What can I do to do better in the sat reading and writing section?

Question

i have plenty of sat prep books @ home but my SAT reading and writing is absolutely terrible! I took about 9 practice tests and i keep getting score like this:

reading: 410- 440

writing: 490- 540

math: 750-790

Answer 1

JJ's advice is really good.  I want to add some more tips that have particularly helped me in the reading section.

When reading the passage, keep these 3 questions in mind:

1.  What is the purpose of this passage?  Is it an analysis, an argument, or a story?

2.  What is the structure of this passage?  Does it list facts, points for an argument, or details of a story?

3.  What is the central idea?  This one is probably the most important of the three.  The central idea should be relevant to every paragraph in the passage.

Also, when reading the question, try to re-word it into a simpler question.  Here's an example:

Original:  "The author refers to the eddying of a whirlpool in lines 2-7 in order to emphasize the fact that..."

Simplified:  "Why does the author mention the eddying of a whirlpool in lines 2-7?"

Using the simplified, open-ended question, make your OWN answer first.  That way, you eliminate being confused by the answer choices.  When you read the answer choices without thinking about the answer, you are more prone to be confused and misled by the other choices.

Help with vocabulary:  Read read read.  I'm telling you, reading is the most efficient way to ingrain new words in your head.  Read the New York Times editorials, read a novel, and as you're reading highlight words you do not know.  Try to guess what these words mean, then check them in the dictionary.  Keep a vocabulary notebook with you at all times so you can document words you need to brush up on.

I wish you the best of luck, Cooling, with your SAT!

Answer 2

Well the best thing you can do is practice. I would go to my teacher if I'm having trouble on some thing. But I usually read the questions on those tests first and i try not to read the whole passage because it does get boring. usually I look at the question and if it asks something about lines 2-4 or something like that i go back and read that part. and don't stress out on just one question take your best guess. cancel the answers you know are wrong first. Practice more on those Sat prep books its better to study with a friend if you find it boring studying alone,  

Answer 3

Reading tips:

- Don't memorize!  Skim to get the main idea of the passage.  write this down in 5 words or less.  Jot down VERY short notes throughout the passage to help you remember what is going on.

- Go to the questions and DON'T read the answer choice.  Just read the question and try to answer it in your own words.  (The SAT tries to confuse students by putting in a ton of info into the answer choices).  If the question asks about a certain part of the passage, go there and get what you need to answer the question.

- Now look at the answer choices and see what matches what you came up with.

p.s. - If you need help on math, please check out my videos on Youtube.  Just search for 'miteach'