Reading comprehension and the old SAT essay were the hardest sections of the test to coach. They both require a deep base of general prior knowledge and experience as an active reader. Vocabulary development is an obvious example of what I mean. Last-minute panic cramming of vocabulary words does very little to improve your score, while at the same time, a well-developed vocabulary is essential to get top scores on the test. Developing a functional understanding of a wide range of words takes time. The same is true about developing skill as an active reader. (The emphasis should be put on the word ‘active’.)
Active reading means the reader is engaged in a deliberate search for certain kinds of information. An active reader knows what kinds of information to expect from various kinds of writing, asks questions and searches for the answers, is concerned first to understand what writers are saying before criticizing their ideas, knows about the art and craft of expressing ideas and has a working understanding of logic and the tactics of persuasion. An active reader is also constantly comparing an individual writer’s message with the reader’s own knowledge and understanding of the topic.
Of course, writing requires the same knowledge and skill as reading. They are two sides of the same coin. In that sense, you are lucky. The old SAT pretty much tossed you into the pool at the deep end and watched to see how well you could swim. The new SAT is a bit easier in that the changes to the essay have helped to focus your attention on the art of rhetoric. That gives you a specific body of knowledge upon which you can focus your attention as you study. Like math and grammar, there are specific lessons you can learn to help you improve both your reading comprehension and your writing skill at the same time.
I have always argued that test prep, if done properly, is nowhere near the pointless waste of time that the SAT critics say it is. Sure, there are ‘testwise’ tricks that don’t have much application beyond multiple choice testing, and for purposes of the SAT they are worth knowing, but they should not be the proper focus of tutoring. Learning the intellectual skills that the test was designed to measure is what really makes the money spent on tutoring worthwhile. Those reading and writing skills are essential in any professional occupation. and, except in incredibly rare cases, anyone who lacks them is not likely to go very far.
For students who have already acquired a strong vocabulary and active reading skills, test prep requires little more than to learn the testwise tricks, review math concepts they haven’t studied recently, and become familiar with the format and idiosyncrasies of the test. For students who have not gained those skills, test prep is an opportunity to develop them now to make the rest of their lives easier and more productive.