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What ho, ye seekers after wisdom!
Last time we covered all the big changes you can expect when you write the new SAT’s essay, and we promised that we’d get into the details very soon. As we’re humans of our word, here’s the skinny on how to make the most of the expanded timeframe and new rules.
Have you ever found yourself reading and rereading the same paragraph a dozen times, but still not absorbing anything? It happens to the best of us so don’t feel bad. Sometimes it means you should take a break or go somewhere quieter or you’re thinking about too many things while you’re trying to read. But for those times when you’re on the clock and really need to get this read, don’t let your brain trick you into reading the same thing a hundred times over, because if you do it right, you’ll only need to read a section once.
Have you ever seen a true speed reader? Check out this video of a speed reader in action. Although, to be honest, we weren’t talking about speed reading out loud. We are talking about the kind of speed reading that will get you ahead academically, no need to sound like a chipmunk on 5-hour energy!
Speed reading is a handy skill. In fact, let’s not even call it speed reading. Instead, we’ll call it “Learning to read faster.” Research has shown that as you read, your eyes are also moving around and seeing other words on the page at the same time, which can slow you down. There are also a lot of “filler” words used in text to make it grammatically correct but don’t really add to the meaning.
Every time you turn around, your children are requesting the newest version of a technological gadget. While one child madly texts friends in the back seat of the car, the other is scanning Facebook, admiring his 378 friends. You may seethe with frustration that their grades aren’t up to par, considering whether or not you should take their phones and/or computers away for a while. But then you remember the money you’ve spent on eBooks and learning games and you wonder, “Are electronic gadgets the problem or the solution?” The answer is, “Yes” and “Yes”. Therein lies the conundrum. As with most things in life, the true answer lies somewhere in the middle.
