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Words of Strategy on Reading Comp

agc438agc438 Alum Member ⭐
edited July 2021 in Reading Comprehension 253 karma

Hey Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had more in depth tips about reading comprehension besides reading more. I'm in a rut where my reading comprehension is usually -6 to -10. I'm having trouble with author inference questions/most strongly supported according to the passage questions, and would really appreciate some guidance/input. Also, I'm wondering what strategies people use to get through specific passage types like art or science if that's possible.

Thanks!

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  • Glutton for the LSATGlutton for the LSAT Alum Member ⭐
    551 karma

    Hi @agc438:

    I'm sure the tip of "reading more" helps only if you also try to "read smarter." The quick and dirty trick that I use to get around -3 or less on RC passages—of category, i.e., law, art or sci—is to ask myself after each paragraph: What is the function of this paragraph in relation to the main argument of the passage? Is it supporting the thesis? Is it analyzing an example?

    I'd argue that RC is testing just as much your ability to understand the structure of the passage as well as the small content-based details in between.

    Other than that, I would just keep practicing RC. One book that really helped me out (and I didn't do all of it) is Manhattan Prep's RC book. Very simple and straightforward.

    I hope this helps you!

  • zoomzoomzoomzoom Member
    462 karma

    Ever play the game "RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT!" as a kid? That's how I approach RC. Let me explain:

    As mentioned by the previous commenter, RC is about reading for structure. That means you should be less concerned with understanding everything and more about hunting and finding key ideas in the passage.

    Therefore, when I read, I SLOW DOWN (like at a Red Light) if I see an important idea (author's opinion, shifts in perspective, etc.). But when I see supporting information like "For Example" or "In Addition," I just keep moving on (like at a Green Light). That means I don't take the time to really dwell on what those information are saying because they're not main ideas. I still read them but I just keep moving on and I trust that if the questions ask me something about it, I can always go back to the passage.

    I used to be the person who tried to understand everything in RC. That didn't work out for me. Now, I read for structure and key ideas and I only then go back to the passage for small details IF the question specifically asks me to.

  • agc438agc438 Alum Member ⭐
    253 karma

    @"Glutton for the LSAT" said:
    Hi @agc438:

    I'm sure the tip of "reading more" helps only if you also try to "read smarter." The quick and dirty trick that I use to get around -3 or less on RC passages—of category, i.e., law, art or sci—is to ask myself after each paragraph: What is the function of this paragraph in relation to the main argument of the passage? Is it supporting the thesis? Is it analyzing an example?

    I'd argue that RC is testing just as much your ability to understand the structure of the passage as well as the small content-based details in between.

    Other than that, I would just keep practicing RC. One book that really helped me out (and I didn't do all of it) is Manhattan Prep's RC book. Very simple and straightforward.

    I hope this helps you!

    Thanks! Reading comp has been all over the place for me and it's disheartening that RC is the one section that 7 Sage hasn't dissected like LR OR LG.

  • agc438agc438 Alum Member ⭐
    253 karma

    @oychoi79 said:
    Ever play the game "RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT!" as a kid? That's how I approach RC. Let me explain:

    As mentioned by the previous commenter, RC is about reading for structure. That means you should be less concerned with understanding everything and more about hunting and finding key ideas in the passage.

    Therefore, when I read, I SLOW DOWN (like at a Red Light) if I see an important idea (author's opinion, shifts in perspective, etc.). But when I see supporting information like "For Example" or "In Addition," I just keep moving on (like at a Green Light). That means I don't take the time to really dwell on what those information are saying because they're not main ideas. I still read them but I just keep moving on and I trust that if the questions ask me something about it, I can always go back to the passage.

    I used to be the person who tried to understand everything in RC. That didn't work out for me. Now, I read for structure and key ideas and I only then go back to the passage for small details IF the question specifically asks me to.

    Thanks! I'm wondering how you're able to digitally diagram structures due to the digital aspects of the LSAT. Should I just use the scrap paper or is there a way to annotate more than underline.

    Also, when you mean by structure, you mean to understand how they develop their argument by identifying what type of evidence they use/understanding the support for their argument instead of the small details right?

    Thanks again!

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