guest written by Shahar Link of Mindspire Tutoring & Test Prep

Many people believe that the basic ingredients of success on challenging tests like the SAT or ACT are 1) talent at math or language, 2) how much you learned in school, and 3) how smart you are in general.  Both students and tutors can have this belief.  It is, however, wrong.

Carol Dweck, in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, calls such a belief a “fixed mindset,” which essentially means that a person is stuck thinking that he or she is more or less born with talents for some things and not for others, and it is not really possible to get smarter at doing things that you’re “just not good at.” On the other hand, there is another attitude, a “growth mindset,” which is the idea that if one works hard at something, and really tries to get better and smarter, then one can become highly skilled at virtually anything.

Dweck, a psychologist who has researched the psychology of learning at Stanford University for many years, shows convincingly that people with fixed mindsets don’t get smarter, while those with growth mindsets do. Growth-mindset individuals show much greater adaptability to challenging circumstances, are better equipped to navigate both failure and success, and learn more quickly.  Obviously, these are crucial elements in test preparation.

Other researchers have recently come to similar conclusions. Daniel Coyle, author of The Talent Code, writes on his blog: “If you distilled all the new science about talent development into two words of advice, they would be ‘practice better.’ That’s it. Practice. Better.” In other words, genes, “potential,” etc. have nothing to do with it.

Students and tutors who simply assume that there is some innate potential limit to what they can accomplish as they prepare for a test are setting themselves up for failure. Having worked in the test prep business for almost 15 years, I know that there are a lot of people who have the fixed mindset, and what they do is teach the “facts” and then hope students “get it.” The truth is, anyone can “get it” if they put in serious effort, don’t get hampered by failure, stay motivated, and have the right coaching. And tutors can do a lot to make that happen.

Anyone can acquire a “growth mindset” at any age. It’s about a new way of thinking about the meaning of failure — that failure actually means you are learning, because you are pushing against your limits. Once you realize that, you begin to: a) change the way you think, b) challenge yourself more, and c) work harder. Those are the real key ingredients for success on standardized tests.

It is a privilege to be able to provide this lesson to my students, because it is about so much more than test preparation – it is about how to succeed in life.

Carol Dweck’s book elaborates in much further detail how this all works in the brain, and shows the results of hundreds of studies, as well as how teachers, parents, coaches, and even spouses can apply these findings to get better at everything they do, and help others do so as well. Clearly, one’s mindset is a foundational element of success on standardized tests, and if you are working to get a high score, or help others do so, I strongly suggest you familiarize yourself with Dweck’s research. It will certainly improve your results on tests, but more importantly, make you a more fulfilled person in general. And that’s the goal of this whole business really, isn’t it?

About the author: Shahar Link is the founder of Mindspire Tutoring & Test Prep, a tutoring company built on the idea that anyone can get better at anything if they set their mind to it.

by John J. Walters

Writing news update posts is always a little bit of a challenge.  Actually, writing a post for the TestSoup blog at all is a bit of a challenge for me this time around.  I’m a bit rusty, if you must know.  Our guest posts have been so successful that I haven’t written a single post for our blog since we got back from co-hosting EdTech Karaoke at ISTE 11, and that feels like it was ages ago.  But every once in a while, I need to poke my head in the door and make sure everything is humming along as it should.

Here’s the real challenge, though.  How do you make the fact that we’ve updated our GRE flashcard content to be in sync with the August 1, 2011 General Test revisions into a fun and interesting blog post?  How do you make people care about the fact that we completely revamped our materials in under three weeks time?  Is there a way to dress that up and make it appeal to the masses?

I don’t know.  I just… Don’t. Know.

What I do know is this: they’ve been talking about updating the GRE — the standardized exam that all applicants to grad schools must take — since 2006.  But they didn’t do anything about it until this year.  They say that now the test is more in line with the skill sets that are important for success in modern graduate programs.  And I’m sure it is.

Changes to a test like this cannot be made lightly.  Maybe that’s why they spent so long talking about it before they made their move.  Fortunately, TestSoup isn’t constrained by multiple layers of bureaucracy.  When we see a test that needs quality, up-to-date study content, we move.  It’s what we do, and we make no apologies for it.  Should we?

It all goes back to the vision of our founder, Brian Reese.  You see, back in the day (and by that, we mean almost two whole years ago), Brian was studying for the GMAT, and he was spending a lot of money on test prep materials.  Some were worth the cash, but the vast majority of them weren’t.  So he started making his own flashcards, and after a very short while he saw the scores on his practice tests going up.

Fast forward to last year and Brian had assembled test prep experts to help him produce flashcards for several other standardized tests.  Of course, creating relevant content was important then, and we’re not going to stop now.  What kind of players would we be if we bailed on the game as soon as things got interesting?  I mean — could we still call ourselves “players?”

You may not care about the GRE.  I understand that.  But if test prep is in your future (and I would love to see a future that doesn’t involve some amount of studying) then you should know that TestSoup plans to continue staying relevant and up-to-date.  That’s a promise that extends to every one of our tests.

guest written by Eric Clark of Quincy Tutoring

Last week, my friend Mark from My Town Tutors wrote a great guest post for TestSoup.  This follow up will give you five things that you should look for in a tutor.  Don’t limit your list to these five categories, use the list as a starting point once you being the tutor search process.

References

Do your due diligence and make sure that each tutor that you hire is a great fit for your student.  Each student has a different set of needs, and it is important that the tutor meets those needs adequately.  It is important to gain trust in your tutors, but that takes time.  Ask for references; if the applicant doesn’t have any, stay away!

Experience

Experience tells a lot about a tutor’s ability to do their job well.  A tutor may be a great tutor with little to no experience, but experience is usually better.  Experienced tutors should be able to adapt a tutor session mid-stream, and help the student reach their potential.  Inexperienced tutors can help students, but it may be less efficient.  Experienced tutors also cost more, and for some, an inexperienced tutor is the best option.

Training

Quality training is almost as important as experience.  There are several great tutor training programs out there, and I would recommend the Crossroads of Learning (CRL) tutor training.  When a tutor successfully completes the CRL training they are certified by the National Tutor Association.  Tutors that have gone through teacher training are great as well.  My Town Tutors has a database of tutors that are/were full-time teachers.

Communication

Communication is a key component to a successful tutor/student relationship.  Tutors with great non-verbal communication will be extremely successful.  Tutors that can ask open ended questions will also be successful, because they require students to make connections.  Students will learn far less if they are given direct answers to their question.  A good tutor will allow their student to think and come up with their own answer by providing clues that the student can piece together.

Intentions

Is the tutor in it for the money?  If so, that relationship is not going to work.  Tutors need to be invested in their students, much like teachers are.  I don’t know a single good teacher that is in it for the money.  The students must come first!

As stated in the beginning, use these 5 categories as a starting point in the tutor search process.  There may be specific criteria that will come from the initial interview, so don’t be afraid to ask the tutor specific questions.  Students should feel comfortable with the tutor from the onset.  Don’t get started off on the wrong foot by hiring a tutor that is not a good fit.

The Quincy Tutor Network is only four months old, but it is a great place to start the tutor search.  New tutors are registering every week, and there is always room for more.  If you are a tutor please consider joining our free network and our LinkedIn Group.  Tutors are also given the ability to blog, which is a great way to show potential clients your skill set.  As always, feel free to find Quincy Tutoring on Facebook and Twitter.

About the author: Eric Clark is the founder and CEO of Quincy Tutoring, an online tutor network.  Quincy Tutoring also offers affordable standardized test prep, and fully endorses TestSoup’s flashcard system.  Follow Eric on Twitter and Facebook.

guest written by Mark Molloy of My Town Tutors

guest written by Michelle Deets Haynes of Clarity Learning

Have you considered whether your own study methods are working for you or against you? Study methods that consume too much time and don’t prepare you well can leave you feeling frustrated and too unmotivated to continue. Whether you’re a busy middle or high school student, a new college student, or a working adult who is juggling classes with family demands, there’s no time for ineffective study techniques.

I consider weak study techniques to be those that leave you feeling rushed, drained, overwhelmed, or bored. They leave your eyes watering while your brain wanders off. However, active, effective study methods leave you saying:

• I really don’t mind studying this way.
• I know this, this, and this.
• I need to review these things here.
• I still have time to master this material.

Here are three ways to set up and employ active, confidence-building study methods:

1. Plan ahead and study in chunks. Don’t cram. Cramming leads to mixed-up terms, forgotten steps, and that awful fog of self-doubt that settles on you during the test. It’s better to find several small chunks of time to commit a few concepts and terms to memory than to wait until you “have enough time.”

Smartphones can easily carry around your notes. Review a few pieces of material as you ride to school, wait for your parents, or wait for your own children to finish an activity. That having said, make sure you study everything together at some point in case there are terms or steps that are similar and easily confused. You’re a busy person; utilize your breaks to spread out your study sessions and avoid cramming.

2. In order to retain information, you must be alert and have the intent to retain. Get your body involved in the game. Just reading text off a website, flashcard, or page lacks the impact and retention of DOING SOMETHING with that text. Use an active website like www.quizlet.com to enter terms and manipulate them with the online drag-and-drop games or the voice recognition software.

Also, I prefer matching cards to standard flashcards. Rather than front and back cards, write the terms on one card, the definitions on another. Spread the terms out on the table. Then, similar to dealing cards, match the terms and definitions by placing the correct cards on top of each other. Between scanning for the partner cards, physically setting one card atop another, and checking the answer, you’re actively participating in your study session.

If you zone out while reading, create your study materials as you go to keep yourself tuned in. Read a paragraph and then think of two or three questions and answers. Write them on your cards or type them into your online flashcard system. Presto! You’ve become an active, alert student! No more sleepily reading and re-reading the text to absorb the data. You don’t have time for that!

3. Quiz yourself as part of your study program. Don’t be lured into that over-confident feeling of knowing something without quizzing yourself to see if you truly do know it. As noted in my blog post “Test Yourself Before You Take a Test,” research has shown that self-testing aids retention.

Flashcards can give you that, “Sure, that’s what I meant to say!” feeling. Take the next step. Read the question on the card and then write your answer on a tablet-sized white board to see if you really committed the information to memory. Digital flash cards are just as “fudge-able” and static as the old, 3-by-5 species. Pull up your digital flashcard and write your answer on a white board. Or, speak your answer into the notes recorder of your phone. Hesitations in your recording will expose any uncertainty and point to the areas that need more reinforcement.

Be active when you study. Stay alert through motion, drawing, and voice. Get creative and ask yourself, “How would I make a six-year-old do this?” Then set that up for yourself. Most importantly, ask yourself, “Am I working actively, or am I drifting?” Once you drift, you’re wasting time, and your time is too precious to waste!

About the author: Michelle Deets Haynes is the founder and owner of Clarity Learning, an in-home tutoring service that has served Orange County, CA since 2001.