PSAT Reading Practice Question 226

Question: 226

A growing focus on STEM—science, 
technology, engineering, and math—has 
brought funding and excitement for these 
subjects into schools. Meanwhile,
05the push for standardized testing is 
requiring teachers to devote a large 
proportion of class time to reading and 
math test preparation. One consequence of 
these dual trends is that schools are
10skimping on social studies instruction.
Mindful world citizens need, at a 
minimum, a general awareness of foreign 
cultures, a passing familiarity with 
geography, and a basic understanding
15of history. If you're not sure your 
child's school is instilling these basic 
foundations of knowledge, you need to 
support your kids' learning yourself. 
Daunting as this may sound, it doesn't
20need to take an inordinate amount of 
time and effort.
A good first step is to keep a globe 
or world map in a prominent location 
in your home. Whenever possible, refer
25to this resource in conversation. For 
instance, if your child is interested in 
a particular animal, point out where in 
the world it lives. If older children ask 
questions about the news, show them
30where current events are happening. If 
your budget allows it, keep a good 
children's atlas handy too. This will allow 
your conversations to go into greater 
depth if your children show interest.
35Children have ever-greater access to 
high-quality fiction about people and 
cultures around the world. If you're 
reading together about a foreign place or 
time—or if you see your older child
40picking up a historical or multicultural 
book—take a moment to find a children's 
nonfiction book on the same subject. If 
you don't have time to do this research 
during a family library trip, most
45libraries allow patrons to browse and 
order books online.

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