| Reading Help |
| Free Praxis Prep is a service of Multicultural Education Programs at the University of Southern Maine About Us Using this Material Contact Us Linking |
| If standardized reading tests were only about reading, most of us could pass them easily with no preparation. However, these tests go beyond simple reading; they cover what is known as 'critical reading skills'. Reading critically means evaluating texts, looking beyond the words, and sometimes even crawling inside the author's mind to determine why s/he makes a certain statement. All texts are written for a reason. For example, these paragraphs are an attempt to explain why standardized reading tests are difficult. The next paragraphs offer suggestions that may help you as you prepare for your reading test. One of the most important things you can do to prepare for PRAXIS I, or any other standardized test, is to learn the format: understand the directions, become familiar with the questions types, fully comprehend the words that are regularly used in the questions. To practice critical reading skills, you need look no further than your local newspaper. Read the editorial page regularly. The letters to the editor contain a variety of material for learning to question the written word. As you read a letter, ask yourself what is fact and what is opinion. Take some time to wonder what the writer is like, and why s/he wrote the letter. Decide if the writer is angry, puzzled, pleased, or complimentary. Once you get the hang of this, start looking at the letters from the editor in the same way. See if the opinions stated in the letter show up in the news articles. Try comparing a news item from one newspaper to the same item in another. You may be surprised by the difference! |
| Read the directions. Understand the questions. Practice critical reading with your daily newspaper. Question what you read! |
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