“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”
Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
The section of the SAT that I get asked about the most is the critical reading portion of the test. Many students feel as though they are just “bad readers” and this is also typically the section that students have the hardest time improving. However, any good tutor who hopes to raise his or her student’s score on the critical reading section must realize that students’ performance on the SAT Critical Reading section is much like the quote from Anna Karenina. While those who do well often read and answer questions in a similar way, those who struggle all seem to struggle in their own unique way. Before trying to resolve the issues you face in critical reading, it is important to understand what type of reader you are so you know how best to resolve your issues. Over the next few weeks, I will discuss some of the common struggles students face when trying to achieve their goal score on the critical reading section. Today we will begin by looking at one common issue: the too slow reader.
Too slow: Do you find yourself pressed for time in nearly every section? Do you often leave many questions at the end of the section blank, or notice that you miss a string of questions at the end where you are trying to go too quickly? If so, you may be a “too slow” reader. While the SAT is in fact a timed test, it is not, like the ACT, designed to be a “time pressure” test. All sections are formulated for students to be able to complete in a reasonable and non-hurried way, so if you are finding yourself short on time, you will want to look into why you are struggling with time, and how best to fix this.
1) Are you a non-native speaker?
Many non-native speakers find reading the passages cumbersome and time consuming, as much of their time must be spent trying to “translate” what the passage says into their native language.
Solution:
To counteract this impulse and improve your speed, begin by reading the passage out loud. This forces you to hear the passage the same way you would hear a conversation or watch a movie. You don’t have time to translate anything in your head, so you must just absorb what is being said as it is said. Soon enough, you will be able to apply this same principle to reading silently. If however, you feel as though you still need work understanding pieces of English text, working with a tutor familiar with the SAT to learn commonly used vocabulary words and idioms will prove invaluable.
2) Do you try to do too much?
Your first perusal through the text does not have to result in your memorizing every detail about the passage. SAT passages are purposefully designed to contain an overabundance of information that overwhelms students trying to read the text in a timely fashion.
Solution:
All you have to take away from reading the passage is the main idea of each paragraph and the general tone of the passage. Anything more specific can be reviewed when it comes time to answer the questions. Don’t waste time trying to memorize dense details. Working with a tutor to help you identify what is important versus what is designed to slow you down should help you to greatly improve your speed.
3) Are you a generally slow reader?
Some students just read at a slower rate than others. This difference in reading rate can be attributed to how many “stops” a reader makes per line of text. Very slow readers usually find themselves fixating, or “stopping” on every word.
Solution:
Faster readers make fewer fixations per line and use their peripheral vision to handle multiple words at a time. To test how many fixations you make, just read a few lines of any text and count how many times you “stop.” An amazing reader can actually reduce his or her fixations anywhere from 2 stops per line (most do about 4 or 5 on average) to 2 stops per paragraph – it is all a matter of training the mind. Working with a tutor trained in this specific reading strategy can improve your reading speed to as high as 150 words per minute.
Conclusion
Hopefully these tips to improve your reading speed will begin to show results in your critical reading preparation, or in the preparation of your child or student. However, you may find that you, or your child, are still struggling. Many of the issues students face are interrelated, and students often find themselves identifying with multiple reading types. Make sure to keep reading so you can identify every issue you may have on the SAT critical reading section and allow yourself to best work to resolve them. In my next post, I will be discussing the mathematical reader.
