<p>I am in need of advice for critical reading because that is the only section separating me from getting in the 1900-2000s. I know my problem is reading the passage because I am a very weak reader, I scored a 510 on the May SAT and I need to increase it to a 650 for the november SAT but I am not sure I can improve my reading skills in a month since reading is a gradually thing. I was wondering what would be a "alternative" strategy if there is one to work through the context of the critical reading and understanding how it functions instead of reading for just summary.</p>
<p>lol! you’re like me. the Critical reading section is the bane of my SAT score, like u said the only thing standing between me and 1900 - 2000. Here is someone’s response to the same question i posted in my thread 2 months ago:</p>
<p>Hello there!</p>
<p>Like you, I also struggle with the critical reading section of the SAT, particularly with deciphering the content contained within the long passages. However, through practice and several guides I’ve come across, I’ve gathered tips that have personally helped me and will surely help you.</p>
<p>When it comes to reading the long passages, force yourself to be genuinely interested in the subject. You will be more likely to retain the material you read if you take a more optimistic approach to the passage.</p>
<p>Always begin with reading the italicized blurb and scan the questions for line references. Mark any specific words or lines the questions may be referring to on the passage itself. Additionally, you may also want to divide the passage into an arbitrary number of sections to allow you to focus on and absorb the content of each one at a time. I usually allot two or three paragraphs to each section. After you are done with a particular section, you should proceed to answer the line reference questions pertaining to that section.</p>
<p>As far as reading the passage goes, ideally, you’ll want to skim through the passage and slow down and carefully read the lines around any marked references from earlier. When you are done reading the whole passage and answering the line reference questions, you should answer the higher-order questions (i.e. those pertaining to overall tone, etc.).</p>
<p>Above all, always remember that every correct answer will be fully supported by the text. I’m guilty of this myself, but avoid reading into what the answer choices may say. Instead, assume each answer is wrong unless proven otherwise by the text.</p>
<p>Anyway, hope I helped!</p>
<p>Dmao Thanks for the tips, these are good tips and I will try to break down the context the best way possible</p>
<p>There is no single strategy that will work for everyone. The best way to find your strategy is to… Do practice tests! I worked my way from a 530 in January to a 620 in June, simply by doing practice tests and studying vocab. It sounds tough, but if you allot a certain portion of your day to SAT, then you will see improvement. I had the same problem as you- I dislike reading and I was stumped when it came to SAT reading. Doing practice tests is the best way to help. Perhaps you can do it with a friend or a parent who is good at it. I always did reading sections with my dad, so that if I had any questions about the passage, or a particular answer, he would let me know why. Just keep your head up because it’s definitely possible!</p>
<p>JP8000 I have been doing loads of Practice test and no results because when I read I simply read to summarize</p>
<p>What do you mean you read to summarize? As in, you interpret the information as a series of events?</p>
<p>what I do in addition to what i said earlier is, that i Do NOT read the questions before I read the passage. The only questions I have in my head before i read the passage are:</p>
<p>What is the purpose of the passage
What is the Central Idea of the passage
What is the General Structure of the passage</p>
<p>the first two can usually be answered by reading the blurb (the little info in italics before the passage) and one or two paragraphs.</p>
<p>as it pertains to the purpose, SAT passages can have one of three:</p>
<p>To examine a concept, objectively (like a newspaper or a passage in a textbook)
To make a point ( like arguments)
To tell a story ( narratives, autobiographies, etc)</p>
<p>If you can find out the main purpose you can get some of the answers to the questions, cuz like someone said all the answers to the questions are in the passage so u just need to understand the passage in general then you’d be able to pinpoint certain details.</p>
<p>=/ I hope this helping in some way… I can go on if you want?</p>
<p>You guys are all ignorant.</p>
<p>You assume just because other people say CR is a gradual development and for natural readers. NO ITS NOT.</p>
<p>PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Get RocketReview. Absorb the passage introduction before you read the entire passage. Try to reason why 4 answers are wrong, then pick the remaining answer after a quick support check. Relax and dont think about the time. Study vocab every day, direct hits 1 + 2. Don’t overinterpret. Some answers choices are wrong because of ONE SINGLE WORD. All answers should be supported by the passage, indirectly or directly. For purpose questions, the first word, such as to predict, to account for, etc are the key words.</p>
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<p>I feel like I’m picking on you. This is a really harsh and unnecessary remark.</p>
<p>Everyone has different strategies, and you should respect that. If your strategy worked for you, that’s great. I don’t believe it’ll work for everyone.
It can’t hurt anyone to start reading books/magazines/newspapers. It can only be beneficial, so please don’t degrade literature…</p>
<p>I went from a 470PSAT to a 700. No Idea.</p>
<p>If you don’t like reading and don’t read regularly, you need to practice practice practice for the SAT. But do practices that give the explanations for the answers.</p>