CNN reports, “In America, teens spend 9 hours a day using media.” Half of teens say they do their homework while also using social media or watching TV; even more say they’re texting and listening to music. Multitasking is clearly the rule rather than the exception.  How many of these…

CNN reports, “In America, teens spend 9 hours a day using media.”

Half of teens say they do their homework while also using social media or watching TV; even more say they’re texting and listening to music. Multitasking is clearly the rule rather than the exception. 

How many of these teens could read a 500-word expository essay from start to finish without being distracted at least once by Instagram, or a text?

Probably not many.

This is just part of why it’s harder than ever to help teens learn how to read comprehensively. Many SAT/ACT tutoring services don’t spend time teaching students how to analyze reading passages; they focus on reading the questions and selecting answers based on tips and tricks.  That’s also the strategy for many SAT/ACT workbooks. 

In truth, tutors know that there’s no way to “teach” how to read.  They know that reading skills are best acquired through a self-driven reading practice, one that’s developed over many years.  

Sadly, once these students start college, they won’t have a chance to use those test-taking tricks. They’ll have to read the assigned material, from beginning to end, and write essays and take in-depth exams. At this point, they may find their reading comprehension skills simply aren’t up to the task. Furthermore, their addiction to online distractions will pose another constant challenge.

The fact is, unless they’ve been reading nonfiction since their early teens, college coursework —much of which will be nonfiction—will be extremely difficult.

Some parents think that subscribing to newspapers and magazines are a simple solution to this dilemma, but very few teens are voluntarily reading the kinds of essays and articles that are going to be helpful. Moreover, news articles alone aren’t sufficient for expository reading practice, since they do not include debates, reasoning, or opinions. Factual descriptions are of limited value for developing critical reading and in-depth analytical skills.

Students need help.

Reading Care provides daily passages that are an opportunity for focused practice: they’re short, but require concentration that’s free of distractions, because there are accompanying quizzes that must be completed.

Detailed annotations minimize the stress of reading about unfamiliar subjects, and instead of having teachers spoon-feed these notes to them verbally, students must read the notes themselves.

Think of the annotations as additional reading practice, a bit like training wheels, until students can read, comprehend, and analyze on their own.

Vocabulary previews, analyses of challenging sentences, paragraph summaries: they’re all tools Reading Care provides to smooth the journey to a self-driven reading practice.

Long story short: test-taking tips and tricks are of limited value now and will be completely useless in the long run. Because students today are fighting a multitude of distractions that are as close as their smartphone, their best chance for success in college and beyond is the ability to read critically.

And the best way to help them attain that ability is to foster the habit of reading now.