The SAT is the most popular standardized test used for admission into colleges and universities in the United States.  It includes three sections: math, critical reading, and writing.

General Tips

• In each section of the SAT, the questions start out easy and become increasingly difficult.  Answer the questions that are easiest for you first.
• Be careful about guessing.  For most questions, you don’t lose a point for omitting an answer, but you do lose a fractional point for a wrong answer.
• Don’t spend more than one or two minutes on any one question.
• Mark the test book in any way that will help you.
• Keep track of time.
• Bring water and healthy snacks to renew your mental and physical energy during breaks.

Math Section Tips

Most of the items in the math section are multiple-choice questions.

• Use a calculator as needed.  (Be sure to bring a calculator.)
• Use the test booklet for scratch work.
• If stuck, try substituting the numbers given as answer choices for the variables in the question.

Other questions require that you come up with your own answers and fit them into a grid.

• Since there is no penalty for wrong answers here, take your best guess if you can’t figure out the answer.
• The answer cannot be a negative number.  Do the problem again if you come up with a negative number.
• The answer cannot be a mixed number.  If your answer is a mixed number, convert it to an improper fraction or a decimal.

Critical Reading Section Tips

Some of the questions require you to read a sentence containing one or two blanks. You are required to select the answer choice that correctly completes the sentence.

• Read the sentence and try to complete it before looking at the answer choices.  If what you come up is one of the answer choices, select it as your answer.
• Read all the answer choices before selecting one.  Don’t just select the first one you come to that you think might be correct.
• Be especially careful when sentences include negative words (e.g., not) or prefixes (e.g., un).  These change the meaning of a sentence.
• When a sentence contains two blanks, do not select an answer choice unless you are certain that both words in the answer choice are correct.

Other questions require you to read a passage and select the correct answers to questions about the passage.

• Read the passage before reading the questions.
• As you read a passage look for the main ideas.  You can always go back to look for details.
• Pay the most attention to the first and last sentence in a paragraph.
• Some passages are presented in pairs.  In this case, read the introduction first to see how the passages are related.

Writing Section Tips

This section includes multiple-choice questions.  Some require you to improve sentences, others to find errors in sentences, and others to improve paragraphs.

• Select an answer choice that seems simple and clear.  Do not select an answer choice that seems awkward and very complicated.
• It is particularly important to read the questions and answer choices in this section very carefully.

This section also requires you to write a short, persuasive essay on an assigned topic within 25 minutes.

• Because the score for your essay is based on the reader’s overall impression, express your ideas clearly using examples to back them up.
• The standard five-paragraph essay is the best format to use.
• Keep your writing as simple as possible.  Don’t be too “wordy.”
• Focus on the organization of the essay rather than perfect grammar and spelling.
• Avoid the use of slang.

 

In second or third grade, kids are set to learn their multiplication tables. Several teachers ask students to practice their multiplication skills at home. Although, simply sticking to age-old flashcards does not motivate much learning and fun.

Below are five outstanding and helpful ways to help kids of grades to practice their multiplication skills based on multiplication tables, so that they can lead in various math multiplication projects.

Five Fun Ways to Practice Multiplication Skills:

Activity 1: Memory Game

Kids mostly opt to play multiplication memory game. They can create their own multiplication memory game focusing on a definite multiplication table. Here, in this example, you we will use table of 3.

Multiplication is a sequential function. You can select a color of construction sheet, cut 2-inch squares, and write the problem (0 x 3, 1 x 3, 2 x 3, etc.). Now, choose one more color of construction sheet, and cut squares and write down the answers (0, 3, 6, etc.).

Next, turn almost all the cards downwards and play the usual memory game. Try to choose a “problem” color and an “answer” color for it. If your memorization is correct, then note down the points and try again. You can do this with almost every set of table.

Activity 2: Use of Internet

Next, parents and teachers may make use of the Internet to help practice multiplication skills for kids. You can find tons of web sites devoted to help kids to practice and polish their entire math skills. They also offer fun and innovative interactive games.

Generally, children tend to practice hard in multiplication problems to improve the game, and when it becomes fun to play, they hardly realize that they are practicing and learning.

Activity 3: Musical Practice

Another helpful way to practice multiplication is to memorize musically. Teachers and parents can find several knowledgeable videos, songs, and recordings, based entirely on multiplication tables and skills.

Several teachers affirm that music is by far the most helpful way to practice multiplication skills.

Activity 4: Single Calculations

1 x anything = itself

You can start such multiplication concept with a few small numbers, for example 7 x 1. Try to stick with small digits until you find the concept easy and simply repeat the number that you are supposed to multiply. For students of higher grades, try for example 283 x 1 along with some fractions.

Activity 5: Doubles Calculations

2 x a number = doubles

Two times a number signifies to add it twice. Thus, those are the doubles in calculation. Tables of two are just the doubles. You can evaluate the doubles, with multiplication equation, but try to explain it in addition form.

For example, 2 x 6 = 12, and in addition, doubles of six is the same 6 + 6 = 12. You can write the solution to the addition problem as the solution to the multiplication problem. Hence, kids need to understand that 2 x n is n + n.

Final Review:

The implementation of this system is very much simple. You can assess the concept of 1 x anything, with varied set of numbers bearing the multiplication tables in mind.

Kids need to observe that, they are not only learning a whole set of multiplication tables, but they are also making themselves capable to use these skills to solve bunch of numbers. Kids tend to polish their multiplication skills with regular and repetitive practice of multiplication tables. Try to mix these steps or perform each, on a daily basis. The more you practice, the quicker you will polish your multiplication skills.

Math is always unproblematic, if is taught and learned in a correct manner.

Many deserving candidates lose out on job
opportunities because of their vernacular accent.

Yes, you can. All you need to do is train yourself to
speak English as comfortably and perfectly as you
speak your mother tongue.

How do you train yourself? By inculcating certain
practices in your daily lifestyle. These will get you
closer to sounding like a native English speaker and
equip you with a global accent — and you will speak
not American or British English, but correct English.

This is the first step to learn any other accent, be
it American or British or Australian.

Lisa Mojsin, head trainer, director and founder of the
Accurate English Training Company in Los Angeles,
offers these tips to help ‘neutralise’ your accent or
rather do away with the local twang, as you speak.

i. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak
English well and try to imitate them.

When you are watching television, observe the mouth
movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are
saying, while imitating the intonation and rhythm of
their speech.

ii. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm
of English, slow your speech down.

If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong
intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a
hard time understanding you.

Don’t worry about your listener getting impatient with
your slow speech — it is more important that
everything you say be understood.

iii. Listen to the ‘music’ of English.

Do not use the ‘music’ of your native language when
you speak English. Each language has its own way of
’singing’.

iv. Use the dictionary.

Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols
of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation
of words that are hard for you to say.

v. Make a list of frequently used words that you find
difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the
language well to pronounce them for you.

Record these words, listen to them and practice saying
them. Listen and read at the same time.

vi. Buy books on tape.

Record yourself reading some sections of the book.
Compare the sound of your English with that of the
person reading the book on the tape.

vii. Pronounce the ending of each word.

Pay special attention to ‘S’ and ‘ED’ endings. This
will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you
use when you speak English.

viii. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every
day.

Research has shown it takes about three months of
daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for
speaking a new language.

ix. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation
mistakes.

Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and
avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is
a very important exercise because doing it will help
you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.

x. Be patient.

You can change the way you speak but it won’t happen
overnight. People often expect instant results and
give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if
you are willing to put some effort into it.

Quick tips

Various versions of the English language exist. Begin
by identifying the category you fall into and start by
improving the clarity of your speech.

~ Focus on removing the mother tongue influence and
the ‘Indianisms’ that creep into your English
conversations.

~ Watch the English news on television channels like
Star World, CNN, BBC and English movies on Star Movies
and HBO.

~ Listen to and sing English songs. We’d recommend
Westlife, Robbie Williams, Abba, Skeeter Davis and
Connie Francis among others.

As we see above we have data for 5 batsmen playing cricket along with the scores in every match. So the consolidated score for 3 matches is available. Now in order to calculate what is the average score for each batsman is, here is how we go about calculating:

Put the =average formula and select the range of which you need to take an average. Now press enter and we arrive at the average score for the first batsman as below:

As we can see above the average score of 1st Batsman is 50.3 runs. Now in order to calculate for the remaining, just copy & paste the same formula.

Here you go. Now we have arrived at the average of the entire list of batsmen. We illustrated above how to calculate row wise, we can do the same column wise too (refer below):

And then you can copy and paste the same formula in rest of the columns.

Now you can easily calculate the average of any given data.

Starting out as a new teacher can be intimidating and even frightening. Some basic tips may help to eliminate the stress and anxiety from teaching a class of children. Students will give their trust easily if they like you.

Don’t be too serious

Every new thing is kind of scary, so when you have to stand up and teach math it can be a little intimidating at first. Try not to frown or look to serious. It will discourage the students and they will be afraid of you. Humor can built a bridge that can make amends later on it the year. Remember that a good laugh is like medicine for the body.

Use discipline

There will be no teaching without controlling of your class. It is better to fall behind by a day or two early in the year to address discipline, than to have an uphill battle all year long over behavior. Let students know from the beginning what is acceptable behavior and what is not. This way they won’t take chances.

Involve the students

Encourage the students to work in groups. In this way they can have a study partner and feel comfortable with one another and learn to trust each other. In the long run it will benefit your students if they all get along smoothly and there will be order in the classroom. Later on you can have competitions between the different groups as well.

Motivate your students

Be a motivation to your students. Identify early on what math they are struggling with and help them overcome those areas. Students are surrounded with negativity where ever they go. If you can give them a place to feel safe and comfortable they will give back to you a solid return by doing their best.

Make it interesting

Use every day examples to draw and hold their attention. Math can get very boring when the same patterns are followed every time. Be open to creativity and use basic things that aren’t costly. Students can bring junk materials from home to use in their projects.

Prioritize

Get your priorities straight right in the beginning. A good diary can only be an investment and remember that you don’t have to do everything just to accommodate others. If your schedule allows it, you can take on extra curricular activities.

Rest when possible

Teaching is hard work. Make time for yourself. If you are stressed out you cannot give your best. Take vacation time to sleep, eat and maybe read a good book once in a while. When you are rested you will benefit your students.

Be prepared

Preparation is of the essence. Take time every day to prepare for the following days lessons. This will pay tremendous rewards as you can then give your full attention to the subject at hand. Don’t leave things and hope it will work out. Be prepared for all situations.

Organizational skills

Organizational skills are like a lifeline. Pack away stuff, clear desks, and make sure that you personally take tests from students. Organizing can save you a lot of time and trouble.

Planning goes a long way

Keep students busy. When they sit around they get bored and think of mischief. Plan extra activities that they can do. Something that will be a challenge to them. Some students finish quicker than others, give them extra assignments, perhaps let them read an article about math and set up a reward system for every 10 articles they read. This way they will be kept busy and won’t bother each other.

Listening to a conference speaker outline key points related to job performance, you begin furiously writing down sentence after sentence, using abbreviations to capture each statement. After a minute or so, you realize you’ll never catch up. How are you supposed to capture the essence of the presentation for future reference?

The art of note-taking means that you do just that: you capture the “essence” of a speaker’s remarks rather than try and recount the entire event. But how do you boil it down to basics? Here are some tips that may help:

1. Look for the main idea of the presentation. The title, the speaker’s credentials, and the program outline may provide an overview of the main ideas. Of course it will be impossible to record everything the speaker says unless you plan to use a tape recorder. Instead, plan to jot down a few ideas beside each main point. Some speakers provide PowerPoint handouts or an outline with headings and subheadings. Use these for adding your own ideas.

2. Link main ideas together. As you note patterns that emerge from the presentation, like numbered points between one and five, for example, take notes about these linkages and what they suggest about the overall thesis, or main point. If your handout does not list subpoints, add some of your own, and write a brief explanation for each. In this manner a consistent thread of related meaning can be traced through the entire event.

3. Jot down key words and phrases rather than complete sentences. If you quote the speaker’s comments randomly, use double quotation marks around them to show they were his or her precise words. If time permits, you may want to write a few sentences of summary after each section or following the presentation to help you recall the theme or main idea later.

4. Organize your notes methodically. For example, you may choose to number them using Arabic or Roman numerals. Or you may simply write out main ideas followed by a list of dashes leading to support details. Draw a squiggly line between sections of notes or between speakers’ comments’ notes, if there is more than one presenter. If you use shorthand, be sure you will be able to interpret it later.

5. Consider typing out your notes following the presentation. Unless you have used a laptop during the session, you may find you have several pages of notes that may be hard to decipher. If the session was important for your job or school, you can prepare a typed edition with condensed or expanded notes that come to mind as you rehearse it in your mind again. Then keep the notes on file for future reference, which will optimize the value of the presentation for a long time to come.

Taking notes is not just for secretaries. If you plan to attend an event where someone will be speaking about a topic that is important to you, be prepared to jot down key ideas in a form that you can use later.