New SAT Practice: Verbal<LINK rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="testabtexts3.css">

SAT Practice: The New Verbal Section

practice book cover ISBN 0-9758796-0-X

$17.95

(or call toll free 1-866-GO BOOKS)

English vocabulary, usage, comprehension, grammar and composition preparation for the New SAT and similar examinations requiring English reading and writing skills. Reading selections incorporating SAT vocabulary with side-by-side glossary are followed by comprehension quizzes, grammar quizzes, extensive glossaries with synonyms and word variants, English usage notes, and suggested projects. Appendices, comprehensive glossary, and index.

Check out the Vocabulary List, Introduction, Table of Contents, Sample Chapter, Index, Back Cover.
For more information: sat@abacus-es.com
Highly erudite lunacy. This book is a lot more fun than the others.

This is not another "Magic SAT Tricks" book. There are many SAT test-taking strategy guides to be found and some are free (including ours which is also one of the most comprehensive). SAT Practice is not about how to take a test, but about improving those English verbal skills being tested -- as quickly, efficiently, and enjoyably as possible.

The author is a homeschooling parent who has taught high school and community college for over twenty years and concluded that public secondary schools do not and can not provide quality education to the overwhelming majority of students. Originally created for homeschoolers whose education has emphasized creativity, originality, and enthusiasm over the ability to plow through the tedium, uniformity, and mediocrity of institutionalized education, this work is ideal English verbal test preparation for those who would bypass the drudgery of traditional methods and achieve the greatest benefit in the shortest period of time. While reflecting a high level of scholarship, it is also a lot of fun.

As of spring 2005, the new SAT, with its essay component and expanded grammar section, requires students to demonstrate competence in written English including a "varied, accurate, and apt vocabulary" and "meaningful variety in sentence structure." [The College Board] The reading selections in this work expose the student to a concentrated dose of SAT level vocabulary presented in context, a quantity otherwise encountered only by reading dozens or perhaps hundreds of works of literature. Rereading the short selections and taking the comprehension quizzes will help the reader to incorporate these terms into his or her active useable vocabulary. Studying the language notes and doing the writing exercises provide practice using the terminology and the varied sentence structure that examiners are looking for.

Check out the index, table of contents, and the excerpts in the left column of this page. Also, be sure to look at our collection of SAT preparation resources.

Reviews

Review by M. Arthur

Normally one sees a grammar or vocabulary book and thinks "Borrrring!" Let me tell you: *** This One is Different!!! ***
"SAT Practice" is the most funny, interesting and useful language and grammar book that I've ever seen! (In our house it is read just for fun.)
In each chapter a silly and clever story includes short definitions of the advanced words in the margins, and then a glossary section. A quiz follows to check for comprehension. Every chapter then has a section discussing a difficult area of the English language, with the most crystal-clear examples that I've found anywhere. Following is our families' favorite part -- the "Projects" section. These are interesting, clever, silly ... well, here's an example:
"Devise, define, and describe three parlor games, annoying practical jokes, or decorative mobiles involving paper clips, drier lint, feathers, and/or linguini. Use lists, making sure all constructs are parallel."
Even if you plan never to take the SAT, this book is worth having around for the fun -- and learning -- of it. I wish that I could buy one for each of my friends and family members!

Review by Daarina Abdus-Samad:

I am public school teacher with a 10th grade daughter and have reviewed several structured, fact-filled but mundane SAT prep books. SAT Practice: The New Verbal Section by far stimulates more creative, meaningful connections to the understanding and learning of pertinent information needed to master the SAT test. The artful approach and sensible format used to review strategies for comprehension and grammatical knowledge challenges the student in a fun and thought provoking way. My daughter is motivated by the vocabulary stories and is able to connect the language notes in a meaningful way. I highly recommend this book as a practical and enjoyable guide of study...What a great way to keep the students in mind while preparing them for this most important test.