Reading Comp Improvement

shawarmawithextrameat

Hey everybody,

I'm scheduled to write the LSAT in July, and so far, prep has been okay. LR is relatively consistent, and LG has been my best section. However, like many others, I seem to fluctuate wildly in RC; in short, it is my wild card. So far, the method I use is after reading every paragraph in a passage, I write a couple of words down on a piece of paper as a "low-res" summary, and try to link all of them up after reading the entire passage. Sometimes this seems to work well, but other times (especially on dense and harder to understand passages) this strategy seems to divert my attention away from internalizing what I am reading and instead focusing on what the low res summary should be. For those that score consistently high on reading comp, do you write down the summaries or juggle it in your mind? I would really appreciate some advice on how you approach each passage, as this section is really kicking my a$$. Thank you!

The Great White Shark

In the past I would try to hold the low res's all in my head. But I have found great benefit from jotting down a few words especially since the test went digital and you can't see the passage completely laid out. Writing some notes down helps me analyze the structure a bit more since I can see the flow of the passage in the notes I take. But if the test was on paper, I probably wouldn't write anything down since it does take up time.

I think as long as you are focusing your low res on the main point of the paragraph (which can take a lot of practice to get good at!), you should know where to look back for the details if need be. That being said, looking back should be the last option since you really don't have much time to look back unless you a super fast reader. As I have practiced RC daily ,I have noticed how my short term memory has improved and I have gotten to the point where I don't look back at the passage usually unless it was a really difficult topic for me. I actually think studying RC for a long time without taking notes was what helped my short term memory.

Untimed passages are good to do to make sure you are comprehending what is going on. Then once you know you are comprehending well untimed, try drilling some passages without notes to improve your short term memory.

DINOSAUR

For me I improved RC section a lot by reading actively. It means you have to read and criticize what you are reading at the same time. You cannot just read and accept what is written down. In RC, you should think about what the author's position is, the purpose of each paragraph, the main point of each paragraph, how the paragraphs connect to each other, how the argument evolves throughout the passage. Try to stay curious and ask questions while you are reading. And for the questions, just use your understanding, don't look back often unless it's necessary or it's the part that you didn't understand while reading. Ask yourself questions when you're not sure whether the answer choice is right. Hope this helps!

shawarmawithextrameat

Thank you everbody!