Reading is one of the most important skills one can have whether it is a test taking skill or not.  To elaborate, no matter if a standardized test measures math, science, or history, reading still plays a huge role as it helps those taking standardized tests understand and analyze the information better.  According to Alicia Anthony, studies have been done which prove that students who read more receive higher testing grades than those who have low literacy rates.

Reading Benefits

When a student stumbles upon a challenging word while reading, they try to decode the word(s).  This strategy helps the students answer more of the questions right on standardized tests since the students are able to comprehend every single one of the words written.  Furthermore, students who can decode and process information fast are at an advantage because they are able to take a longer time evaluating the answer choices or completing extended response questions.  In order to decode words, students must read a significant amount.  For example, according to “The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Colombia”, it is recommended for children/students by the age of five to read at least 20 minutes a day because that is when the brain is 90% developed which will ultimately exposes the children to approximately 1.8 million words a year.  Furthermore, if a student cannot understand what they are reading, they will most likely not be able to accurately answer the question on a standardized test.  To add on, the National Center for Education Statistics (NAEP) determined that comprehension skills play a big factor on performance ability while taking big tests such as the SAT.  This claim is supported by multiple studies done, all of which have the same result which is that there is a direct relationship between students who are motivated to read and high test scores.  Therefore, in order for students to receive high scores on tests, they need to be motivated to take time out of their day to read.  When students spend time on reading, it grows the students’ overall background knowledge which helps students comprehend their test(s) better.  Moreover, reading helps students become critical thinkers and boosts communication skills which is beneficial not only so you can improve socially, but also for writing tests.  Lastly, reading can help improve one’s memory which can be beneficial when taking tests because the student taking the test will be able to retain all of the material better.

Overall, reading is extremely beneficial to students as reading will increase their test scores, help students learn new vocabulary, learn new writing styles, and will allow students to relax and take it easy after long days of school while still learning in a fun way!

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