College Bound: Boosting Your SAT Vocabulary

Research shows that we learn new vocabulary words in stages: At the first stage, we don't remember ever having heard a particular word before.  At the final stage, we can use the word fluently ourselves.  As we encounter new words, they move slowly along the continuum of fluency.

Does a person have to achieve that final stage of fluency to recognize a word on the SAT critical reading exam?  Generally not.  There are many words in the SAT rotation... far more than most students have time to memorize.  The goal is to move as many words as possibly up the continuum.  The good news: vocabulary practice can be pain-free -- and even fun!

One of the first first novels designed specifically for SAT vocabulary prep was Kaplan's mystery, The Rings of McCallister.  More recently, Kaplan has introduced a series of graphic novels rich in SAT vocabulary, as well as a series of classics that differ from the originals only in that the vocabulary words are defined right there on the page. 

SparkNotes has a series of pop fiction SAT novels that can be read for free online. The SAT vocabulary is printed in blue; the reader can just move the cursor over them to see the definition. These stories are not great literature, but they do allow students to incorporate vocabulary development into their leisure time.  (And some teenagers might be motivated to read these stories a year or more before they're ready for formal SAT prep courses.)

Other resources allow students to practice SAT prep in a game format -- for instance, by working crossword puzzles.  Students might also want to attempt the online flashcard game at Edufire and see how high a score they can achieve. And, yes, it is now possible to find SAT vocabulary practice in MP3 format... Kids can learn just about anywhere -- even on the school bus or waiting in line at the video store.