a confident test taker.” When
she approached the exam, she had an advantage over other students and she was
able to apply the strategies that she learned from Kaplan. Most importantly
Elizabeth was able to network and share what she had learned with other
students. By this being the foundation of Kaplan’s tutoring preparation for the
SAT, his business grew exponentially. From this article I was also enlightened
on the SAT’s starting point and how it was used before we got to where we are
now.
In conclusion, I strongly agree with
Stanley Kaplan’s approach and beliefs. First off, once you consistently
practice the material then you become familiar with it. Secondly, when you
become familiar with the material, that then creates confidence for the person.
Lastly, confidence generates success. For example, Elizabeth knew what to
expect when she approached the SAT. She was confident and familiar enough with
the material that she tackled the questions on the test using the tactics that
she learned. Also, Stanley Kaplan implied that the SAT could help democratize
American education through diversity, which we are seeing now more than ever.
Students are getting into top colleges without having to be funded by their
guardians or attending a prestigious private school. I believe that we are
seeing Kaplan’s approach and beliefs happening in 2013. One thing I must say
that was missing from the passage was the scores that the students received
after being tutored from Stanley Kaplan. His approaches can be quality but they
are nothing without positive results.
The Golden line that really caught
my attention was, “No matter how many times students took the SAT, their scores
would remain about the same, and students’ college performance was very close
to what the SAT predicted.” This line really stood out to me, though I disagree
with it. I believe that students’ scores are determined from how they prepare
for the test. Whether they practice frequently, and become familiar and
confident with the material just as Stanley Kaplan stated, will result in
whether their outcome is positive or negative. Personally, I did not reach my
full potential on the SAT but my first semester in college I reached the Dean’s
list.
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