How to Grow Your English Score (Even If Reading Comprehension Feels Like a Black Hole)
Why Most Students Plateau in SAT Reading — And How to Break Through
Dear Parents & Students -
If you’ve ever stared at a Reading Comprehension passage and thought:
“I have no idea what this is really saying…”
You’re not alone.
The Reading section isn’t about how much you read — it’s about how strategically you process the text.
At Tigerway, we’ve worked with hundreds of students scoring between 1100 and 1300 who felt “stuck” on Reading. Many of them could finish Math with time to spare but felt drained and confused after a single dense passage.
But here’s the truth:
Your Reading Comprehension score doesn’t reflect your intelligence — it reflects your technique.
What High Scorers Do Differently
Most students try to read everything and then answer the questions.
High scorers do the opposite: they use the questions to read the passage.
Here’s a simple shift to make right now:
Skim the first paragraph and the questions before you dive into the full text.
This primes your brain to look for the right clues — not just to “understand” the passage, but to dissect it.When answering questions, treat every word like a clue.
The SAT is a logic puzzle, not a vocabulary quiz. If a question asks “What is the author’s attitude?” the answer must be backed by evidence, not vibes.Stop guessing between two “good” answers.
Most students lose points here. The right answer is the one that’s provable from the passage — not the one that “feels right.” At Tigerway, we train students to eliminate wrong choices with surgical precision.
Real Result: From 540 to 690 in 8 Weeks
One of our recent students was stuck at a 540 in Reading.
After 8 weeks of our Critical Reading Method with a private coach, he scored a 690 on his May SAT.
What changed?
He stopped “reading to understand” and started reading to solve
He practiced only with official questions and learned how to spot traps
He reviewed every question he got wrong, not just the answer — but the why
Start planning to get scores higher
Program Director Calvin (617-749-8421) is swamped with calls this coming week. Make sure to get on his calendar before it fills up!
If you’re a parent or student aiming for SAT 1400+, but Reading is the blocker — text Calvin, reply to this email, or book a free SAT Strategy Session with our team.
Let’s break that plateau together.
-Team Tigerway
Talk to our team at Tigerway directly to discuss how our private coaches can help you with your academic subjects & PSAT/SAT Scores as well as shaping your college profile to best stand out.
Calvin Cheung, Program Director (617-749-8421, text today to book a call)
WeChat ID: CalvinGCheung
Sreya Ravi, Program Officer (774-432-7381, text to book a call)
Jasmine Ngo, Program Officer (781-510-0738, text to book a call)
Website (Many educational Blog Posts): www.tigerwayprep.com
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