Create an account to track your scores
and create your own practice tests:
You can use the Elementary Level SSAT Reading Question of the Day to get into the habit of thinking about Elementary Level SSAT Reading content on a daily basis when studying for the Elementary Level SSAT. Varsity Tutors' Elementary Level SSAT Reading Questions of the Day are drawn from each topic and question type covered on the Reading section of the Elementary Level SSAT.
Question of the Day: SSAT Elementary Level Reading
Adapted from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook (1902)
One day, a crane was sitting on a rock far out in the water when he heard a voice say, "Grandfather Crane, Grandfather Crane, please come and carry us across the lake." It was the voice of a child and when the crane had come to the shore, he saw two little boys holding each other's hands and crying bitterly.
"Why do you cry?" asked the crane, "and why do you wish to go across the lake, away from your home and friends?"
"We have no friends," said the little boys, crying more bitterly than ever. "We have no father and no mother and a cruel witch troubles us. She tries all the time to do us harm and we are going to run away where she can never find us."
"I will carry you over the lake," said the crane. "Hold on well, but do not touch the back of my head, for if you do, you will fall into the water and go to the bottom of the lake. Will you obey me?"
"Yes, indeed, we will obey," they said. "We will not touch your head, but please come quickly and go as fast as you can. We surely heard the voice of the witch in the woods."
It really was the witch and she was saying over and over to herself, "I will catch them and I will punish them so that they will never run away from me again. They will obey me after I have caught them."
The crane bore the two little boys gently to the other shore and when he came back, there stood the witch.
"Dear, gentle crane," she said, "you are so good to everyone. Will you carry me over the lake? My two dear children are lost in the woods and I have cried bitterly for them all day long."
The spirit of the lake had told the crane to carry across everyone that asked to be taken over, so he said, "Yes, I will carry you across. Hold on well, but do not touch the back of my head, for if you do, you will fall into the water and go to the bottom of the lake. Will you obey me?"
"Yes, indeed, I will," said the witch, but she thought, "He would not be so timid about letting me touch the back of his head if he were not afraid of my magic. I will put my hand on his head and then he will always be in my power." So when they were far out over the lake, she put her hand on the crane's head, and before she could say "Oh!" she was at the bottom of the lake.
"You shall never live in the light again," said the crane, "for you have done no good on earth. You shall be a whitefish."
Why did the witch touch the back of the crane's head?
She thought the little boys left her a message there.
She wanted to annoy the crane.
She thought his feathers were gorgeous.
She wanted to fall off of the crane.
She wanted to control him.
If you have any interest in sending your elementary learner to a private school, he or she will likely need to take the Secondary School Admission Test. For elementary learners, this test is offered for students at the third and fourth grade level. The Elementary Level SSAT covers three main components: reading, verbal, and quantitative. It is used to assess a student’s overall understanding of the core elementary courses, and it often required as part of the admissions procedure. Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools offer a range of free resources on their website which are designed to help your elementary learner prepare for the Elementary Level SSAT and get the most out of his or her SSAT review.
One important resource made available to your learner on the Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools website is the Question of the Day. Here, your elementary learner will be given a random question related to the material covered in the SSAT Elementary Level Reading section. The daily question is randomly chosen from a number of topics that are covered by the Elementary Level SSAT in Reading, such as poetry, prose, nonfiction, and fiction. By reviewing the Question of the Day each day, you are helping your learner develop excellent study habits while he or she reviews important information. This is a perfect way to assist your learner in efficiently getting the SSAT Elementary Level Reading practice he or she needs.
Not only is the Question of the Day a great way to get the Elementary Level SSAT Reading help your elementary learner needs, but he or she can also use it as a way to review important material. After solving the Question of the Day, your learner will be taken to a page where he or she is given an explanation behind the correct answer. These explanations help simplify difficult material by demonstrating how to properly solve the problem, meaning that your learner can become better equipped to learn from his or her mistakes. By adding the Question of the Day to your elementary learner’s daily SSAT Elementary Level Reading review, you can help your learner broaden his or her knowledge on the subject.
Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools offer you a number of resources that give your learner opportunities to improve his or her SSAT Elementary Level Reading test preparation. By using the Question of the Day alongside the comprehensive SSAT Reading Flashcards and the in-depth exploration provided through Learn by Concept, your elementary learner has the chance to develop a balanced study plan that best fits his or her needs. After you feel that your learner has reviewed adequately, have him or her take one of the SSAT Elementary Level Reading Practice Tests to evaluate his or her knowledge on the subject.
The Question of the Day, along with the rest of Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools, is a great addition to any child’s Elementary Level SSAT Reading study guide. The fact that each question is randomly chosen means that your learner will need to develop an overall knowledge of the SSAT Elementary Level Reading material in order to successfully answer each question. By consistently using the Question of the Day, you are helping your elementary learner to keep important material at the forefront of his or her mind.
All SSAT Elementary Level Reading Resources
