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A little about me and the purpose of this blog. I am a licensed high school teacher (Language Arts 6 - 12) in the state of Tennessee going on 13 years now. I have 7 children and drive a school bus. Love me or hate me, none of my students will tell you that I am a typical school teacher. I, like many, believe that education is woefully equipped to keep pace with technology. As a technology enthusiast and educator publishing on a crypto website, I am trying to do my small part to bridge this gap for as many people as I can. Recently, the development of AI has created an accelerated urgency for education to take its head out of the sand and teach relevant skills in the classroom. The resources, lessons, and philosophy I publish here, I use in my own classroom, and anyone (especially homeschoolers) can use this blog as a resource to supplement their own instruction. If you are new to my blog, I suggest starting at the bottom as I will be structuring my lessons here the same way I would for my classroom. Tips are appreciated. Questions and feedback in the comments are welcome. So if you are a teacher, student, or homeschooler that is motivated to learn about, teach, or utilize all available technology in education (or know someone who is), I encourage you to give me a follow.
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Using AI to prepare for the ACT Reading Test (set a stopwatch before reading further to time yourself on reading this article. I will explain later.)
The ACT was introduced in 1959 (66 years ago) as a college and career readiness test. Since its inception it has grown to be the most recognized and consequential standardized test in the country; it is offered in every state, and in some states (Tennessee for example) it is mandatory that every student take the exam at least once for a graduation requirement.
Unlike many state-mandated assessments, which change frequently, the ACT has remained consistent over the decades throughout the nation; this has earned it a reputation as perhaps the most reliable measure of a student’s academic achievement in their high school career. Universities and employers across the nation recognize and respect an ACT score more so than they do GPA or any state-created standardized test. There is not a single person walking around who is 60 years old or younger that does not remember what they scored on the ACT if they chose to take it. Everyone in the country is able to gauge another person’s academic achievement by knowing if someone got an 18, 24, 30, etc. If you ask someone what they got on the ACT, and they reply “I don’t remember,” it's highly likely that they don’t want to admit to a low score because a low score communicates either low academic ability or sheer laziness.
However, the good news is that due to the consistency and transparency of the test, it is possible for anyone to achieve a respectable score on the ACT if they are willing to give a decent effort. Teachers, parents, and students are able to know exactly what type of skills will be tested, exactly how the questions will be asked, and the exact structure of the test. Respectable scores on the ACT are even good to put on a resume for first time job seekers even if they are applying to jobs that do not require a college degree if they have little or no previous work experience. Employers will see that your previous “job” of being a full time student was successful, and that you performed well in it.
Today, it is even easier to achieve a respectable score on the ACT by using Artificial Intelligence to generate endless practice problems for each of the different items on the tests. Where before, everyone had to search for and purchase various ACT practice books, which could get expensive and time consuming, now a motivated teacher, parent, or student can generate an endless supply of practice material if they are skillful with using AI chatbots and if they understand the structure of the test. I will use this very article as an example.
In today’s time, one of the most challenging tests for students to take is the Reading Test. Due to the prevalent use of technology, very few students get any meaningful practice at extended, focused reading on a single subject; in fact, many high school students downright hate reading. If you are a high school student reading this, you know exactly what I am talking about. Don’t even try to pretend otherwise. Unfortunately, flipping from screen to screen absorbing small amounts of information about a wide variety of subjects degrades your brain’s ability to focus for an extended period of time on a single subject, especially if the subject is boring and of no interest to the reader. I can not count the number of times a student looks at me and says directly after reading a passage, “I have no idea what I just read.” There’s a reason for that: You have your brain in multitask mode 95% of the time, and now you’re trying to put it into focus mode.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution. One, understand the structure of the Reading Test. Two, practice that structure over and over. Three, search out and find some sort of written material that you enjoy and force yourself to read it at least 20 minutes a day the same way you might force yourself to go to the gym or go to practice even when you don’t feel good. It will not be fun in the beginning, but it will get noticeably easier over time.
I will make a metaphor. If I take a nonathletic person out to the track and tell them to run a mile in 12 minutes, they will not be able to do it. When they try it will be difficult, and they will not enjoy the process of trying. But, if I take them out everyday for two months to run the same mile, eventually they will be able to make the 12 minute mark.
Likewise, if I take a brain that is not accustomed to focusing on, comprehending, and responding to a 900 word passage and then ask it to try to answer 8 out of 10 questions correctly in 12 minutes, it will likely not go well the first time. But, if I ask it to do that once a day everyday for several months, then eventually it will get there.
The Reading Test is NOT about intelligence. It is about practice and repetition; the exact same as running a mile. There is no trick, and there is no shortcut. A normal high school student should be practicing to answer three approximately 900 word passages in 12 minutes each and answering 24 out of 30 questions (8 out of 10 for each passage) correctly in 35 minutes. Students with lower reading levels should be practicing for two passages at 16 minutes each and answering the same 8 out of 10 questions correctly. Only hobby readers should attempt answering all 4 passages within the time limit. Let’s give it a try:
Questions:
- When was the ACT introduced?
- A. 1960
- B. 1959
- C. 1962
- D. 1958
- F. Florida
- G. California
- H. Tennessee
- J. New York
- A. The most innovative test
- B. The most reliable measure of academic achievement
- C. The easiest test to prepare for
- D. The least time-consuming test
- F. They genuinely forgot
- G. They took the SAT
- H. It was an average score
- J. They are likely embarrassed by a low score
- A. Its unpredictability
- B. Its transparency and consistency
- C. The variety of subjects covered
- D. The difficulty of the questions
- F. By predicting test dates
- G. By generating endless practice problems
- H. By correcting past mistakes
- J. By scheduling study sessions
- A. Lack of interest in science
- B. Difficulty with math concepts
- C. Inability to focus on extended reading
- D. Problems with grammar and punctuation
- F. Watching educational videos
- G. Practicing the structure of the Reading Test repeatedly
- H. Memorizing vocabulary lists
- J. Engaging in group study sessions
- A. Cooking a complex meal
- B. Learning a new language
- C. Running a mile
- D. Solving a puzzle
- F. Intelligence
- G. Practice and repetition
- H. Speed reading courses
- J. Natural talent for reading
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How did you do? The answer key is at the bottom. If you finished with extra time, but did not answer 8/10 correctly then you need to slow down and use the entire time to double and triple check answers. If you ran out of time, then you need more practice reading this level of passage. If you answered 8 out of 10 correctly in the time limit then you need to start pushing yourself towards the next time bracket:
Low Reading Level: 2 passages with 8/10 correct in 35 minutes (17 minutes per passage)
Normal Reading Level: 3 passages with 8/10 correct in 35 minutes (<12 minutes per passage)
Advanced Reading Level: 4 passages with 8/10 correct in 35 minutes (<9 minutes per passage)
Now, what to do with the passages that you are not answering? Answer A or F on every question. Statistically, if you answer in the same position for any question that you are skipping; then you will get 2 or 3 out of every 10. You get credit for those “strategic guesses.” So, a person skipping 2 passages and getting 8/10 questions correct, if they follow this strategy, will get a total of 20-22 questions correct. This would equate to a Reading Score of 18/19. If Reading is your worst area, that is not a bad score at all. A person doing 3 passages with 8/10 correct would get 26 to 27 correct; this equates to a Reading Score of 22 or 23 (well above college readiness).
Now for the secret sauce. How do you procure enough reading material in this format to practice over and over again? The answer is ChatGPT or Grok. I use both, but Grok seems to be better at this particular task (also cheaper).
Step 1: Enter the following prompt into whichever AI you are using:
“I am a teacher that is creating materials for my students to practice for the ACT Reading Test. Create a 900 word passage on the subject of (pick something you are interested in). It should be in a formal tone at the 11th grade reading level.”
Step 2: After the AI generates a passage from the prompt above. Enter the next prompt.
“Create 10 ACT style reading comprehension questions for the above passage. The multiple choice options should alternate being labeled ABCD and FGHJ from question to question. Please ensure that each question has only one correct answer. Also, the position of the correct answers should vary as much as possible. For example, the majority of the questions should not always be the first option (A or F), etc. Create an answer key at the end of the questions.”
Step 3: Consider additional prompts to modify either the passage or the questions if you are not satisfied with the result:
“Adjust the reading level of the passage to (9th grade to University Level)
“Make the difficulty of the questions (easier/harder)”
“Change the mode to Literary Narrative”
“Change the mode to Persuasive”
“Change the mode to Informational Text”
Final Thoughts: I have made this my first real lesson on this blog because the subject of literacy is a primary concern at every grade level. This lesson is appropriate for any grade level in high school: Freshman to Senior. The Reading Test is perhaps the only test that requires preparation far in advance of the actual test date. There is no substitution for consistent, habitual focused reading. Unlike the other tests, there are no tricks, and there is nothing that a teacher can say or do to make reading comprehension suddenly “click.” It is pure time and repetition, and every student needs to begin that as early as possible. Practicing the structure that I have outlined here is important, but not near as important as daily reading practice.
At a bare minimum a student should be reading for 20 minutes a day on a single subject. I have spoken with many successful colleagues and college professors who all agree. In a perfect world, a student reading about a subject matter that they enjoy on a consistent basis will slowly, continuously improve their reading level. In a not so perfect world, practicing the process I have outlined here is better than nothing, and it has produced quantifiable results in my classroom year after year.
Make this practice/philosophy a foundation as early as possible, and follow me if you want to see a breakdown of the tips and tricks for other focus areas on the ACT.
Answer Key:
- B - 1959
- H - Tennessee
- B - The most reliable measure of academic achievement
- J - They are likely embarrassed by a low score
- B - Its transparency and consistency
- G - By generating endless practice problems
- C - Inability to focus on extended reading
- G - Practicing the structure of the Reading Test repeatedly
- C - Running a mile
- G - Practice and repetition
