The Best SAT Prep Idea I've Seen

If you have read any of my other hubs, you’ll notice that I think the simple act of reading solves a lot of problems. Do you want to be a better writer? Read more. Do you want better reading comprehension? Read more. Do you want a better vocabulary? Read more. It’s a simple solution. But you have to work hard.

A few years ago, two graduates from Yale, Charles Harrington Elster and Joseph Elliot teamed up to write Tooth and Nail: A Novel Approach to the New SAT.  The book essentially is a novel, but it is written with the SAT words boldfaced. They also included a glossary and a collection of exercises in the back of the text. Even though you learn more words by discovering their meaning in context, these are still useful tools.

You might be asking yourself, “What exactly is a SAT word?” Well, in the introduction of their novel , Elster and Elliot answer that question:

            We analyzed the verbal sections of thirty-five published SAT’s administered from 1980 to 1990 and all the preview materials available for SAT I. With the aid of a computer, we compiled a list of all the words that appeared two or more times on the test.

The two authors then explained that with this research they started to write their story, a tale about two college bound students who go to their college and solve a murder mystery. Highly appropriate for the book’s audience, don’t you think?

They also explain that they know the New SAT puts more emphasis on reading, but the test still assesses a student’s ability to figure out the meaning of a word in the context it is used.

Since Elster and Elliot published Tooth and Nail, they have published some other novel called Test of Time: A Novel Approach to the SAT.  Also, other authors have gotten into the game. You can look at The Mayan Mission: Another Mission, Another Country. Another Action-Packed Adventure. A 1,000 New SAT Vocabulary Words.

We live in a competitive world, and one of the big players of the SAT Preparation world has decided to participate in this game. Recently, Kaplan has published a number of classic nineteenth novels and has boldfaced what they consider to be SAT words.  Now you can now purchase The War of the Worlds, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, The Tales of Edgar Allen Poe and The Scarlet Letter, complete with glossaries and vocabulary exercises. After reading this selection, you'll also be well-versed in gothic literature.

Many times I will tell students to read nineteenth century novels if they want to expand their vocabulary. Obviously, Kaplan is telling its students the same message.