If you’ve been preparing at all for the SAT or ACT, you know firsthand that both tests place an emphasis on evidence-based reading comprehension. Active reading – the type of reading required to read a book – requires you to interpret a great depth of information to understand the story. Making a habit of reading during the summertime will help you improve your test performance, as you’ll enhance your reading comprehension skills and expand your vocabulary. The practice of reading dense language within the context of a story will get you in the mode of reading for information, a required skill for the critical reading sections of the SAT and ACT.
Reading will also help you prepare for your test’s English grammar sections as it reinforces proper grammatical usage and spelling. By seeing how sentences are structured, you’ll become accustomed to correct writing practices and learn how to identify grammatical errors easily. Most importantly, understanding how to write clearly and concisely will help you effectively answer the test’s essay prompt and formulate an articulate response that conveys a compelling and engaging message to the reader.
If reading books isn’t your thing, consider reading at least two or three magazine or newspaper articles daily. If you don’t have those in your home, search on Twitter for a topic that interests you and then find an article that challenges your reading ability. An added bonus is you’ll learn something new and expand your horizons, setting you up for greater success in college.