SAT Reading section techniques, strategies & approaches

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SAT Reading section

Overview[edit | edit source]

  • SAT Reading Section Test Directions:
    • Students are to answer questions based upon:
      • what is stated" in the text or graphs (explicit meanings, textual and direct comprehension)
      • what is "implied" in the text or graphs (implicit meanings, inference, deduction, identification of author purpose and techniques)
  • SAT Reading Test Structure
    • Students have 65 minutes to answer 52 questions
    • Reading test has five readings with 10 or 11 questions each
      • = average 13:00 min per reading passage
      • note: two readings contain 11 questions so may take longer

Difficulty level[edit | edit source]

  • difficulty level is based on the passage and not the questions
    • there can be difficult questions on easy passages, but the bulk of "hard" questions will coincide with difficult passages

Strategies & Techniques[edit | edit source]

  • The test "Directions" instruct students, "After reading each passage or pair, choose the best answer to each question"
  • Other approaches include:
    • read carefully and annotate
      • might include summarizing each paragraph
    • previewing questions, then reading and/or skimming
    • "cherry picking" questions and finding them in the text by skimming

Preview strategy[edit | edit source]

A+ Club Reading Section General Approach – a Suggested Process

Purpose and theory of preview strategy[edit | edit source]

Purpose

  • The Preview strategy is designed to help students:
  1. to know as much about the passage as possible in advance of reading it;
  2. to identify what is expected of the student to know about the passage

Background

  • all learning of new knowledge is built upon application of prior knowledge
    • therefore the more we know about something new to us, the better we will comprehend it
      • ex., we learn about and see more in a movie that we watch multiple times than we did the first time we say it
        • watching it again, we already know what will happen, so we can focus on details and plot intricacies, as opposed to trying to figure it out
    • see Prior Knowledge
  • similarly, when taking a test, it is helpful to know what we are expected to know about it in advance
    • by previewing questions, we can
    • furthermore, all questions have information in them
      • ex. "Why is the sky blue" tells us that "the sky is blue"

Quick guide / big ideas[edit | edit source]

  • read introductions for context and preview
  • skim topic sentences and key words
  • read concluding sentences for author summary/ main point
  • preview questions and find information in them
  • “keep your thumb” on the questions page while you read the text
    • go back and forth to remind yourself of information in the questions and what you are looking for
    • answer questions as you read (will be out of order)

1. Preview the introduction and apply PRIOR KNOWLEDGE[edit | edit source]

  • read introduction carefully, identifying relevant information in:
  • title:
    • the thesis is often in the title for Social Science or Science passages
    • titles usually contain author purpose in comparison passages
  • author & publisher
    • Elsevier is a common source for academic articles
    • Nature is a common source for scientific articles
    • Harcourt is a common source for fiction and expository writing
  • publication date
  • apply your historical prior knowledge for context and themes
    • see the A+ Club SAT Verbal Historical Timeline & Themes

2. Skim passage[edit | edit source]

  • read first paragraph and identify:
    • place, time, theme, thesis, style
  • skim rest of text and:
    • quickly read topic sentences
    • identify recognizable information, such as proper names, repetitive words, author style, etc.
    • identify parenthetical information (provides explanations)
    • identify transition words and points
  • carefully read the last few sentences or paragraph
    • conclusions identify author purpose, perspective, or big idea
  • skim graphs
    • identify source, purpose and content
    • read captions for information

3. Review questions[edit | edit source]

  • do not look at possible answers, as these are there to confuse you!
  • use questions for information:
    • identify question expectations and information about the passage
    • every question contains some information about the text
  • knowing question expectations in advance of careful reading will focus your reading
    • if helpful, annotate the passage with question expectations, such as vocabulary, line numbers, etc.
  • identify paired questions (i.e., 2nd question is to identify source of evidence for the first)
    • identify location of the source information to get an idea of where in the passage the evidence will be
    • paired questions are often on separate pages, which previewing questions will identify them in advance

4. Read the passage carefully & “keep your thumb” on the questions[edit | edit source]

  • by knowing more about the passage from skimming and preview of questions, you will approach the text more meaningfully and with more direction and awareness of question expectations
  • flip back/forth to questions as you read
  • annotate, mark and otherwise approach the text with “active reading”
  • identifying textual purpose and techniques
  • answer questions while you read
    • otherwise anticipate answers and textual sources for them
    • maintain time-awareness
  • read “out loud” to yourself, even mouthing words if it helps your comprehension

5. Now proceed to answer remaining questions, reading them carefully and fully[edit | edit source]

  • unless you see the evidene directly in the text eliminate for errors not correctness of possible answers
    • each wrong answer contains a specific error(s)
    • the correct answer
  • summary or “main point” questions are often best left until last, as you will learn more about the passage as you answer other questions
    • always refer to the concluding sentences or paragraph when answering main point questions
    • maintain time-awareness

Notes[edit | edit source]

  • effective preview of text and questions will yield both more accurate and quicker processing of the text
  • preview strategy will vary according to passage type
  • transitions and chronologies organize a reading: pay attention to them!
  • unlike your typical high school essay, SAT passages DO NOT follow the THESIS - EVIDENCE - CONCLUSION structure
    • instead, these readings more generally follow (fiction excepted):
      • background & introduction of the subject, problem, or argument
      • review origins of the topic
      • develop the topic and how it was been understood, studied, or interpreted by others
      • author approach and testing of the topic
      • draw a conclusion, call to action or summary of topic