When it comes to SAT and ACT reading, I'm often asked the same question:
"Sure, you have tips and tricks for the tests themselves - but how do I improve my child's overall reading skills in preparation for your tutoring?"
In other words, parents recognize the value of proper testing strategy, but they also understand that students who are "good readers" will always do better on these tests than students who aren't.
While the SAT and ACT aren't intelligence tests, it would be ridiculous to say that they don't reward students with better mathematical and verbal processing abilities. Think of these tests like basketball: anyone can be good, but it still helps to be tall.
So how do you make your child "taller?" How do you improve his/her reading comprehension abilities before he/she ever steps into the testing center? While the best answer would be, "a lifetime devotion to developing your child's reading ability and love of learning," there are four things parents can start doing immediately that'll have a large impact:
1. Your child needs to read challenging material every single day. I had a conversation yesterday that went something like this:
"Sure, you have tips and tricks for the tests themselves - but how do I improve my child's overall reading skills in preparation for your tutoring?"
In other words, parents recognize the value of proper testing strategy, but they also understand that students who are "good readers" will always do better on these tests than students who aren't.
While the SAT and ACT aren't intelligence tests, it would be ridiculous to say that they don't reward students with better mathematical and verbal processing abilities. Think of these tests like basketball: anyone can be good, but it still helps to be tall.
So how do you make your child "taller?" How do you improve his/her reading comprehension abilities before he/she ever steps into the testing center? While the best answer would be, "a lifetime devotion to developing your child's reading ability and love of learning," there are four things parents can start doing immediately that'll have a large impact:
1. Your child needs to read challenging material every single day. I had a conversation yesterday that went something like this:
"I can't believe my child didn't get good Critical Reading scores on his PSAT."
"Does he read often?"
"No...why?"
The best way to get good at something is to do it. The more you read, the better you'll get at reading, plain and simple. If you want high SAT or ACT scores, then your child should be reading on a daily basis. This isn't optional.
By challenging material, I mean good novels, reputable non-fiction, and newspapers/magazines with real content (i.e. Scientific American, The New York Times, The Economist, etc.). Try to get 30 minutes a day out of your child. If your child doesn't want to do this, that's fine - but don't expect him/her to be a great reader.
Try having a little review of what you've been reading every night at dinner. Share new ideas you've learned, and ask your child what he/she has learned. It's a heck of a lot better than squabbling over SAT preparation.
2. Your child should learn to speed read. I encourage all of my students to speed read. Far from some "trick," speed reading is an essential life skill. The SAT and ACT are both tests of time - if you can perform the same tasks in less time, you'll get a better core.
You and your child should practice speed reading together. Here are the only two books you'll need:
Start with this:
http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Rapid-Reading-Peter-Kump/dp/073520019X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1390498154&sr=8-5
Then move on to this:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Speed-Reading/dp/1592577784/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1390498113&sr=8-15
It's like developing a new superpower. You'll thank me later.
3. Your child should answer the three "golden questions" after everything he/she reads. Just reading isn't enough. Your child needs to be able to answer these three questions about everything that he/she reads:
A) What was the main idea?
B) What was the author trying to accomplish?
C) What was the tone?
If your child gets in this habit, he/she will start asking these questions automatically - and they're the three questions that need to be asked to effectively comprehend every reading passage on the SAT and the ACT. Answering them after every paragraph is ideal - after every page is still effective.
4. Your child should be studying vocabulary every day. If you want a big vocabulary, you need to learn new words constantly, and review the ones you've already learned.
Reading regularly is a big help - but it isn't enough.
Try getting your child to make 5-10 vocabulary flashcards a day by using Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com, and from new words in the material that he/she reads. Also, be sure to sign up for my free vocabulary software, Vivid Vocab, at:
Better reading skills lead to better SAT and ACT scores - period.
The sooner you put your child on this program, the more developed his/her scores will be by test time.
Also, if you're not able to book me personally, then you can always sign up for my online SAT prep course at:
www.GreenSATsystem.com
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