Customer Reviews

Not Too Scary Vocabulary: For the SAT & Other Standardized Tests [With 36 Page Booklet]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I definitely agree with another reviewer who was also studying for the GRE's. I have just started to try and increase my vocabulary for yet another standardized test, and I remembered that I had purchased the Not Too Scary Vocabulary CD's in high school when I was studying for the SAT's. They had helped me on the SAT's a lot seeing as vocabulary has always been my weak point. Personally, the CD's really work for me and Renee's tricks to help remember different words help them to stick in my brain so that I remember them later. If you are a high school student and are using them to study for the SAT's, as the packaging and title suggests, then you will not think much of the stories. The stories may not be appropriate for children, but for high schoolers, the stories should not be anything to cover your ears for. I think Renee was not necessarily trying to reflect on her own personal life in creating the memory devices, as other reviewers suggested, but was trying to keep high school students interested, which I believe she did successfully. For high school and college students this is a great learning tool for vocabulary not frequently heard in conversation and I would HIGHLY recommend!

I am in college right now and was deciding on how best to brush on vocab for the GREs when i remembered my Not Too Scary Vocabulary CDs that I had in high school...I have always been a smart, dedicated student..but I have also always had a terrible vocabulary (even though I do read a lot!). In high school my mom had me try everything to learn more words so I could improve my SAT scores- and this was the only thing that worked! Sure, some of the stories may be a bit risque, but let's be real- 17 year-old kids who are taking the SAT can handle everything on these CDs, and I know the bizarre anecdotes have sealed many definitions in my mind to this very day! Honestly...just listen in the car, before bed, while walking the dog... it's fun, entertaining, and truly improved my vocabulary!

If you want to learn a ton of vocab fast for the SAT or in general, this is the way to go. This product raised my verbal SAT score over 100 points and I'm not even finished listening to all of the tapes! This is especially great for people who are always busy and want to have some fun studying while learning a ton. And she even comes up with enjoyable poems and songs to help remember the word. Believe me, I was skeptical at the beginning too, but once I kept listening I realized it was really working and I obviously have proof. So don't waste your time boring yourself to death with endless stacks of vocab cards to memorize, because you will learn vocab so much faster and enjoy SAT studying so much more with this product!

I have used these cd's for 3 of my children. The mnemonics used are corny, racy, and sometimes just plain inappropriate with the gratuitous sexual tie ins but they do work. We actually discuss the inappropriate behavior and speculate on the state of her marraige, trying to turn her behavior into a learning experience as well. But, they cd's do work. Renee just needs to clean some of the definitions/mnemonics up a bit. But again, they do work.

My daughter, a junior in high school, has a 40 minute commute to and from school each day. This driving time really cuts into her study time. In an effort to help prepare for the SAT I searched for a form of media that she could listen to during her commute and that would help prepare her for taking the SAT. The only real resource I found was this CD, Not To Scary Vocabulary. I took a chance and purchased. My selection turned out to be a win with my daughter. She has really enjoyed the casual, informal and humorous delivery of the material. As a family we have even taken the CD's with us on a couple of road trips. I have found my purchase to be a good value and would highly recommend to others. Maybe we can get more material like this produced and download on to their iPod next.

Renee Mazer has my applause! She has taken an SAT Vocabulary Prep. program from the status of "have to" to "eagerly want to" for today's overburdened, college bound students.
From the opening lines of her first story (poem)students become engaged in the process and want to hear more. While many good vocabulary building programs are begun and then abandoned, this CD set is enthusiastically heard from begining to end. And just as favorite movies are watched numerous times, teenagers are voluntarily replaying this set.
The mastery of this work is that IT WORKS! Under the guise of entertainment, this program is comprehensive in its scope and artfully designed for outstanding retention. Your child will learn and remember more vocabulary through this product than any of the other materials I have seen. In short, Renee brings her years of tutoring experience to the media in a program that produces results - not promises.
Joan Clark, MBA, PhD

This is one of the most bizarre teaching sets for learning vocabulary I have ever seen -- or heard I should say. You have to have the right kind of personality for this. It's lewd, somewhat crude, but does work for the right individual. Auditory learners would benefit best from this set, but I suppose others might get something out of it.

Parents beware! The set has it's moments; however, it's nothing too outrageous for the typical teenager. If you want them to know their vocab., this might work for them. This is a nice starter for the resistant teen who doesn't like to read. Cartoon Vocabulary (volumes 1 and 2) are also fun.

Learning vocabulary for the SAT, GMAT, etc., is not one stop shopping. People assume there is just one book. There isn't. To perform well, you must study from a variety of sources -- unless you are naturally inclined to do well on standardized sets. And if that were the case, you wouldn't be buying this set.

If you want to become a master of standardized vocabulary tests, purchase the Wordsmart Interactive CD set. Volumes A-J will rocket you towards the PHD level. It teaches you decoding techniques, Latin roots, Greek roots, tons and tons of words, etc. It's a very powerful set if you're motivated to do it. They are very pricey. However, if you want to go Ivy League, the set will help you do it.

Overall, learning vocabulary is a process. You must learn it from a variety of sources, not just one.

After struggling with the verbal section of the SAT, my mom bought me these tapes in 2001. 10 years later, I still remember much of the content and can thank Ms. Mazer for an expanded vocabularly. I highly recommend this product. The tapes, probably now in CD form, were easy to use, enjoyable and most important memorable. This past January I scored a 95% on the GMAT and attribute some of that success to these tapes particularly in regards to their contribution to my passion for vocabularly.

At first my kid's groaned, not THIS CD again, I want the radio! But after spending a little time listening to Ms. Maser's CDs, she really grows on you. We ALL find ourselves laughing and learning. Will the kids like it better than Red Hot Chili Peppers? Probably not! But they have learned and retained an incredible amount of vocabulary in a remarkably short time! 5 stars from this family of 6!

This is the most innovative, effective and fun vocabulary building and SAT prep product I've ever used. Is it quirky? Yes. Is it a bit off beat? Yes. But this is what makes it so memorable. I promise you this: You will NOT forget the words Ms. Mazer teches you ... NEVER! Very highly recommended.