New Monic Books-- Vocabulary Cartoons

A strong vocabulary is evidence of a great scholar. It is easy to squeeze in subject specific vocabulary when studying science, history or mathematics. I am, however, generally in a quandry when it comes time to schedule vocabulary study to develop scholarly writing. Words like affinity, expunge, laudable and porcine just don't seem to find their way into my kids' language arts lessons and therefore don't appear in their written work or conversations. Vocabulary Cartoons, a product of New Monic Books, Inc. might just be the solution to help my students improve their rudimentary skills with a minimal investment of their time. Vocabulary Cartoons SAT Word Power is designed to appeal to a multitude of ages and can be used in a myriad of ways.

New Monic Books sent me a copy of Vocabulary Cartoons SAT Word Power for free in exchange for this affidavit. I am happy to report unbridled accolades of my own volition. Vocabulary Cartoons SAT Word Power is propulsive in developing language skills.

New Monic describes the theoretical design of their book by defining mnemonic. According to the publisher a mnemonic "is a device that helps you remember something by associating what you are trying to remember with something you already know". Examples include acronyms like DEAR (drop everything and read)-- or rhyming phrases like "In 14 hundred and 92, Columbus sailed the ocean blue".

Vocabulary Cartoons is designed on the principle of a visual mnemonic. For example, "capacious"meaning "roomy, able to hold much" is illustrated with a small boy wearing a baseball hat 10 sizes too large. The phrase "A spacious cap is capacious" is written below the illustration. Using the cartoon visual to connect with the definition encourages the brain to develop a learning connection ensuring the student will remember the word. According to the publisher, "Vocabulary Cartoon mnemonic strategies not only accelerate learning, but they also motivate, entertain and build self-esteem".

The publisher contends standardized test scores for PSAT, SAT/ or even the GRE will improve from a deeper understanding of scholarly vocabulary. The words selected in Vocabulary Cartoons are those most frequently found on the verbal sections of the SAT and GRE exams. Additionally, students enrolled in adult education classes, ESL students and individuals suffering from ADD could all benefit from this unique product because of its strong visual component.

I believe the true test of Vocabulary Cartoons is evident when utilizing it for sporadic vocabulary study. I had Micah, grade 8, use the book occasionally over the past six weeks to note if vocabulary development had occurred or if the book was simply quixotic. Micah took a short quiz included within Vocabulary Cartoons to evaluate her ability to evoke the meaning of the first ten words included. She remembered 70% of the words, but felt the words she did remember were erudite.

"It's a great study tool for vocabulary", said Micah. "I liked the illustrations that they used to help to display vocabulary words or phrases. I found it easy to picture the illustrations in my mind when I was trying to remember the meaning of the word. I think I only got 70% of them correct when I took the test because it had been two weeks since I last looked at the book. I think I will continue to use Vocabulary Cartoons, however to help me remember vocabulary words I don't often use and to look for meanings of difficult words I encounter when I am reading".

Vocabulary Cartoons can be purchased on New Monic Book's company website http://www.vocabularycartoons.com/home/ for $12.95 plus shipping and handling. With casual use and dedication your student will veer from tyro to ubiquitous vocabulary enthusiast.