Digital SAT Prep Guide: 5 Tips for Poetry Questions

Summary

In this video, Laura Whitmore, a seasoned test prep instructor, shares tips on tackling poetry questions in the digital SAT. She outlines five key strategies to approach these new question types, focusing on reading the question first, examining the poem's title, getting a general sense of the poem, identifying descriptive words and tone, and spotting patterns. Laura demonstrates these techniques through examples and encourages viewers to practice with the Preply app. She also offers a chance to win a free subscription by submitting a review of the app.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Laura Whitmore is the owner of Strategic Test Prep and has over 15 years of experience as a test prep instructor.
• 📚 She scored a 1570 on the SAT and is sharing her expertise through a digital SAT prep series on her channel.
• 📈 The channel offers weekly videos with tips, tricks, and strategies to help students master the digital SAT.
• 📝 Poetry questions are a new feature on the digital SAT and are a common area of inquiry for viewers.
• 🔍 Laura provides five tips for tackling poetry questions on the SAT.
• 👀 Tip 1: Always read the question first to know what you're looking for in the poem.
• 📜 Tip 2: Read the poem's title and any accompanying blurb for clues about the poem's main idea.
• 📖 Tip 3: Read the poem once to get a general sense of its content.
• 🔍 Tip 4: Look for descriptive words and phrases that convey the tone of the poem.
• 🔄 Tip 5: Identify patterns in the poem, such as repetition or shifts in tone.
• 📱 She recommends using the PrepLy app for additional practice with poetry questions.
• 🎁 There's a contest running through April 15th where users can win a free month subscription to PrepLy by writing a review.
• 📈 The PrepLy app offers exclusive questions and a new graph question category in the English section.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the video?

The speaker is Laura Whitmore, owner of Strategic Test Prep and a test prep instructor with over 15 years of experience.

What is the primary focus of the video?

The video focuses on how to tackle poetry questions on the digital SAT, with five specific tips and examples to help students master this new question type.

Why are poetry questions particularly challenging for students?

Poetry questions are new to the digital SAT and were not part of the paper test, making them unfamiliar territory for many students.

What is the first tip Laura provides for tackling poetry questions?

The first tip is to always read the question before reading the poem, so you know what to focus on as you read.

How does the poem’s title help with understanding the poem?

The title often gives a strong clue about the poem’s main idea, so it's important not to skip it when analyzing the poem.

What is the fourth tip Laura mentions for poetry questions?

The fourth tip is to focus on descriptive words and phrases, particularly adjectives, to get a sense of the poem’s tone (whether positive or negative).

Why does Laura emphasize looking for patterns in the poem?

Patterns, such as repetition or shifts in tone, can help reveal the poem's message and are often key to understanding the author’s intent.

How does Laura suggest managing time during the SAT’s English section?

She suggests that while some questions may take longer, others (like Standard English conventions or transition questions) can be answered more quickly, allowing for better time management.

What is the role of the Prep Lee app in this video?

Prep Lee is a digital SAT prep app that offers categories of questions, including poetry drills. Laura recommends using it for practice and mentions a contest for users who post reviews.

What should students do if they’re unsure about their answer to a poetry question?

Laura suggests selecting the answer that seems the strongest match and flagging it for review if there's extra time at the end of the test.