Overcoming Learning Disabilities to Succeed on the SAT: Part 2

Hi again,

As promised, here are my next two tips.

2. Don't Read the Reading Comprehension Passages Fully
The reading comprehension passages can often be long and full of unnecessary information. This is a big problem for anyone with ADD or slow reading habits in general. A great way to cope with this is to read the first one or two sentences and the last two sentences of each paragraph. This way, you'll get the general idea of the passage.

Some questions will refer to overarching themes, which by this point you'll be prepared for. Other questions will refer to specific words or lines. When responding to these questions, find the word(s) or line(s) in question and examine the text around them. Seldom is there a question which requires specific knowledge of more than a few lines of the text at a time, so this provides you with more than enough information to answer this type of question. Following this approach will not only focus you on the relevant information, but also save time which can later be used for revising.

3. Structure your Essay before Writing
The graders of the SAT essays rarely spend more than a few minutes on each essay. They only have time to verify your thesis, support, and conclusion, and then do a cursory read through for grammar and spelling. This means that structure is stressed over eloquence. Therefore, it is very important to understand where your essay is going before you put the pen to the paper. It is a very good idea to have your thesis and at least two points of evidence firmly in mind before starting. That way, you'll never be distracted from your main point, and your structure will be obvious to the grader.

Best,
Eric

PrepMe Senior Tutor