In my book College and SAT Preparation Course for the Christian Student (1998, 2005) I attempt to address all the above questions in a Charlotte Mason approach. First, I constantly emphasize total book preparation. In fact, reading is the single most important preparation for the SAT. Reading total books, rather than passages or excerpts make sure that students increase their vocabulary and critical reading skills. The authors of the SAT are not stupid–they know we can buy SAT vocabulary lists. My book invites students to prepare the old fashioned way–hard work!
Charlotte Mason also encouraged a wholesome, Christian approach to learning. In other words, an approach that emphasized “cracking the SAT†would have been anathema to Mrs. Mason! My book is one of the most difficult, if not most difficult SAT preparation course on the market but it works because the student works hard.
Charlotte Mason kept learning as a normal part of life. She believed in mediated learning where the student, guided by a resource or an adult, explored and interacted with the world around him. The experience of the learner was critically important to the learning process itself. I employ a similar modality in my book. A large part of the course is a devotion based on age appropriate experiences most teenagers are experiencing.