1. Preview the Passage
- Notice whether the passage is narrative, argument, informational, science, history, or paired text.
- Predict the purpose: story conflict, explanation, comparison, or claim.
- Read for structure first, not every tiny detail.
The Method
2. Map Paragraph Jobs
- Write a 2-5 word note for each paragraph: setting, problem, evidence, shift, example, result.
- Circle transition words such as however, therefore, although, but, because, and finally.
- For narrative, track who wants what and what blocks them.
3. Read Actively
- Ask: What changed? Why is this detail here? What does the author want me to notice?
- Make a quick prediction before looking at answer choices.
- Underline evidence, not entire sentences.
4. Answer with Evidence
- For detail questions, go back to the mapped paragraph instead of rereading randomly.
- For inference questions, combine what the text says with what must logically follow.
- Reject answers that are too extreme, outside the text, or true but irrelevant.
Passage Map Template
Use this map in the margin. The goal is not decoration; it is fast location and clear thinking.
| Part of Passage | What to Mark | Margin Note Example |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Topic, speaker, setting, conflict, or claim | sets problem / introduces debate |
| Middle paragraphs | Evidence, examples, complications, comparison, shift | example of change / contrast |
| Final paragraph | Resolution, author's judgment, conclusion, effect | lesson / result / author's view |
| Whole passage | Main idea, tone, purpose | explains why X matters |
Question Plan
- Main idea: answer only after you know the whole passage map.
- Detail: locate the mapped paragraph, then read two lines before and after the clue.
- Inference: choose the answer that must be true, not the answer that merely sounds interesting.
- Tone: look for loaded adjectives, repeated contrasts, and the author's final judgment.
- Vocabulary in context: replace the word with your own simple meaning before checking choices.
Research Notes
This page adapts widely used test-reading principles for SSAT work: SSAT Reading asks students to interpret narrative and argument passages, passage mapping helps students locate structure and evidence, and active reading means questioning, predicting, and annotating while reading.