EPCHS teachers co-author brand new ACT prep book

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Evergreen Park Community High School teachers Chris Mikulskis (left) and Mary Kate Durkin recently co-authored the book, “Fun ACT Prep English & Reading: Because Test Prep Doesn’t Have to Be Boring.” | Supplied Photo

Updated: March 1, 2012 8:05AM

Most people don’t associate the ACT with fun, but two English teachers from Evergreen Park Community High School have managed to do just that through their new book, “Fun ACT Prep English & Reading: Because Test Prep Doesn’t Have to Be Boring.”

The book, which contains 345 questions modeled after the English and reading portions of the ACT, aims to interest less-motivated learners and reinvigorate more serious students.

“We were bored teaching test prep, and I knew if I was bored, the students were definitely bored,” said co-author Mary Kate Durkin.

Durkin and her colleague, Chris Mikulskis, created their own passages about subjects like Lady Gaga and the movie “Paranormal Activity,” writing questions modeled after the ACT.

“The students’ responses were so enthusiastic that we thought this was a way to really get through to them,” Mikulskis said.

The teachers started analyzing the ACT, breaking down the necessary skills and question types, while also polling students on subjects that interested them.

“We realize the importance of preparing students for the ACT, but at the same time, we feel we can reach out to students a bit better if we meet them halfway, teaching them the skills they need to know, but also giving them a chance to read about topics that they care about,” Durkin said.

“The students enjoy it because the subject matter is more interesting, but at the end of the day, they are still challenging themselves and improving their English and reading skills,” Mikulskis said.