<p>I’m just wondering, is it really nessecary to memorize lists of roots, when you could be memorizing lists of words? I find that often times, the choices of synonyms, often relate to the same root of the word.
How did you raise your verbal SSAT? Did you memorize roots, or words?</p>
<p>No answer? Please? I just need an opinion!</p>
<p>Memorizing them didn’t help me. It’s a lot more helpful if you just memorize words and their definitions.</p>
<p>I recommend the direct hits SAT vocab books in order to acquire new vocabulary.</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Direct Hits Core Vocabulary of the SAT: Volume 1 2011 Edition (9780981818450): Larry Krieger, Ted Griffith: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Direct-Hits-Core-Vocabulary-SAT/dp/0981818455/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290212928&sr=8-1-spell]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Direct-Hits-Core-Vocabulary-SAT/dp/0981818455/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290212928&sr=8-1-spell)</p>
<p>(Here’s a link to the 2011 version - I couldn’t find the 2010 versions online but they are bound to be somewhere with a little searching)</p>
<p>There are two volumes and they are really helpful. They infuse current events, pop culture, movies, tv shows, and books into the definitions to help you learn the words easier. </p>
<p>So about 3 days before the SSAT, I realized that I hadn’t even picked up one of my stacks of vocab words and hadn’t even opened my prep books. I started to flip through some of my flashcards and got bored. I then picked up the book I mentioned above and it kept my interest. So for the next two days I had committed the first book to memory and had my mom test me on every word in the book. I knew them all. I didn’t have enough time to read the second book but I skimmed it on the way to the testing site. </p>
<p>On the actual SSAT, I believe there were about 4 or 5 words that were in the first book. They weren’t all questions in the Verbal section but some of them were in the answer choices and helped me remove definite wrong answers. I highly recommend these two books.</p>
<p>But I would also like to mention that you probably shouldnt cram the few days before the test. I can’t remember half of the words I “learned” today.</p>
<p>Thanks, I just ordered it!</p>
<p>thanks pandapandaa! that’s what i thought too, because ive tried memorizing roots for practice tests and excersizes, and it doesnt seem to help!
thanks 2010 hopeful! ill be sure to order that book!</p>
<p>No more? I’d like some more opinions, now that it’s thanksgiving and a weekend and stuff!</p>
<p>freerice.com</p>
<p>^seconded: go on [Homepage</a> | Freerice.com](<a href=“http://www.freerice.com%5DHomepage”>http://www.freerice.com) . It helps a lot.</p>
<p>IMO, knowing greek/latin roots helps me understand words I don’t know to help decipher their meaning.</p>
<p>YES; I take Latin in school and it definitely helped to know some basic roots. Remember that this won’t help with all of the vocab, although it helps with a lot. I think roots are better to study because they will help you eliminate more answers. On the other hand, knowing vocab will help you go straight to the ‘right’ answer.</p>
<p>I haven’t taken the SSAT yet, but have done a couple practice tests and have to say that yes, roots will help you in this case. The reason is because for a lot of the words, you have to find the synonym so you have NO CONTEXT of the word. You just either have to know it, guess at the connotation, or (ding ding ding) know the word roots!!<br>
I was pretty ignorant about it at first because I have taken the SAT and the verbal is completely different than this…you get sentences so there are context clues (and thus the roots aren’t as crucial) .<br>
Hope that helps…
I recommend Webster’s New Explorer Vocabulary Skill Builder. Trust me this book rocks.</p>
<p>For me, it really didn’t help that much on the November SSAT. </p>
<p>HOWEVER, I have always been an avid reader, and I took an Etymology course over the summer, so… It really depends on your style of studying/retaining information.</p>
<p>ok. thanks sooo much for all the replies! one more question, for anyone who sees this, what roots do you reccomend me learn? im not an avid reader, to be quite honest, and most of the ssat words i learn are from memorizing lists from different vocabulary books.
like, what kinds of roots-- the more detail ones like (a- not, ab-) or like, just the more specific ones like (aqu- water, trans- movement, across).
thanks!</p>