Wyoming Secrets to 99th Percentile Scores 
Michael DiSalvo, MA, eq, Guest Writer.
From time to time I get a phone call from a mom or dad quite interested in "a few quick strategies" that will help their son or daughter get those "few extra points" on their SAT or ACT score. After all, why would they be against getting a few extra points? Sometimes it can be getting a scholarship that can easily amount to over $100,000 or not getting anything at all! Other times it's just a matter of getting into college, period. From my experience, getting those few extra points isn't that difficult in itself. However, when faced with a scenario of rather limited time (i.e. a week!), or a student whom can't think in steps (no, you certainly can't swallow each problem in just one bite!), my work is often cut out for me. Having helped some of my SAT and ACT students  into the 99th percentile, I thought I should share with parents why they should start early and use some steps they can take now to get their child to be a standardized test-taking superstar. 
First off, let's address the early bird phenomenon. Does he, in fact, really get the worm? Or maybe the proper question is, Can he get used to the worm? I've had my students prepare for the SAT as early as 6th grade. Is that a mistake? It really depends on the ability and motivatio of the particular student. For example, a student with a good grounding in both Math and Grammar skills can go far if he is preparing to take the SAT as part of the Duke University Talent Search. How far? How about a perfect SAT score? In fact, fifty seventh-grade students this year were graced enough to reach perfect scores on the SAT. However, to be selected to take a college prep test (as I was) is one thing; to do well on it (as I unfortunately was not able to do), is another. You can imagine what doing well on a test with such a mystique attache to it does for a young student's confidence, not only for future academic work, but also for any challenges they may face in life. So, there really is no question that for those with a decent foundation, there are many reasons to do something to get ready for these big tests, even if the "real one" is in their junior or senior year of high school. So the real question is what can be done now? 
I'd like to share the first step that addresses what I consider my students' primary fault. That fault is their lack of focus. Maybe it's too much sugar in their diet, too much TV, or maybe even a learning disorder, but the lack of focus is deadly when dealing with critical thinking problems which require attention to detail and a step-wise way of thinking. How much of a problem is this? I've seen students take a swing in their scores of 300 points once we've been able to do deal with this issue of focus. Well, what can you do today? Now, before I say anything, please don't get mad if it sounds too simple! Teach your child how to underline. 
Underline, underline, underline. I tell my students they will be the great "underliners" of tomorrow. Why? It is so much the difference between taking off and standing still. Example: How many times has your own child stared at a math problem (especially a word problem!) and simply blurted out, "I don't know where to start". It is a natural reaction when we have not been exposed to the important strategy of breaking a problem down into its logical pieces. So, should they underline the whole problem? No, not at all. Logical pieces should be underlined, and underlined separately. Let's say your child sees the following problem: John is twice as old as Sally. Six years ago John was four times as old as Sally was then. In years, how old is Sally now? We would have the child underline it like so: John is twice as old as Sally. Six years ago John was four times as old as Sally was then. In years, how old is Sally now? As you can see, the separate mathematical pieces are underlined so that we can come up with the following equations: J=2S; J-6= 4(S-6); S=?. There is much to be said about translating, but hopefully you can see that each idea can now be translated more easily into its proper mathematical terms. And by the way, the answer is 9. What about verbal skills? One skill that deserves attention is reading comprehension. After all, if we don't understand what we are reading in our questions and passages, what chance do we have of identifying the choices that answer those questions? For sake of time, let's look at a typical sentence completion: Albert Einstein was frequently intolerant; moreover, his bizarre behavior led most of his acquaintances to the scientist whenever possible. a) counteract b) interrogate c) shun d) mislead e) revere. Can you anticipate the separate ideas that we should underline? Albert Einstein was frequently intolerant; moreover, his bizarre behavior led most of his acquaintances to the scientist whenever possible. Notice we even underlined "Albert Einstein". After all, haven't most of us seen his crazy static-electricified hair, right? Whether our children come to think of Einstein as a weirdo after reading our sample sentence or not, they should know that underlining context words and using stereotypes will actually help them on the test. After all, once we put the ideas in context, shouldn't we know that strange people are usually shunned? Please don't get me wrong- words like revere might be new to some students, but hopefully by using underlining (breaking-down) strategies, even in one's choices, we might be able to discern that a word like "revere" may remind them of "reverent", "Reverend", "irreverent" or even "fear", hence ruling that choice out. Plugging in the other choices, it should be sufficiently clear that the answer has to be shun, even if we don't quite understand what "shun" exactly means. 
In closing, please don't underestimate the power of having a strong foundation in your child's education. Some of the greatest minds in history no only had these foundations, but also were the strongest advocates of teaching others to ground themselves well before they flew off to the heights of academic excellence. One such mind, St Thomas Aquinas, put it well when he summarized the philosopher Aristotle: An error in the beginning is an error indeed. So, please, start these habits early. There were truly significant obstacles to my students reaching the 99th percentile, but if they had not gotten into the habit of underlining, I dare say the feat would be impossible. 
Michael DiSalvo is a professional tutor in the Greater Cincinnati area who specializes in SAT preparation and helping his students attain scholarships into prominent universities. To receive a free consultation or to learn more about his work, please visit http://APlusTutoring-TestPrep.com, or call 513 939-9033. 
http://www.tip.duke.edu/e-studies/index.html