SAT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student~ a Review

When I was offered the opportunity to review the SAT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student written by James P. Stobaugh and published by Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing, I jumped at the chance. A long time admirer of Master Books, I know when I purchase from them, I can count on material that reflects my beliefs and values.

As excited as I was, I began to feel a sense of dread as I waited for the review copy to arrive in my mailbox. After all, until this past year my kids had always sworn they weren’t interested in college and with some of the struggles we’ve had over the years, I was willing and happy to see them graduate high school!

As a sophomore, junior and senior, they are a quite a bit more serious and disciplined than they have been in the past. I’m beginning to think maybe the SAT exam is somewhere in our near future. But where do we start this late in the game? Enter the SAT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student. This volume is not at all like the stiff, difficult book I’d imagined it to be. With it’s ease of use and easy to understand lessons, you can easily  jump in and begin to prepare for the college entrance exam.

Ideally you would begin using this guide in the 9th grade with simple daily lessons. However, if you’re like me and get off to a late start, don’t fret. There is also a suggested schedule to complete the book in one or two years instead of three.

The 150 lessons follow four  main components:

1) a devotional

2) reading and vocabulary exercises

3) math and verbal exercises

4) and, test taking strategies.

You can download a sample of the book which includes the Table of Contents, tips for using the book, schedules and sample lessons. 

The book also outlines a comprehensive reading program that includes book lists of popular Christian and secular titles grouped by grade. You’ll also find a wide variety of examples of college admission essays with a few tips for your child on writing their own. There is also a link for a free downloadable essay workbook available which I found very helpful. 

I found the lessons easy to implement and easily understood by my own children. Personally, I appreciated the devotions that began each lesson, enjoyed the literature selections and feel that the suggestion of studying Greek and/or Latin root words to be valid but not sure that the book is a stand alone “test prep”.  I’d like to see more math problems and more vocabulary. Even so, my children can certainly benefit from the existing 150 lessons.

The SAT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student is available for $29.99 from New Leaf Publishing Group and from a number of  online retailers.

Have any questions that weren’t answered here? I encourage you to connect with the author,  James P. Stobaugh, on Facebook and on Twitter where he shares tips for taking the SAT and ACT.

**I received this book free of charge in exchange for sharing my honest opinions with my readers.