
David: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...thinks. There are four areas of competency in any language: speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and two building blocks: grammar and vocabulary. Every session will involve us practicing these. We'll go over what you're studying in class, reviewing the vocabulary and grammar and then practicing until you're comfortable. After that, we'll look at and discuss a short passage and a recording. We'll end each session with a quiz to make sure you're comfortable with the...
Education & Certification
CUNY Hunter College - Bachelor of Science, Economics
CUNY Hunter College - Bachelor in Arts, Chinese Studies

Valerie: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
I am currently a student at Ithaca College pursuing a degree in physics. I am very passionate about math and science especially, and I have found that teaching students is another passion. I have experience tutoring high school students in areas including algebra, algebra 2 and AP Physics 1. I love working with students to help them achieve their goals, and finding exactly what teaching style works best for which students.
Education & Certification
Ithaca College - Current Undergrad, Physics-engineering 3-2

Kaitlin: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...them during high school. I attended a private school where I was given the opportunity to discover a large range of topics I had never thought about pursuing, such as engineering and biomedical sciences. In college, I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics, while minoring in Arabic and gaining a certificate in Middle Eastern and North African studies. During this period, I started tutoring at my school's academic success center. I truly enjoy...
Education & Certification
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - Bachelors, Linguistics
University of Chicago - Current Grad Student, Middle Eastern Studies

Steven : ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...a peer tutor at the College's Writing Center to help students with invention strategies as well as the content and structure of academic and non-academic projects. As a tutor, I particularly enjoy helping students refine their personal voice and better their ability to communicate through the written word. While at Kenyon, I also worked for two years as a Spanish teaching assistant, leading language and culture lessons with beginning-level students three times per week. I...
Education & Certification
Kenyon College - Bachelor in Arts, Spanish, International Studies
University of California-Irvine - PHD, Sociology

Travis: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...the right answer is not success. What I value far more is not just telling students the answers to their problems, but providing them with the resources and strategies to arrive at the correct answer themselves. Not only does this empower students, but it also gives them a framework to understand and tackle more complex problems outside of tutoring. Additionally, I see no value in simply telling a student that they are wrong, or that...
Education & Certification
University of Southern California - Bachelor in Arts, Political Science and Government
University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy - Master in Public Health Administration, Master of Public Administration

Jaimie: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...working in the lab of Professor Robert Langer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology working on novel drug delivery systems for the gastrointestinal tract. I am hoping to attend medical school in pursuit of becoming a physician. I am currently interested in pediatrics and psychiatry but I am looking forward to exploring a range of available disciplines. I enjoy tutoring because I find it to be an engaging and dynamic process--I love working with students...
Education & Certification
Northeastern University - Bachelors, Chemical Engineering

Samantha: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...In the fall, I will begin attending law school at Northwestern Law. For many years, I tutored a wide range of students in Spanish, English literature, and writing. I have also continued to help many high school seniors with college application essays. While I tutor a variety of subjects, I am very passionate about helping students improve their reading and writing skills, and I really enjoy helping students with Critical Reading and Writing portions of...
Education & Certification
Northwestern University - Current Undergrad, Political Science & Legal Studies

Haley: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...until college that I realized this passion and strength were driving me towards education. Since then, I've enjoyed working with students of all ages and abilities to further their math skills. I believe that everyone has mathematical abilities and I enjoying working and watching these abilities grow and improve in students. In my free time, I enjoy running with my Border Collie/Lab mix, Sadya, and swimming laps. I tend to spend my evenings knitting or...
Education & Certification
University of Northern Iowa - Bachelor in Arts, Mathematics Teaching

Allison: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...the right academic path for you - college choices, extracurriculars, academic advice, and other decisions important to your college admissions. COMMON APP ADVICE: Learn how to write unique, memorable, and powerful college application essays and get step-by-step guidance in completing your college application forms. TUTORING: Computer science and Mandarin tutoring available. I hope to hear from you soon! I'm always open to having new students, whether it be for a quick ACT refresher or a...
Education & Certification
Dartmouth College - Bachelor in Arts, Computer Science

Benjin: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...lot of explanation. In most things, I'm not that guy! Like many students, understanding comes with repetition of principles and hard work. I have the perspective of a student trying to understand, not a teacher trying to preach. I love working with people from the ground up; we start at the comfort zone and work our way to improvement. I know I don't know everything, so I'm excited to learn as well!... Start where you are...
Education & Certification
Brigham Young University - Current Undergrad, Biophysics

Taariq: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...but I also enjoy teaching chemistry and physics. Math was always my favorite subject in high school and I continued my love of math at Duke. I have also been a middle school and high school tutor throughout my time at Duke through the Program in Education. One of my crowning achievements at Duke was winning the DT Stallings Award, which is awarded to a Duke senior who has shown sustained and dedicated service to...
Education & Certification
Duke University - Bachelors, Mathematics

Andrew: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...As a tutor, I will be able to work with you across a broad range of topics. In terms of hobbies and interests, I enjoy discovering new music and collecting records. In the past, I have even hosted my own radio show. I also enjoy kayaking and playing sports including basketball and tennis. In addition, I enjoy cooking and exploring new cuisines, and I try to do this as often as possible.
Education & Certification
Bucknell University - Bachelor of Science, Neuroscience
George Washington University - PHD, Cognitive Neuroscience

Katherine: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...and am currently working to complete a Master's in Professional Behavior Analysis. I have been working with children with developmental disabilities at an ABA agency in the Washington, DC area for the past few years. My job includes creating measurable milestones to help learners achieve their goals, and determining what teaching methods will be most effective for each individual client. I believe that active student responding, personalized programs, and a focus on measurable goals are...
Education & Certification
Northwestern University - Bachelors, Human Development and Psychological Services
Florida Institute of Technology - Current Grad Student, Professional Behavior Analysis

David: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...material in an engaging and relevant manner so that we can all learn and achieve success. One-on-one tutoring is an effective technique, particularly for explaining and modeling math, and I enjoy seeing students attitudes toward school brighten when they see immediate progress in their work. As a writing tutor, I like to focus on helping students find their authentic voice. Essays succeed when students strip away the extraneous material and present themselves and their ideas...
Education & Certification
Drake University - Bachelor of Science, Education, History
State Certified Teacher

Christopher: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...as a laboratory technician at the Rhodes Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, where the bulk of my work, including my senior honors thesis, concerned the adverse of effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing hippocampal region of the brain. After graduating, I served a year, full time, as an Americorps member with City Year, tutoring and mentoring 7th and 8th grade students in the Englewood Community of Chicago in 1-on-1 and small group settings. I...
Education & Certification
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Bachelors, Psychology

Ruth: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...am a high school English teacher, currently working primarily with 10th grade students. I have previously worked at middle and elementary schools as well. I graduated from the University of Chicago in 2016 with a B.A. in English and Theatre. I then got my M.S.Ed from Northwestern. I have worked with children of all ages in various capacities, including teaching, and I find that the best way for students to learn is to have fun...
Education & Certification
University of Chicago - Bachelor in Arts, English Lang./Lit. and Theatre and Performance Studies

Stephen: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...career while attending Strake Jesuit College Preparatory. I have tutored students in Calculus, Pre-Calculus, Geometry, Algebra, Chemistry, Statistics, Physics, Engineering Mechanics (both Statics and Dynamics), and Thermodynamics. While working for a previous tutoring company, I helped to design and teach their standardized test preparation course for high school students. Thanks to this experience, I am intimately familiar with tutoring for both the SAT and ACT. I believe that a tutors role in education is to...
Education & Certification
Trinity University - Bachelor of Science, Engineering Science

Haley: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...of Colorado Boulder. My research involvement has given me direct experience with many chemical concepts taught in class settings and has given me a deep appreciation of and excitement for the sciences. Through tutoring, I hope to share these insights and excitement for the subject while deepening conceptual understandings. The greatest metric of success in a tutoring session is being told that I was able to break down explanations from the student's class and reformulate...
Education & Certification
University of Arizona - Bachelor of Science, Chemistry

Max: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...I am also minoring in Creative Writing. Throughout my schooling, I have thrived in all subjects. However, my favorites are Science and Writing/English. I find that the two have similar way in promoting creativity. Not surprisingly, I will be tutoring Physics, Chemistry and Writing. Additionally, I will be tutoring for ACT prep. I took the test officially three times and was successful each time and believe that I can share effective tips on how to...
Education & Certification
University of Pennsylvania - Current Undergrad, Physics with Concentration in Chemical Principles

Alyssa: ACT Reading tutor
Certified ACT Reading Tutor
...I served as an Augustinian Volunteer for a year in Chulucanas, Peru, where I worked as a computer teacher at a technical institute called CETPRO Betania. I have previously tutored a broad range of subjects and age groups, and I have especially enjoyed working with students to develop their writing skills. I tutor ACT Test prep and English with a focus on critical reading and writing skills. I am passionate about learning and I try...
Education & Certification
University of Notre Dame - Bachelor in Arts, English, Psychology
Private In-Home and Online ACT Reading Tutoring
Receive personally tailored ACT Reading lessons from exceptional tutors in a one-on-one setting. We help you connect with in-home and online tutoring that offers flexible scheduling and your choice of locations.Dedicated Private ACT Reading Tutoring
Varsity Tutors will find you an experienced ACT Reading tutor in as little as 24 hours. We understand that between your classes, getting ready to apply to college, and your responsibilities around the house, you don't have as much free time as you might like.
Our exclusive Live Learning Platform allows you to meet your instructor anywhere with a reliable internet connection, so you don't have to worry about a commute. Here are some of the benefits of our platform:
- Compatible with most mobile devices
- Integrated practice problems facilitate collaborative work
- Video chat allows you to see and hear your instructor
Boost Your ACT Reading Score
The ACT's Reading section consists of 40 multiple-choice questions over just 35 minutes, meaning that you have to work quickly. An ACT Reading tutor can encourage you to read the questions before their corresponding passage so that you know exactly what information to look for.
Best Ways To Prep For the ACT Reading Section
We know that there are a lot of test prep solutions on the market, but a live instructor is unique in that they can create a study plan for your specific needs. If you struggle to distinguish between fact and opinion, your instructor can emphasize the differences until it clicks.
If you're more comfortable defining unfamiliar words using context clues, your instructor can concentrate on other aspects of the exam to improve your study efficiency. Software-based test prep is typically tied to a set curriculum without the same flexibility to adapt to any individual student's unique needs.
How much does an ACT Reading tutor cost?
The price of ACT Reading tutoring depends on several different things, including how often you meet your instructor and the specific concepts you'd like to review. For example, you may be charged a different rate for a generic overview of exam topics than you would be for an in-depth tutorial on how to connect one text to another.
Varsity Tutors also provides a live ACT Reading class if you're interested in studying with other students, and we can arrange group ACT Reading tutoring if you like. Contact us online or by phone to discuss each of these options in further detail.
How do I choose an ACT Reading tutor?
Varsity Tutors maintains an extensive database filled with well-vetted instructors, allowing our Educational Directors to plug in what you're looking for and find you a qualified instructor quickly. We actively look for instructors who understand how to identify and address the root cause of any learning obstacles, so your instructor can tackle the problem at its source instead of trying to control its effects.
Likewise, your instructor will be a certified expert in everything ACT Reading who can answer any questions you have in a timely fashion.
Are ACT Reading tutors worth it?
Independent studies suggest that working with a private tutor can improve a student's performance on high school exit exams such as the ACT by 11-12 percent, a huge increase considering how competitive the college applications process can get. Furthermore, research reveals that high-achievers are just as likely to benefit from private tutoring as their peers.
If you're ready to find out what an ACT Reading tutor could do for you, use the "Get Started" tab above or give us a call for more information! You'll be happy you did.
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Varsity Tutors can connect you with skilled ACT Reading tutors who can guide you as you work on preparing for your upcoming test. When you work with an ACT Reading tutor, you give yourself the resources you need to take your test preparation efforts to the next level. Not only are experienced personal instructors familiar with the content of the ACT, but they are also aware of how the Reading section of the test is scored, and the format and time limitations of this portion of the test.
You can take the ACT throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada during February, April, June, July, September, October, and December. You'll want to give yourself plenty of time to prepare, so take the dates into consideration and plan ahead when scheduling your study sessions.
The ACT is one of the most important tests you will take, and you deserve professional guidance as you prepare for it. Continue reading to learn more about what is on the Reading section of the ACT, how it is scored, and how working with a private tutor can help you prepare for this high-stakes exam.
What is the ACT?
The ACT is one of the most popular college admissions exams in the country. Admissions officials from universities may consider your ACT score as one of the determining factors in the admissions process. There are four required sections of the test; English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science. An optional Writing section can be included, and some colleges you want to apply to may even require it, but it is not considered as part of your final composite score.
What is the format of the Reading section of the ACT?
You will have 35 minutes to answer 40 multiple choice questions for the Reading Section of the ACT.
The Reading portion of the ACT is made of four sections. Three of these have long passages, and the remaining sections have two shorter reading selections. All of the reading material is similar to what you will encounter during your freshman year at college.
The sections that have two shorter reading selections may require you to pull information from both passages to answer some of the questions. The ability to perform this type of information synthesis is something you can work on developing with ACT Reading tutors.
Some of the other skills you will need to be proficient with for the Reading section of the ACT include summarizing information accurately, reading and understanding different types of texts, drawing logical conclusions from data, understanding individuals words and phrases, author's tone, finding supporting evidence, and evaluating the validity of information.
While ACT Reading tutoring can certainly cover any of the skills above, it is not limited to these. Your private instructor can work with you on any reading skills you may be struggling with or wish to refine.
How is the ACT scored?
The scoring range for the Reading section of the ACT is between 1 and 36 with an average score for this portion of the test being a 21. Unfortunately, most colleges expect students to score much higher. Many top universities require applicants to have a composite score over 30. This means if you want to get into your favorite college, you may need to do much better than average.
The Reading score is comprised of three content areas; Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas. However, these three content areas are not equally weighted.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas is between 13 and 18 percent of the total score. These questions may require you to differentiate between opinions and facts, analyze arguments, and evaluate evidence and reasoning from different sources.
Craft and Structure are between 25 and 30 percent of the entire score. These questions may ask you to analyze the word choice of an author, discern phrase and word meanings, analyze the point of view of a character, interpret the author's point of view, and differentiate between perspectives.
Key Ideas and Details is between 55 and 60 percent of the entire score. These questions may ask you to identify key themes and central ideas. You may need to draw inferences or conclusions and you will need to be able to summarize information and ideas. You may also need to understand cause and effect, sequential relationships, and comparative relationships.
ACT Reading tutors know how these components of the exam are weighted and can help steer you towards working to develop the skills that will have the greatest impact on your score first. They can also help you work on improving your time management skills so you can maximize the limited amount of time you have for this section of the ACT.
How can working with an ACT Reading tutor help me prepare?
The ACT is supposed to evaluate how well prepared a student is for their first year in college. The general assumption is that students will have been taught all they need to do throughout their academic career. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. For a variety of reasons, students can miss mastering key skills. Even students with higher GPAs may have slight to moderate deficiencies that can show up on the day of testing.
One of the interesting things about the Reading section of the ACT is that it does not rely on rote memorization. You don't need to remember specific formulas or sets of data to navigate this section of the exam successfully. This portion of the test measures your ability to skillfully read and decode information in written form and apply that understanding to the questions being asked. Working with an ACT Reading tutor allows you to build the individual skills that will help you work to process the information presented during the test more effectively.
If you're not sure you're prepared to reach your scoring goals, sessions with a private instructor can help you work to rectify the situation. The skills you develop in preparation of the ACT will be beneficial long after the day of the test. These skills will play a crucial role in your ability to integrate into college classes, which is why they are tested so thoroughly. Without these skills, all of the individual courses you take in college will be more difficult.
When reading the vast quantities of data you will be required to review as part of your college education, you must be able to quickly identify the main point and move through textbooks, tests, and assignments without becoming bogged down by irrelevant information.
How is ACT Reading tutoring different from working in a class?
One of the reasons many students haven't mastered all of the skills evaluated on the Reading section of the ACT by the time they are approaching graduation has a lot to do with the differences found between a typical classroom and private instruction. In a standard classroom, teachers have to move at a fixed pace to cover state-mandated curriculum centered on individual benchmarks that teach specific skills. If you happened to miss mastering some of these skills, you might not get an adequate opportunity in future years to do so. Since most academic skills build upon one another, this can cause a cascade effect that ultimately means that some skills are never fully developed.
When you work with a personal instructor, their full focus is on you. They can take the time to get to learn about your educational and ACT scoring goals, your learning style, and your academic strengths and weaknesses. They can use this information to create a personalized curriculum that can pivot and change as you improve in key areas. Each of your sessions will focus only on topics and skills that you need to work on rather than a generalized curriculum that covers concepts you may already be adequately familiar with.
You can choose to connect with a private instructor in-person or online. Both options offer the same learning environment and benefits. The main difference between the two is that the face-to-face interaction in person is in close physical proximity and online it occurs in a secure digital learning environment.
When you work with your instructor via our Live Learning Platform, you will have greater scheduling flexibility and access to a larger pool of instructors. If you limit your search to individuals near your physical location you may have fewer scheduling options. Since the ACT is a national exam, there are skilled instructors located all over the country. You can easily connect with those in different time zones, which can make it easier to accommodate sessions very early in the morning or later in the evening.
How can I get started with ACT Reading tutoring?
Varsity Tutors makes it easy to connect with highly qualified ACT Reading tutors. Whether you want a comprehensive review of the reading skills covered on the ACT or you want to narrowly focus on a few problem areas, a skilled private instructor can help you work on your learning goals. If you're ready to get started with ACT Reading tutoring, contact Varsity Tutors today.