1. Intro to SAT/ACT Reading

2. Comparison SAT Critical Reading ACT Reading
1 section (65 min) [13 min/passage]
Multiple-choice (4 choices)
5 passages (~800 words) with 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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.