Intro to SAT/ACT Reading

Comparison SAT Critical Reading ACT Reading 1 section (65 min) [13 min/passage] Multiple-choice (4 choices) 5 passages (~800 words) with 10-11 questions each Passage types, in this order (sorta): Prose Fiction Social Science Humanities Natural Science Graphs and charts One double passage 1 section (35 min) [<9 min/passage] Multiple-choice (4 choices) 4 passages (~800 words) with 10 questions each Passage types, in this order: Prose Fiction Social Science Humanities Natural Science No graphs One double passage

Common Reading Problems “You” problems: “Not you” problems: Not being in the habit of reading Slow reading speed Low reading stamina Unfamiliar references Archaic language Boring material

Long-Term Solutions Read. Read more. Then read even more. Pay attention to what you don’t know, then fix it. Look up words you don’t know Research unfamiliar cultural items (this is what Wikipedia is for) Push yourself to read a little faster than you’re comfortable with.

Reading Strategy 1: Hands-On Reading Many students read passively, which leads to re-reading and poor comprehension. Reading with a pencil and marking the text improves your ability to process the passage.

Reading Strategy 1: Hands-On Reading What to mark: Main idea of passage (thesis) Main idea (topic sentence) Key examples Author’s opinion (if offered) Underlining is ok, but be sure to write down the “connections” What you write is less important than that you write.

Reading Strategy 2: “Speed” Reading If you’re reading “hands-on,” then you don’t need to worry about every detail. Big picture > little details You’ll be going back for details anyway DO NOT re-read during your first pass! You can skip the graphs until you get to the relevant questions

Reading Strategy 3: Know Thyself Know your strengths and weakness in reading, and approach the section accordingly. For example, if you struggle with Prose Fiction, then save it for the end You’re less likely to get these right, so why waste time you could be using on questions you’re more likely to get right? If you have to guess, then your weak section is less of a loss

Reading Strategy 4: Divide and Conquer Double passages can be tricky Answers can come from either passage Some questions are compare/contrast Read Passage 1 first, then answer its questions Read Passage 2, then answer its questions Answer the compare/contrast questions

Reading Strategies of Dubious Value Reading the questions first: This used to work well with the old SAT “short” passages, which are no more. Since many of the questions rely on an understanding of the passage as a whole, this strategy tends to not be very effective Reading only the topic sentences: This can help in a time emergency, but is not fruitful as a core strategy. Almost useless for prose fiction. BOTTOM LINE: Try it when you practice – if it helps, keep it. If not, don’t do it anymore

Hands-On Reading Exercise Read and mark the passage on the handout. Don’t bother with the questions just yet. We’re focusing on the act of reading right now.