Unquestionably, our new SAT course at Island Trees High School is having a tremendous impact on our students. Yet, as good as we believe the class is, a lifetime of reading is even more important for college readiness. Students who score extremely well on this national assessment are lifelong readers. They’re interested in fiction and nonfiction – a real breadth of reading material.
For most children, this does not occur naturally or in isolation. In truth, parents of these students have cultivated a reading environment at home. They have spent countless hours reading to their children from infancy through elementary school. Yes, they continued to read to (and with) their children even after their children have gained independent reading skills. Equally important, these parents make sure their children have access to reading materials. None of this is easy as it takes time and effort.
Admittedly, there are a few Mesna-like kids out there who need little motivation and who seemingly do well without effort. However, students like these are the rare exception rather than the norm. For the most part, students who excel on their SATs, as well as in school are lifelong readers. In closing, parents who nurture a reading-rich home environment will help their children immensely not only on SATs, but with all of their academic coursework.
