ACT READING STRATEGIES

ISKILLS 4A, FALL 2013

KAPLAN. ACT ENGLISH, READING, AND WRITING WORKBOOK. NEW YORK, NY: KAPLAN INC., 2011. PRINT.

STEP 1: ACTIVE READING

• Note the main idea of each paragraph, and do not let yourself get too caught up in small details.

• Pay close attention to the first and last paragraphs. They will give you clues to the main idea of the whole reading!

• Note keywords that indicate an example: an illustration of, for example, for instance, this…can be seen, etc.

ACTIVE READING CONTINUED

• Ask questions while you read:• What is the author’s purpose Is he just describing and explaining, or

is he trying to persuade me? Does she take any sides on an issue?

• What is the tone of the passage? Does it feel critical? Harsh? Approving or sarcastic?

• What is the logic of the passage? In other words, what is the structure and organization the author uses? Is there a chronology or sequence involved?

• Who else is mentioned in the passage? What perspectives, other than the author’s, are included?

ACTIVE READING CONTINUED

• Read for differences and contrasts. Pay attention to words like although, appears, but, by claims, despite, even though, however, in spite of, on the other hand, though, or yet.

• Read for comparison and note when the author points out similarities.

• Notice where and when the author states an opinion.• Notice where and when the author makes an argument. What is

her evidence? What support does she have? Look for words like as a consequence, as a result, because, consequently, resulting in, therefore, or thus.

STEP 2: READ THE QUESTION AND LOOK FOR CLUES

• What type of question is it?• Detail question: refers you back to the reading to find information or

small details.

• Inference question: asks you about something implied or hinted at, but not said directly, usually about a very specific part of the passage.

• Big picture question: similar to inference, but regarding a much larger piece of the passage.

READ THE QUESTION AND LOOK FOR CLUES CONTINUED

• Vocabulary-in-context question: asks you to determine the meaning of a word or phrase as it is used in the passage.

• Look out for traps! Read the questions and answers VERY CAREFULLY and be wary of misused details, distortions (a misuse of detail or taking a detail out of context), and of extremes (marked by words like always, absolutely, all, best, certainly, ever, in every case, largest, never, no, none, smallest, worst, without a doubt.

READ THE QUESTION AND LOOK FOR CLUES CONTINUED

• More traps to beware of:• Contradictions (or opposite answer), in which the text says one

thing, and the answer the opposite.

• Out-of-scope answers: these go beyond the scope of the passage, meaning it is not relevant to the reading, even if you know it is true. If it isn’t in the passage, pretend you don’t know it!

STEP 3: PREDICT AN ANSWER

• Before you choose an answer, decide for yourself what the answer may be. This makes it much easier to eliminate wrong answers, avoids the traps, and will help you choose the correct answer.

FOUR TYPES OF READING• Prose Fiction: an excerpt from a novel or short story• Social Studies (or social sciences): a passage dealing with issues in history,

anthropology, archaeology, education, psychology, political science, biography, business, geography, sociology, or economics.

• Humanities: a passage dealing with issues in the visual arts (drawing, painting, sculpture), literature, theater, music, dance, philosophy, language, communications, film, literary criticism, radio, television, or architecture.

• Natural science: a passage dealing with issues in botany, zoology, natural history, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, anatomy, astronomy, ecology, geology, medicine, meteorology, microbiology, physiology, or technology.

You don’t need to know anything at all about any of these

fields of study!

FAIL-PROOF ADVICE

• Watch your time• Stay in the reading—nothing from outside!• If you get stuck, skip the question and come back!• And remember, always . . .

BREATHE!