Improving SAT Vocabulary With Classic Novels
Read to Learn – SAT Critical Reading Skills Score Raising Books
Reading to improve vocabulary provides a useful and welcome change to memorizing reading lists and practicing flash cards. To help students as they study for the SAT, various classic novels have been amended to include vocabulary words and their definitions. The words are included either as footnotes on the same page, on facing pages as the original text, or in a glossary at the back of the book.
Easy Approach to Mastering SAT Vocabulary
While studying vocabulary for the Critical Reading Skills section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, a student will often try a variety of approaches to improve test scores. Reading naturally helps a student accrue new vocabulary as the reader learns words in context. For this reason, publishers have facilitated the process by creating editions of well-known and often assigned novels to include vocabulary study guides.
If a student is looking for a variety of ways to improve vocabulary, reading any of these SAT score-raising classics is worth the time and effort. Beyond memorization and repetitive practice tests, the books provide a diverting method of using the new vocabulary in context. Meanwhile, the student often has various classic novels assigned as coursework while needing to learn vocabulary. Using editions of the classic novels containing SAT words that are identified and defined in context helps reduce study time.
Classic Novels with Embedded Vocabulary and Accompanying Definitions
Kaplan and Prestwick House are among publishers who produce amended versions of classic novels to help students improve their vocabulary as they prepare for the SAT. Titles from Prestwick include:
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelly [Prestwick House, Inc., 2007],
- Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad [Prestwick House, Inc., 2007]
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens [Prestwick House, Inc., 2007]
Kaplan produces such amended novels as:
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott [Kaplan Publishing, 2006],
- Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain [Kaplan Publishing, 2006]
- The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne [Kaplan Publishing, 2006]
Prestwick House leaves its classic novels intact while Kaplan abridges the novels it uses. Both commonly used SAT words in the text while defining them on the facing page. Both also include pronunciation guides. Prestwick House provides exercises in the back of the book to test understanding of the words. Kaplan includes endnotes in the back and a glossary of the words from the book.
Save Time and Effort Learning Vocabulary While Reading
If a student is looking for a variety of ways to improve vocabulary while reading classic literature either for coursework or self-improvement, these sorts of novels can save time and make the learning process faster and easier. With the decreased free time most students have, it makes sense to utilize the most efficient ways to learn. Scoring high on the SAT Critical Reading Section requires students to be familiar with a large sampling of SAT level reading material.
As students prepare for the SAT and keep up with schoolwork, time is the last thing they wish to waste. Students should not waste time preparing for the SAT, as reading and learning vocabulary can't be done in the days and weeks before the test. Either reading the classic novels during the year as coursework or well ahead of time to prepare for the test will provide a more relaxing and enjoyable study experience than simply attempting to memorize word lists.
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