Zen in the Art of the SAT. How to Think, Focus, and Achieve Your Highest Score

165 Pages·2011·0.91 MB·English

by  Matt Bardin

Zen in the art of the SAT
How to
Think, Focus,
and Achieve
Your Highest
Score
Matt Bardin and Susan Fine
Table of Contents
Title Page
Table of Contents
Half Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Introduction
I. The Nature of the Test
1. In a Foreign Land
2. Walk Through the Open Door
II. Thinking
3. The Key to Better Thinking: Skip and Come Back
4. When to Skip and When to Come Back
5. Beginner's Mind: How to Come Back
6. Reasons Not to Skip and Come Back (and Why They're Wrong)
7. An Example: Erica Works the Test
8. From "I Can't" to "I Can"
III. Anxiety
9. The Buddha and the SAT
10. Anxiety and the Present Moment
11. Breathing
12. Basic Meditation: Managing Anxiety
13. Assessing Your Anxiety
14. Anxiety Examples
IV. Reading
15. Reading Challenges
16. Reading Habits That Get in the Way and How to Correct Them
17. Reading Assessment
18. How to Raise Your Reading Level
19. Critical Reading Strategies
V. Some Things You Must Know
20. The Big Ten: Grammar and Usage
21. Math Strategies
22. Math Basics
23. Math Quiz
24. The Basics of Timed Writing
VI. Parents
25. Taking Your Parents Down Memory Lane
26. Seven Damaging Remarks Well-Meaning Parents Make
27. The Five Characteristics of Supportive Parents
VII. Your Plan
28. Organization: How's Your Brain's CEO?
29. Just Twenty-five Minutes
30. You Con Run o Marathon: Creating an SAT Study Plan
VIII. Life Lessons
31. A Crisis Is a Critical Opportunity
32. Feelings Are First, but the Mind Leads
33. Beginner's Mind (Reprise)
34. The Myth of Genius (and Stupidity)
Recommended Reading List
Vocabulary
About the Authors
Footnotes
GRAPHIA
AN IMPRINT OF HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
BOSTON 2005
Copyright © 2005 by Matt Bard in and Susan Fine All rights reserved. Published
in the United States by Graphia, an imprint of
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts.
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write
to Permissions,
Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York
10003.
www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
The text of this book is set in 9.5-point Palatino.
SAT is the registered trademark of the College Board, which has not endorsed
this publication.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bardin, Matt.
Zen in the art of the SAT : how to think, focus, and achieve your highest score /
written by Matt Bardin and Susan Fine,
p. cm.
ISBN 0-618-57488-3 (pbk.: alk. paper)
1. Scholastic Assessment Test—Study guides. I. Fine, Susan. II. Title.
LB2353.57.B36 2005 378.1'662—dc22 2005004326
ISBN-13: 978-0618-57488-9
Book design by Hanley | Jones Art + Design
Manufactured in the United States of America
QUM 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To all the students who have been
willing to skip and come back
Contents
Introduction [>]
I The Nature of the Test
1 In a Foreign Land [>]
2 Walk Through the Open Door [>]
The New SAT at a Glance [>]
II Thinking
3 The Key to Better Thinking: Skip and Come Back [>]
4 When to Skip and When to Come Back [>]
5 Beginner's Mind: How to Come Back [>]
6 Reasons Not to Skip and Come Back (and Why They're Wrong) [>]
7 An Example: Erica Works the Test [>]
8 From "I Can't" to "I Can" [>]
III Anxiety
9 The Buddha and the SAT [>]
10 Anxiety and the Present Moment [>]
11 Breathing [>]
12 Basic Meditation: Managing Anxiety [>]
13 Assessing Your Anxiety [>]
14 Anxiety Examples [>]
IV Reading
15 Reading Challenges [>]
16 Reading Habits That Get in the Way and How to Correct Them [>]
17 Reading Assessment [>]
18 How to Raise Your Reading Level [>]
19 Critical Reading Strategies [>]
V Some Things You Must Know
20 The Big Ten: Grammar and Usage [>]
21 Math Strategies [>]
22 Math Basics [>]
23 Math Quiz [>]
24 The Basics of Timed Writing [>]
VI Parents
25 Taking Your Parents Down Memory Lane [>]
26 Seven Damaging Remarks Well-Meaning Parents Make [>]
27 The Five Characteristics of Supportive Parents [>]
VII Your Plan
28 Organization: How's Your Brain's CEO? [>]
29 Just Twenty-five Minutes [>]
30 You Can Run a Marathon: Creating an SAT Study Plan [>]
Getting-Started Checklist [>]