Level up your chitchat – figure out how to translate highfalutin concepts from art, literature, philosophy, history, math, and science into conversations about things your kid cares about: tiktok, sports, pokemon, youtube stars, super heroes, etc.īasic arithmetic and multiplication tables up to 16 x 16 Have your kid read – real books, newspapers, and magazines – for example, the CIA World Fact Book has a ton of great introductions < 1,000 words long, many of which are exceptional examples of clear purposeful writing and summarization techniques Understanding the importance of author’s intent, and the role it plays in interpreting texts – eg: what is this person trying to communicate to me? why?īonus – possessing enough cultural literacy to understand that textual interpretation hinges on unconventional literary techniques like irony and hyperbole Recognizing and understanding common literary techniques: foreshadowing, insinuation, symbolism, allegory, metaphor What does my kid need to be good at to succeed? ELAĪbility to identify the main concept(s) from a reading passage, and mentally summarize on the fly As a result of doing this kind of work 👇 – aka: “repping it out” in sports lexicon – kids are doing 2-variable parametric equations and introductory polynomials by the 8th grade.īottom line – if your kid doesn’t do his/her school work, but expects to do well on a test like the SHSAT, it’s a lot like an obese person expecting to get “ripped” without curbing their donut intake. Parents and teachers expect a heavy workload that emphasizes repetitive skill-based drills. Her reference group is composed of high achieving students. She attends a middle school with a strong focus on STEM, where kids are expected to be doing algebra in the 6th grade. Likewise, your kid’s ability to succeed at any proctored test (like the SHSAT) will largely be determined by their base level of academic preparation – eg: their proven ability to grind out homework day in and day out of doing the unglamorous work of showing up to class and turning in assignments on time. People who are fit have earned it over a long stretch of time, as a result of good habits. Fitness is either there already, or it’s not. Think about it: when someone charges at you in a blind rage, you can’t hop into a time machine and sign up for a gym membership. Obviously, most 13 year olds aren’t professional cage fighters, so the single greatest predictor of success in this hypothetical scenario is base fitness level – eg: strength, speed, stamina, endurance not to mention composure under duress. For a moment, think of your kid’s test-taking success using this analogy: their odds of surviving a random assault in a desolate location – for example: around Port Authority at 9pm on a Thursday.

9th grade shsat practice test pdf