<p>Thanks everyone. I know that learning words from flashcards in isolation isn't the answer. I have pointed out to him that he also needs to begin increasing his use of vocabulary in his writing as well. His writing has always been very simple. He tends to use the words that he knows and one's that he knows how to spell. We just were cleaning out some old schoolwork from 2nd grade and we found a old journal that he would write in each morning at school. He has basically written the same thing each day for the entire year just changing it around a little here and there. His vocabulary that he uses in writing is so minimal that I can't even describe how low it is.
He is motivated right now so the time is right to do some pushing. I will suggest some of your ideas. The crossword puzzle might work.I think we will have to start at something simpler then the NYT. He is good at solving puzzles and strangely enough likes scrabble.
I figure we have till spring and any progress that we make will be a step in the right direction.
DMD- He is in college prep english and I am shocked at how little is required of him. He got an A. He also was able to pass the high school exit exam in writing which also surprised me. He is a terrible writer. I have found a huge gap between gate and ap level courses and the college prep track at our school.
Whatever college he attends he is already geared up for the fact that it will need to have a strong learning support center and he will have to make big time use of it.
I'll rent Pride and Prejudice also. I'm willing to try just about anything.</p>
<p>A few years ago my son had the same problem. He is a science/math guy, and really wasn't interested in reading books. His SAT verbal score reflected that--it was 120 points below his math score. </p>
<p>He decided to take the SAT again, and only prepare for the verbal section by memorizing vocabulary words. He has always been a great memorizer. He got an SAT prep book, and memorized the meanings for two months over summer of 300 words or so. Guess what--he boosted his verbal score by 100 points! Quite annoying, actually! </p>
<p>Now that he's in college he reads more because he is very interested in his challenging science courses. To my surprise, he does okay in writing papers, too, as he is writing about topics that interest him instead of high school stuff!</p>
<p>That is <em>exactly</em> my daughter's tale.</p>
<p>I think it's important to recognize that what your S needs is not just vocabularly, he needs more knowledge about how the world works. To do well on critical reading, one needs to know not just vocabularly, but one needs to understand words in context. Take a look at the test and I think that you'll see what I mean. IMO your son needs to listen to things like National Public Radio, have discussions about current events and other things at home so as to be able to understand the meaning of the reading passages.</p>
<p>For instance, in front of me, I have a newspaper article on my state's pass rate for the law bar. Someone could understand every word in the article, but not understand what it means if they didn't understand what a "bar exam" is. If they thought bar = place to drink, they'd miss the whole point.</p>
<p>The article also has a comparison to "medical boards." Someone who thinks that "medical boards" is related to wood would be misinterpreting the meaning. That's why a broad knowlege of things is important. People in general get such a broad knowledge by reading and taking rigorous courses.</p>