To see real results and progress, students must be fully committed to their study and practice plans outside of lessons. Some of my students increased their SAT scores by 100 points after just 5 lessons, while others studied for over 6 months and got 1490 on their first SAT test. I use only official practice materials and other trusted resources during lessons.
SAT prep
SAT Math
SAT math requires a different way of looking at math problems and applying concept skills to solve them. Students work with me on practice sets and practice tests so they can learn how to dissect problems in a quick, practical way and find the right answers. Their time management and test-taking skills improve through regular test prep as they master how to navigate both the calculator and no-calculator sections.
SAT Reading
Challenging? Yes and no! I show students exactly how to break down the material in each passage into plain English, interpret the questions as simple directions, and use the best strategies to find the right answers. We also go over the passage categories and key question types for each category. Throughout our lessons, students work constantly on practice material to exercise their analytical thinking skills, improve their reading comprehension and boost their time management.
SAT Writing/Language
Students need to understand basic grammar rules and writing mechanics, so prep includes a review of correct sentence structure, organization, word and grammar usage, and paragraph development. I help students find repeating mistakes, understand those mistakes, and avoid future mistakes through regular drills and practice. Anyone can reach a perfect score in this section, so we work to achieve that.
ACT prep
ACT English
Students need to understand and recognize correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure to score well in this section. We target concept knowledge and skill application as part of their test prep. For the ACT Writing section, I coach how to write a strong, descriptive, and succinct essay response within the time limit.
ACT Reading
Since this section has four passages always set in four predetermined topic areas, I drill students through key question types and testing strategies to strengthen their reading comprehension, analytical skills, and time management.
ACT Science
Possibly the hardest section on the test, ACT Science does not require extensive scientific knowledge or skills. It tests high school students’ analytical skills and their ability to correctly interpret graphs and data and form conclusions. Together, we maximize their reading comprehension skills to glean necessary information and “translate” it into simple instructions that help them find the right answer to a question in less than a minute.
ACT Math
The ACT Math section is similar to the SAT math section but with a visible focus on geometry and trigonometry concepts; it also has a more diversified mixture of advanced math problems. Students go through a complete concept review based on their performance in practice material, as well as an analysis of their mistakes and how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
What Parents and Students Are Saying
“My daughter wanted help in math for Precalculus for school and to boost her SAT score. Natalie thoroughly reviewed my daughter’s math quizzes and tests and helped her prepare for her final exam. My daughter scored the highest she’s ever scored on a final exam; she was so happy. As for the SAT prep, Natalie’s strategy was perfect. My daughter’s score was boosted dramatically, almost 100 points in the Reading/Writing section alone.“
Susan, TakeLessons parent
“My son has been working with Natalie on SAT practice tests, mainly on the English portion of the SAT. Her style of teaching is to help him think through the problems and the ways to tackle them. So at the end of the day, my son is learning the tools to solve a problem/answer a question correctly. When he is doing the tests himself, Natalie’s approach is stuck with him. Overall, his time in Natalie’s class has been well spent. I am also glad to see that with all these remote learning at his school, he is able to get one-on-one attention every week to truly learn something and get him prepared for SAT.“
Pu S., TakeLessons parent
Hourly Rate
- Pay as You Go or Weekly scheduling options
Natalie G. Private Tutoring 
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