Who this page helps?
Program owners who need consistent delivery across cohorts and locations.
New tutors who want a ready-to-run plan.
Experienced instructors who want faster systems for timing, error logs, and lesson flow.
Why this works: students practice skills, techniques, and tools not random guesses. Our golden piece of advice: teach evidence-first reading (map the passage, then underline proof) before scanning answer choices.
Format: 40 questions • 35 minutes • 4 passages (Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative, Social Science, Humanities, Natural Science)
What it tests: read fast, locate evidence, compare ideas, and reason under a strict time limit.
Cohort goals (pick one):
+3–5 points for 22–27 scorers — master mapping + elimination; finish 3–4 passages on time.
30+ scorers — tighten inference accuracy; zero out-of-scope picks.
34–36 stretch — flawless pacing; 0–1 wrong per passage across the section.
Core habits every session
Passage Map: main idea • tone • 3 key details • 1 likely inference.
Evidence-First: underline the line(s) before answering.
Time blocks: 8–9 minutes per passage (do not drift).
Planning help for your calendar and parent comms:
ACT Test Dates & Deadlines 2025-26
Lesson loop (45–60 min)
Warm-up (5 min): 1 Passage-Map drill; students summarize in <3 sentences.
Debrief (10–12): sort misses by root cause; fix one pattern.
Mini-lesson (8–10): one micro-skill (axes/units, controls, interpolation).
Exit ticket (2): 2 quick items or a one-line “next-time” rule.
Identify topic sentences quickly
State main idea in 8–12 words
Track tone/attitude shifts
Mark names, dates, numbers
Build line-to-question anchors
Paraphrase dense sentences
Separate fact vs opinion
Detect scope limits (only, most, some)
Anticipate author’s purpose
Link pronouns to referents
Vocabulary-in-context by substitution
Recognize contrast & cause-effect signals
Synthesize across paragraphs
Read prose fiction for narrator bias
Read social science for claims + evidence
Read humanities for argument & examples
Read natural science for mechanism & results
Handle paired/comparative passages (A vs B)
Use a Similarities / Differences T-chart
Answer detail items from the line, not memory
Spot trap adjectives (extreme, emotional)
Eliminate half-true choices (right fact, wrong focus)
Convert abstracts to concrete restatements
Predict before you look
Bailout rule at ~75 s per item
Keep passage order that fits strengths
Rank answer choices before committing
Save hardest question types for last
Review with regular practice sets
Log misses by trap type and fix
Simulate full section tests for endurance
Detail / Fact Retrieval
Plan: hunt keywords; scan for the exact line; underline proof.
Traps: partial truths; off-scope details.
Example: “Which phrase best supports the idea that the committee lacked data?”
Inference / Implied Ideas
Plan: use “If true, then…” to test logic; no outside knowledge.
Traps: answers that go beyond the text.
Example: “It can most reasonably be inferred that the author views the policy as ___.”
Main Idea & Author’s Purpose
Plan: restate first, then match scope and tone.
Traps: choices too narrow/broad or tone-mismatched.
Example: “Which choice best states the central claim of the passage?”
Vocabulary in Context
Plan: replace the word with a short synonym that preserves meaning.
Traps: dictionary definitions that don’t fit context.
Example: “As used in line 42, ‘charged’ most nearly means ___.”
Comparative Passages (A/B)
Plan: map A, map B, then a Similarities / Differences T-chart.
Traps: mixing A with B; flipping viewpoints.
Example: “On which point do Passage A and Passage B most clearly disagree?”
2‑Week Sprint (daily 45–60 min)
Day 1: Diagnostic + personal checklist
Day 2: Mapping + anchors; 1 timed passage
Day 3: Detail sets; 1 timed passage
Day 4: Inference/purpose; 1 timed passage
Day 5: Mixed set; untimed → timed redo; error log
Day 6: Full timed section + debrief
Days 7–14: Comparative passages; two-passage sprints
4-Week Standard (4 days/week)
Week 1: Foundations (mapping, anchors, detail accuracy)
Week 2: Inference & purpose; pacing ladders
Week 3: Comparative sets + stamina (two-passage sprints + one full section)
Week 4: Exam polish (2–3 full sections, redo stack, finalize guess letter)
ACT Reading Passage Map Kit (PDF)
Download Passage Map (.PDF)
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