This post is from our friend Caroline Romano @ VocabVideos.com, where you learn the SAT vocabulary you need to know. Vocab Videos uses really funny short vocabulary videos to illustrate the meanings of 500 of the most frequently appearing SAT vocabulary words, making them easy to learn and remember.
When it comes to vocabulary, the rich get richer. On standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, knowing your vocabulary quite literally pays off when it comes to points. And on college entrance exams like these, points are your priority! But what’s wonderful about a good vocabulary is that it will serve you long after you take these critical exams. Words are the ingredients of language, and all students stand to benefit from an improved vocabulary, in high school, in college, and beyond.
At Vocab Videos, we’re passionate about vocabulary, so if you’re not already convinced of its importance, here are a few reasons to get studying:
• Key to test prep success: Vocabulary is imperative to finding success on standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. 1/3 of the SAT reading section is made of questions that are explicitly vocabulary dependent, and knowing the answers to these questions can potentially raise your SAT score by 150 points. Furthermore, even on questions that don’t specifically test vocabulary, you’re often expected to understand the meanings of the words you encounter within passages, questions and answers on sections that involve reading. But because vocabulary knowledge is useful for all reading comprehension, an increased vocabulary is not only beneficial on standardized tests, but on most English exams.
• Easy to work into your test prep routine: Learning vocabulary is a real and attainable means of improving your test score. If you don’t know it, with some time and commitment, you can learn it! Studying vocabulary is something that can easily be worked into your test prep routine resulting in a meaningful SAT score improvement. Get a head start on your test prep by working vocabulary into your daily study routine; a little vocabulary prep a day will go a long way.
• Not typically an area of focus in the classroom: When I think back to my high school experience, I don’t recall many classroom vocabulary lessons. Gatsby and Shakespeare are more of what come to mind. Yet, you’re expected to have a certain amount of vocabulary knowledge in order to perform well on tests like the SAT and ACT and to fully comprehend the reading material you’re assigned and will continue to be assigned in college. That’s why during test prep time, it’s important to take the initiative to study vocabulary on your time. Not only will it give you the advantage over other students taking the test, it will help you throughout the duration of your academic career.
• Read better, write better, speak better, be better: Okay, so I may have gone a little far on that last one, but an improved vocabulary will help you be a better student. It will also continue to help you beyond the classroom. A rich vocabulary will give you a better knowledge of what you’re reading; it will help you to enhance your writing and better express your ideas; and it will allow you to clearly articulate your thoughts whether you’re speaking to a professor or an employer.
Read the full article: Vocabulary Matters: The SAT, the ACT, and Beyond