LOTE Interpretive Reading? Sounds like a real snoozer. Most people don’t give it much thought, but I’ll tell you why it’s important.
Interpretive reading, or reading comprehension, is 16.7% of the exam. On your score report, it will show 25 possible points. I have reviewed countless score reports, and almost everyone that sends me a score report has about 18 out of 25 points. That’s not enough. To have a good chance of passing, you need 80% or more on each section, which means you need at least 20 out of 25 on interpretive reading.
Of course, it’s important to prepare for all sections of the exam, so check out this article for strategies to pass the entire exam.
But in this post, I want to focus on how you can get better at interpretive reading.
The short answer, and the one you probably don’t want to hear, is to practice everyday.
Resources to Improve LOTE Interpretive Reading Score
But what should you practice? I like the book Barron’s AP Spanish Language and Culture.
My comprehensive LOTE course and tutoring also has a lot of great interpretive reading passages and quizzes to help you practice. During tutoring, we go over passages together and discuss strategies to improve your reading comprehension.
The Texas NESINC manual also has some free interpretive reading practice, and the $10 Pearson test has a full length practice test.
Reading any high level text in Spanish is helpful, including news, books, poems, short stories, etc. When you encounter words you do not know, look them up and memorize them. Keep a list of new words and definitions in a notes app on your phone, or on a journal or on your drive.
As you read, use metacognitive (self-evaluation) strategies. Pause often and ask yourself if you understand what you are reading. Ask yourself what you think the author is communicating in the text. Re-read parts you do not understand, and take notes and make summaries. Every little bit will add up and help you improve your interpretive reading skills.
If you join my LOTE course and tutoring, you’ll have access to challenging practice quizzes and a tutoring session to learn how to improve interpretive reading.
