Vocabulary Test Prep
© 2007 Resources for Educators
by Rod Wittmer
March 04, 2008
Both college entrance exams and standardized tests require
strong vocabulary skills. Use these tips to help your child do his
best at test time:
● Help your teenager make flash cards (search online for SAT word
lists). Have him write the word on one side of each card and the
meaning on the other. Tip: Suggest that he shuffle the cards each
time he quizzes himself. That way, he'll really learn the words —
not just memorize them in order.
● Challenge him to create a multiple-choice vocabulary test from
words in his textbooks. Since reading and writing use different
parts of the brain, your child will increase his chances of
remembering the words by doing both.
● Put a dictionary and thesaurus in plain view (on the kitchen
desk, in the family room). Try to model ways to use them. For
example, while reading a magazine, wonder aloud about a word, and
check the definition.
● Reading a variety of materials (books, newspapers, almanacs) will
expose your high schooler to a wide range of words. Tip: Suggest
that he jot down unfamiliar words and their page numbers. Then he
can look up the words later and go back to read them in
context.
