Boost Your Reading Comprehension on the SAT & ACT in as Little as 2 Weeks!

Many people believe that there is little that can be done to quickly boost someone's reading comprehension abilities.

Sure, there are test-taking techniques and strategies that improve performance on a critical reading section. But ways to actually improve a student's ability to read? That's beyond the scope of what can be accomplished in test preparation.

I've heard even tutors say as much.

What if I told you that there is a practice that has actually been shown to improve working memory and reading comprehension in as little as two weeks?

And, what if I told you that this practice doesn't even involve reading? Intrigued?

Reading is one of the few activities that you can't multitask. 

There's no watching TV while you read. No washing dishes. No doing the crossword puzzle or crossing the street. 

So, you put your attention on the book, and what happens? Thoughts come up. A parade of thoughts about that thing on your to-do list that you can't forget to do. The paper for that class. The disagreement you had with your friend. 

You know when else we might observe a parade of thoughts?

While you meditate.

This New York Times article discusses the possibility that meditation helps test scores. In a few studies, meditation has been shown to help with working memory and reading comprehension--it might make a positive difference in as little as two weeks!

According to the teachings of Vedic meditation, when thoughts come up during a meditation, it is a sign that your body is releasing stress. Stress inhibits our ability to think, focus, and retain information in the present moment. By giving yourself an opportunity to release stress via meditation, the parade of thoughts is less likely to come up when you don't want it to— i.e. during the test. As my meditation teacher Thom Knoles says...

Better to deal with stress inside of meditation than outside of it. {Tweet It!}

If you would like to experiment with meditation, it can be as simple as closing your eyes and bringing your attention to your breath or how it feels to be in your body in this moment. Start with 5-10 minutes. Set cues for yourself such as waking up or arriving home for the day. Check out the meditation challenge I designed, or sign up for Oprah and Deepak Chopra's free Meditation Experience.

Talk of meditation in conjunction with test prep might sound a little incongruent, but like so many of the ideas and practices I share with you, this is something that I wish I had known more about when I was preparing for the SAT and ACT. 

I encourage you to keep an open mind, experiment, and see how it feels.  

If you have any question or are interested in working with me, be in touch.

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