Hi all,
I am a mother of two daughters, my older one is going to 9th grade and younger 7th this year. Both need homework help for math. They both are in honors class. But I am an arts graduate and find it difficult to help both my girls with their math problems. So i have decided to take subject tests on math 1and math2, to know where I stand. Please guide me with this.How to take this subject tests and which books are good for studying etc
@rashu123 go to the College Board website for more info on registering, ID requirements, etc.
It doesn’t seem like you are taking the subject tests for admission for any degree program or employment, so you likely don’t need to take the SAT subject tests officially.
You may be better off using your daughters’ textbooks/course notes or buying a copy for yourself. If those are not available, look online for guides or tutorials on the topics that they are covering. If that doesn’t work, or if you don’t have enough time, perhaps arrange for tutoring in your area if the need is desperate.
Just take the practice tests at home.You can buy some test prep books, which review the math and contain practice tests. Common ones that my kids used are Kaplan, Princeton Review, and Barron’s.
I also have found that you can Google specific types of math problems and find explanations and videos. That is how I first stumbled onto Khan Academy, which is free and has easy to understand lessons organized in small units.
If you have time, study the same lessons that your daughters are doing in their text books and work some of the problems. Sometimes kids rely on learning from the teacher’s presentation alone, when they actually need to go through the explanation in the book as well.
To answer the question in your title, the SAT (formerly called SAT I) is a test of math, reading and writing skills. The SAT Subject Tests (formerly called SAT II ) just test one subject each. The Math 1 Subject Test is appropriate for someone who has completed Geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II. The Math 2 Subject Test is usually taken after completing Pre-Calculus as well. The level of math in the SAT is similar to that of the SAT Math 1 Subject Test.
Actually I am also planning for employment and want to start my career as a paraprofessional teacher either in high school or at any community or private college. I major in Economics and need 11th and 12th grade math to teach at college level. Can anyone tell me how does this SAT subjects test certification helps in employment specially in education field.
Each state has different rules for teaching. You may want to research your own state and what is needed for you to start that career. But be aware: To the best of my knowledge, the SAT is not a test used to “certify” anyone for teaching. Its primary purpose is to get people into college. Are you currently enrolled in college now? Can you clarify what you mean by “major in economics” – are you saying that you have a major in economics, or that you are currently studying / majoring in it?
I have done my Masters in Economics in India. But in India it is more of a theory based study.But here the curriculum is more mathematical based, In fact now it’s impossible to study economics without math knowledge,though it may not need advanced level but we have to be good with atleast 11th and 12th grade math. It’s been already 15 years I did my master’s degree,then the curriculum was not that mathematical based as it is today. It is one of the reason why I want to make this certification to improve my math skills.
Thinkwell.com has a series of structured math courses you can study independently that cover math from grade 6 through calculus. They are not free like Khan Academy but are very thorough!
It is still unclear to me - what certification are you looking for? Are you trying to enroll in college math classes needed to be certified as a teacher in your state? If so, the SAT does not provide the actual certification, but it can be used to help you enter college.
It’s not a bad idea to improve your skills, but I’m not sure that doing SAT prep is the most sensible way to go about it. Your local community college might have a math placement exam that you could take and then you could take a math course starting at that point. There are also math placement tests on line. Saxon math has some for example. I think step one is to see how much math you remember so you know where you need to begin your review.
http://math.tntech.edu/e-math/placement/index.html can give you an idea of where you stand on various high school math topics. You can then concentrate your self-studying on those topics which you find that you do not know that well.
You have probably already done this, but you get a lot of information by Googling the name of your state and “teacher assistant qualifications”. You find out what degrees, coursework, and standardized tests are required. If a standardized test is required, you can Google it to find test preparation material.
@rashu123 Knowing this beforehand would’ve helped, but that’s a separate topic. I’d imagine you’d need more advanced mathematics (e.g. calculus, linear algebra) to teach economics at the college level…
If you wish to teach in the US, for example, you generally need some teaching experience (many teachers have a degree or formal training in education), and you have to be certified to teach if you teach in a public school. I don’t know all the rules since I have not taught on the professional level, but you should be able to look up the requirements for your career.
A college economics instructor presumably either has a graduate degree in economics or is a graduate student in economics. That typically implies having had math course work including calculus, multivariable calculus, linear algebra, real analysis, probability theory, etc., since those are commonly expected math prerequisites for graduate study in economics.
There are paraprofessionals (teacher assistants) for K through 12, but is there such a thing at the college level? Wouldn’t all the teacher assistants be graduate students?
Yes I searched online. It said teacher aid or paraprofessional job can also be done at college level like assisting lecturers or university professors.