ACT
Nurturing Wisdom has helped thousands of students prepare for the ACT through our customized, 1:1 tutoring. The benefits extend well beyond test scores!
Students who complete our ACT tutoring program achieve an average increase of 5.5 points from their pre-test to their final test!
Our Approach to the ACT
When we meet students where they are, we have the best chance of getting them where they want to be! This approach enables us to work with students with a wide variety of needs and goals. Our instruction is:
- Holistic - The tutoring process starts with a pre-test and consultation so that we can understand your whole child. We want to learn about their strengths and weaknesses, academic experience, learning style, personality, interests, talents, and even their schedule.
- Customized - The info from the pre-test and consultation helps us make a strong tutor match and tailor an effective and efficient tutoring plan. We also use those details to recommend a realistic goal score, and the number and frequency of sessions to reach it. Because instruction is individualized, we can work with students who need a full program, others who want to focus on one or two test sections, those with learning differences, and some who are looking for a confidence boost.
- Comprehensive - We address four core competencies in our ACT tutoring: test taking strategies, academic skills, timing/pacing, and test anxiety. A deficiency in any of these areas can lead to a score that doesn't reflect your child’s ability. For example, a student may possess solid math skills but run out of time. If your child is approved for testing accommodations (such as extended time, multiple day testing, a reader, a writer, or other alternate test formats), we’ll teach them how to successfully apply them.
- Responsive - One-to-one tutoring is dynamic and engaging! Your tutor will adjust their instruction based on how your child does in session, as well as on homework and practice tests. We’ll also be responsive to your needs. Your tutoring director will check in regularly, answer any questions you have along the way, and send timely reminders and test-related information.
Our Results
We see an average increase of 5.5 points for students who follow our tutoring recommendations. What does that involve?
- meeting for the suggested number of sessions
- completing homework
- taking a practice test before each real test
Our test prep is about much more than the test! Strong ACT scores will enhance your child’s college application, no doubt. Tutoring to achieve those good scores will also positively impact their school experience. Test prep can lead to:
- better grades
- reduced anxiety
- improved test and quiz scores
- increased chance of being awarded scholarships
It’s always fun to hear about students trying a new activity or achieving a long-held goal because of their newfound self-awareness and confidence. Scroll down to read more about our students' test prep experiences!
Getting Started
In order to truly customize test prep, it’s vital for a student to take a diagnostic pre-test before tutoring begins. While they won’t be excited about this, in the end it saves time and money. (If your child has already taken a real ACT or another practice test, let your director know. We might be able to use it instead of our pre-test.) After the pre-test is complete, we'll provide a detailed score analysis, as well as a tutoring timeline that outlines how much tutoring we recommend, a goal score, and real test dates.
If you’re not sure whether your child should prep for the ACT or SAT, read about how we make a recommendation here!
Sign up for one of our proctored pre-tests, a great opportunity to get a feel for the real test day. If your child is unable to make a proctored test date, they can take a free practice pre-test at home.
When to Start
Tutoring will be a weekly time commitment, so you want to think about when your child will have the space for it. Consider extracurricular activities, volunteering, part-time jobs, vacations, family commitments, and school projects. You can see real ACT dates here, and your director can help you determine the best timeline!
In a perfect world, we’d like for students to take a diagnostic pre-test at the end of sophomore year or summer before junior year. That gives us the most flexibility for planning and keeps anxiety at bay. However, we’ll work with students whenever they’re ready!
Online Tutoring
Our online tutoring is a great option for students who live outside of the Chicagoland area AND local students, too! Contact us to learn more.
