Product Description HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS! LAST CHANCE TO ACE THE CURRENT SAT TEST BEFORE IT IS REDESIGNED! A critically-praised, low cost alternative to the often unaffordable tutoring industry. This unique learning system covers all aspects of the SAT Math, Writing, and Critical Reading sections in 9 DVDs & 3 books, combining visual content with detailed explanation, practice drills, and answer clarifications. Amy Lucas, Summa Cum Laude graduate of UCLA with over 10 years of experience as a private tutor, is writer and host. The Math course is a School Library Journal Top Ten DVD Pick. In its review of the Writing section, The School Library Journal stated, 'Students looking for a comprehensive review of the Writing portion of the SAT will find this program very helpful, especially since they can select specific areas in which they need improvement.' The Library Journal review stated, '...the processes will help a student gain confidence in the writing skills required by the SAT.' *Includes the complete course in both the Books and on the DVDs! Review This five-volume series addresses the MATH concepts that students must be familiar with on the SAT, the types of problems they can expect to encounter, the problem-solving processes, and basic test-taking skills so that they can experience less anxiety during the test. Instructor Amy Lucas uses an informal lecture-style format to clearly and concisely explain and present arithmetic and algebraic processes. Her introduction puts students at ease by providing them with a basic description of the SAT along with information on when to make educated guesses in selecting the correct response. Lucas divides the test into four categories: test numbers and operations, geometry and measurements, algebra and functions, and statistics and probability and further breaks these categories into understandable chapters so that the complexity of both the subject and the test is reduced. Ten chapters provide step-by-step instructions and simplify concepts by utilizing illustrated sample problems as well as comprehensive drills at the end of each lecture. Drill questions are reviewed and correct answers are discussed and explained. The accompanying book reviews each lecture and drill. This series will appeal to auditory and visual learns. Library collections serving high school students as well as homeschoolers seeking instruction, practice, and basic standardized test-taking tips for the Math SAT will find this series an essential purchase. --Linda M. Teel, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC for School Library JournalStudents can follow Amy Lucas as she teaches them about the 19 most common grammar errors that are made in the WRITING SECTION of the SAT. She claims that those who avoid these mistakes will receive a perfect score on that part of the exam. The accompanying workbook very closely follows the material presented on the DVDs. There is a lecture, followed with a practice drill and a review. Different question types are presented, and special techniques for answering them are discussed. Lucas runs through each section very quickly, but she has an expressive style that should hold the attention of students. The DVDs are divided into seven chapters: sentence corrections, parts of speech, verb errors, pronoun errors, grammar rules, paragraph improvement, and essay writing. The instructor offers simple tips such as avoid 'being' and 'having' and always go for simple and concise. All incorrect responses are explained clearly. There are easy-to-follow tips for writing the essay as well as sample essays that received high and low scores. Students looking for a comprehensive review of the Writing portion of the SAT will find this program very helpful, especially since they can select specific areas in which they need improvement. --Ellen Frank, Jamaica High School, NY, for School Library JournalAmy Lucas, an experienced private tutor, acts as a personal guide to the READING comprehension portion of the SAT, keeping students invested in and focused on content and practice exercises. Teens will easily relate to her upbeat and friendly approach. Topics covered include vocabulary, sentence completions, and reading comprehension techniques. She suggests that students group the vocabulary lists in the workbook into one of three categories - Rockin', Rollin', or Sinkin' - based on difficulty. The DVD chapters are easily navigated and contain descriptions of the test parts and practice drills for each. Lucas's technique-oriented process for the reading comprehension portion of the SAT requires the same strategies for short and long passages: summarize the main idea, read and restate the questions, go back to the passage and dig, answer the questions in your own words, and use the process of elimination. Uncluttered graphics on a split screen, with Lucas on the other half, compel students to follow her step-by-step instructions, which may be paused at any point for explanations or a return to the main menu. Lucas's mantra to restate information in your own words before answering a question allows students to trust their judgment, making it less likely that they will be confused by tricky questions. Viewers are given the option to personalize their learning by choosing one of three reading comprehension techniques. The accessible workbook, containing most of the DVD narration and practice questions, also features a master list of vocabulary words. --Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY for School Library Journal