One of the keys to both education in general (and doing well on the SAT's in particular) is improving your vocabulary.

Vocabulary study will be an important part of this course.

There are lots of ways to learn vocabulary. This year I'm trying a multi-faceted approach.

Each week there will be a vocabulary worksheet, listing the words for the week and leaving spaces for you to write 3 synonyms, 3 antonyms, and notes.

The words are SAT vocabulary words.

Each week, you'll pass-in the vocabulary worksheet and be graded on it. It's essentially an open-book quiz grade. The vocabulary worksheets will be available in class and on my web site (in case you lose yours).

And then every Friday, we'll have a test on the words. But you'll be responsible for the words cumulatively. It makes no sense to learn a word for a week, so once we go over the words, you're expected to know it forever. Each week's test will therefore include "new" words along with a growing list of "old" words. We'll have about 20 words a week until the SAT's, then slow the pace down to 5 or 10 new words a week.

The test will be simplicity itself. I'll merely give you 20 words and ask you to use each one correctly in a sentence which shows that you know what the word means and how it is used. An added benefit is that each week, you'll be writing at least 20 sentences, which will be examined for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and common sense. Yes, there will also be essays and a writing program, but you'd be surprised how many kids have trouble writing a simple sentence. Our vocabulary tests will also help you write better.

There will be a NUMBER of ways to master the vocabulary words:

• We'll go over the next week's words every Friday in class after the test

• You can always use a dictionary or thesaurus on your own

• I have listed each word with an Internet link to its thesaurus entry on my web site

• In-class (and in the library, hopefully), I'll have a special CD "visual thesaurus" available for use

• There's a music CD called Rock the SAT which uses these vocabulary words in its lyrics. There are 13 songs, covering the first 13 of our vocabulary lists. We will listen to the songs in class. You can either buy the CD and accompanying book in any bookstore or I can make copies of the CD available to you so that you can listen to them at home, in the car, in your personal MP3 player - whatever. The lyrics to each song are available on my web site. It's not exactly subconscious or subliminal learning; it's more like those "Grammar Rock" tunes you may have encountered in elementary school. Hey, it can't hurt, right?