Standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT. Just the mention of these tests can cause some level of anxiety in students.
I hear this so often from a parent, “My child is a strong student, and they are taking so many honors and AP types classes and they have a 4.2 and they are in a hundred clubs and sports, BUT… they are not strong standardized test takers. The SAT and ACT… ugh!!”
Alas… this is so often the case that an otherwise well qualified student may appear to be underachieving on the SAT or ACT. For some reason, at least in my case load, I find that this occurs more often with the Reading sections than it does with the Math sections. And with the new reorganized SAT, I am finding that this is an even bigger challenge as the SAT is shifting more to an analytic connected reading approach. This is not a bad thing.. but it does require the students to understand what they are expected to do and it requires having a clear and well practiced strategy going into the test. While the ACT has not changed its format, the strategy works equally well in the ACT Reading test portion.
As mAke the grAde we teach the “3W” reading approach. This is a proprietary process, but what I would like to share it that the strategy relies on using the questions to pinpoint 3 things about the passage:
- Where are you most likely to find the answer?
- Why is the question being asked?
- What do you have to learn when you read?
The process promotes a gameplay of using the questions to ‘chunk’ the reading into a number of shorter mini-passages rather than one long effort. Center on the question, ask yourself the 3Ws and then execute to get the answer. This technique, like all aspects of test prep for ACT and SAT, takes some time to learn and some time to master, but it is very effective and, importantly, a time saver, and a stress reducer.
To learn more about the 3W strategy and how it is being used successfully by mAke the grAde students for both the ACT and SAT exams, please contact the mAke the grAde office. Call the mAke the grAde office 2155408378 to set up your free consultation.