Help on Reading for ACT?!?!

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>Reading is currently my struggle on the ACT, the other sections I can know my flaws and can improve with just a little practice. I was wondering if any1 had any tips on how to speed up reading, answer the questions faster, or just any other tips?</p>

<p>TY</p>

2

<p>i also had this problem. but i figured out a great strategy that worked for me. If you are a slow reader like I am, I would skim the passage… when you skim the passage make sure you understand the MAIN IDEA! also make sure you know where all the details are in the passage, so you can come back to them easily. never dwell on the passage! once your done with the passage. read the questions and answer the questions. the answers are alwaysin the passage…soalways go back and look for the answer. Its worth spending the timeto look back for the answers casue you will get them right.</p>

3

<p>When you skim a passage, do u read the first and last sentence or the paragraph, or do you just read it quickly without looking at every single word? I guess my main problem is just time management</p>

4

<p>yeah, i was wondering the same thing about skimming the passage- how is it done?</p>

5

<p>Just a tip, if you read while tracing your finger under the words (like little kids do) you read faster. Time it, it totally works =)</p>

6

<p>A way to become a better reader is to read lots of different material. From Time magazine article to the daily news. Practice digesting information. While your at it, think about the tone, style and purpose of the piece. So just read, read, read.</p>

7

<p>On the ACT i scored a perfect 36 in reading, it was my best subject by far. I also received a 5 on AP lit due to my multiple choice reading. I have some tips, but they might not work for everyone.

  1. Read the entire passage.
    (If i skim something i lose sight of important details that could change the answer for a specific question. I know it takes more time, but in the end you are more confident because you read every single part of the excerpt. )
  2. As you read, underline, circle, or star ANYTHING that you think might be important.
    (this allows you to read faster, but still focus in on the main ideas. underline character names, attitudes or voice seen, names of events places or dates, etc. Once i started doing this it helped me answer questions SO much faster).
  3. If something confuses you as you are reading, don’t spend too much time on it
    (there is always a random part of the passage that is just completely confusing, maybe due to the wording or other strange attribute, I always put a question mark by it and if there is a question addressing it i can go back to it, but otherwise there is no need)
  4. Be careful about choosing extreme answers
    ( answers that include always, never, or definitely are usually not correct, there seems to be grey area.)
  5. Look at the passage as a whole
    (Focus on the point of view, any bias within the passage, and the tone overall. this helps you focus on certain answers that have the same tone.)</p>

<p>If you have any other questions or an example of a question that tripped you up feel free to PM me and ask! </p>

<p>Katy</p>

8

<p>Although you might not find this suiting, I use a simple process:</p>

<p>Do the questions/passages in order
4 min reading/4 min answer questions
I find this way helpful as it doesn’t allow me to spend too much time on the passage which is somewhat beneficial because I figured I do better just getting a grasp of the passage not a verbatim understanding of it.
And as for the time constraints, it’s simple to follow and if worked perfectly allows you about 3-4 min at the end for review.
Before I used to skip around (like doing passage 3 after first doing 1,2,and 4) but after trying this new method my practice tests scores increased from 26 - 33,35 (which is sicksauce haha excuse my lingo)
Basically you just have to practice a lot and when you find what’s best for you, stick to it.
But, I hope this helps. :)</p>

9

<p>I agree with swell. what i mean by skim is that read the passaga quick in about 3 minutes. You dont have to grasp every detail…but you must understand the passage and where the details are. You are not tested on how well you read the passaege…u want to make sure you anser the questions correctly thats your goal. I think if you read a passage slower and underline and stuff…you will waste a lot of time and when yoy eventually get to the questions you will have only 2-3 min to answer. A lot of the questions require you to go back and look in the passage. Although, this strategy may work for you. When I read the passage carefully–including underlining and stuff, I got a 25. When I skimmed I got a 29-30. Try both strategies and see what works for you.</p>

10

<p>When you take it a second time you are more like to improve your score anyways haha… so not sure that that’s exactly the reason, you were already familiar with the test.
I have to admit that reading is my strength. When i read the entire passage I do it rather quickly, almost like skimming but every words passes my eyes, I slow down for a second or two when I see a huge detail or idea which is when I underline. This allows you to skim details but still have the really important parts of the passage pointed out for you. Reading the entire passage and skimming can mean the difference between a 30 and a 36. If you are only skimming, you don’t have all of the information, and completely random details can determine the correct answer. Just saying.</p>

11

<p>I got a 36 on this section, and I found that reading the whole thing worked the best for me. It really was the difference between a 31 and a 36 for me. I read pretty fast anyway, and when I saw big detail or concept, I filed it away for later. Underlining really helps. Don’t be scared to mark that book UP! :slight_smile: Hope this helps.</p>