How to Get Better at Reading & Writing? READ!
In my work as an SAT tutor and college essay coach, parents often ask me, “What should my teen read to prepare for these high school milestones?” If students are already reading anything outside of their school assignments, don’t worry too much about their choices. (Unless, of course, that “reading” consists only of the text at the bottom of Instagram posts.) If they’re not, here are my top three tips of what to read that might help teens on the SAT / ACT, the college essay, or both.
1. Read what you’re interested in.
The mother of one of my first math tutoring students worried that her middle schooler never used to read. After thinking for a while about his interest in track and cross country, I recommended Laura Hillenbrand’s biography about World War II POW and Olympic runner Louis Zamperini. Unbroken had also been published in a version for young adults – a perfect format for this eighth grader.
Another fifth-grade student loved robotics and engineering. So, I chose The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind for our summer reading and writing lessons. Luckily, these two works had also been transformed into movies, a nice “incentive” for the boys to watch after reading the books.
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2. Read quality nonfiction and journalism.
I love fiction as much as the next SAT tutor. However, nonfiction will be of more use in assisting students on the SAT and ACT. As an SAT tutor and ACT tutor, I recommend that students train themselves to identify the main idea of nonfiction pieces from a variety of different disciplines. Passages from history, psychology, economics, and the sciences all appear on the Reading sections of both exams. Visit links to a sample of quality nonfiction here – and email me if you discover others!
Don’t forget The New York Times’ Newsletters! You can sign up here for articles delivered to your inbox on everything from vegetarian cooking to sports to El Times en español. Though some, but not all, of the newsletters require a subscription, many students can acquire one through their high school’s library website.
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3. Read “memoir articles.”
I know: there’s no such thing. I just invented this category to describe short autobiographical pieces that showcase the author’s introspection. The Electric Typewriter has collected a treasure trove of “Great articles and essays by the world’s best journalists and writers,” from Richard Wright and Roxane Gay to Joan Didion and Junot Díaz. If your kid can’t find something that piques their fancy on this exhaustive site, they’re not breathing. As a college essay coach, I see so many students struggle with the form not just because they’ve never written a personal piece before. Many have never even read one. Introducing your teen to wordsmiths who bare their souls might enable them to dig deep into theirs when the time to apply to college comes.
Reading quality fiction, nonfiction and memoir will help your child to read and write their ways more easily through the SAT or ACT and their college essay. I can’t guarantee that their focus will also improve. But I’ve noticed that my own brain’s less distracted since I joined a book group and started reading longer pieces regularly again. As an SAT tutor and college essay coach, I’m hopeful thinking that reading might do the same for your child. Let me know how it goes!