<p>My brother had his first class in the 10th grade today (he lives in the Middle East with my mother). I am very concerned about him being able to afford tuition here in the USA as I'm not sure if he will score a scholarship at a decent university. Reason being that his English is not as well as mine and I had a lot of trouble with the CR (Critical Reading) section myself. </p>
<p>I asked him to take the official SAT practice test online and he received a score of 410 on CR, 420 on Writing and a similar score on Math. He is doing IGCSE and eventually A-level Math which will dramatically improve his Math skills, but he won't be doing much English during his final 3 years in High School. </p>
<p>When I was in grades 11 and 12, I asked around a lot on how to improve my own CR score (I was consistently getting in the 400s no matter how many SAT practice tests I did) and one thing I heard a number of times was that you can't improve your CR score dramatically in just a few months. The point was that I had to READ a lot in order to actually have proficient Critical Reading skills.</p>
<p>In your opinion, is that true? Or is there an easier/better way to improve your English (CR AND Writing) skills for the SAT? Since he has 3 years to go, I figured if reading was the only way to take your score from 400 to the 600s+, then I'll give him a bunch of helpful books to read. But I don't want to waste his time with a lot of reading if it is unnecessary- especially since he's been dreading my advice on reading. What do you think? </p>
<p>There is never an “easier” way to learn something. Learning takes time, reading takes time and practice takes time. The best thing your brother could do is exactly that, and I second your suggestion on giving him more to read. If you want to tackle the SAT, you really need a good amount of exposure to the English language and grammar. </p>
<p>Can someone help me on this? If reading books is the only way to dramatically improve the Critical Reading SAT score, which books would be recommended? </p>
<p>Just find something you enjoy reading that’s like young adult+. Between freshman and sophomore year, I read the wheel of time series and think it contributed heavily to my jump from 600ish to the low 700s on the PSAT in CR and writing. You’ll naturally learn the vocab and increase your comprehension skills. Practice tests are a good way to familiarize yourself with the format and can help you learn how to read “SAT passages,” but reading is the only way to get these large score increases you’re hoping for imo. </p>
<p>If the two of you think reading is a “waste of time” then perhaps you should both reconsider your educational plans. What do you think you’ll be doing in college?</p>
<p>Not all kids take to reading at the same points, during hs. And, often not when it’s meant as a task for some goal that feels a few years off. What are his opportunities to actually use whatever English skills he has, speaking with others? I’m assuming it’s not your first language-?</p>
<p>Btw, sometimes you don’t get to a goal by insisting X path is the way to go. If you want him to read more, why not just find what he’d be interested in reading, rather than framing it as a “must do” to get into a college with good finaid? It’s 10th grade, a time when they already face new challenges and can have their hands full with schoolwork.</p>