Vocabulary Building

1. Word of the Day

Subscribe to a WORD OF THE DAY. Each day you will be sent a new vocabulary word by e-mail. Keep track of these words and their definitions using a WORD document or EXCEL spreadsheet. Spend time reviewing your list as the list grows longer. In order to subscribe to Word of the Day, visit this web site:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/register.iphtml

You will be asked to provide your name and e-mail address. You will then be sent a confirmation which you need to reply to according to the directions provided. You can either click on the URL in the e-mail or reply with an e-mail.

2. Vocabulary Builder

In addition to the Word of the Day, check out the vocabulary builder:

http://www.m-w.com/

3. Pre and Post Assessment

We will administer a list of high frequency GRE words to determine your vocabulary level before beginning the program and again in the fall after the summer reading and Word of the Day projects are completed.

4. Summer Reading

Over the summer, you are to read a minimum of 5 books from a list we provide (at least one from each category). The McNair Program has developed a small library of recommended titles that are chosen to expand your vocabulary. You will be able to borrow from the McNair library located in the Assistant Director's office (T2132) or obtain books from other libraries. For each new word you encounter, add the word and its meaning to the Word of The Day Word document.

We will setup two meetings during the summer to review the new vocabulary and to do some vocabulary building exercises.

5. Other Reading Recommendations

In addition to the five required books, we strongly recommend that you do additional reading. To expand your vocabulary, choose books from subject areas that you generally do not read from. Other reading lists from which to choose books are listed on the recommended reading list page.