SAT Word Slam

App review by Liz Panarelli, Common Sense Media
SAT Word Slam Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

A slam dunk for helping teens' vocabulary to ... burgeon.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad Paid Education
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 2 reviews

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  • SAT Word Slam App: Screenshot #1
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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that SAT Word Slam is a vocabulary learning and testing app based on the book by Jodi Fodor. In fact, the 400 words in the app utilize many of the same definitions, poems, and mnemonics as the book. Each word is accompanied by a poem, mnemonic device, definition, and audio recording. The writing is very stylized and often sarcastic, making frequent references to pop culture. Some of these references may be too mature for younger teens -- either because of the adult content or because they're just too young to really know that Pamela Anderson is mostly "fictitious." The app includes numerous references to drinking alcohol, and a couple to sneaking out at night. Recordings are professional and often use accents to make them more memorable. Future updates may include in-app purchases to add more words.

Community Reviews

ReaderMum
ReaderMum Adult
February 25, 2012
age 13+

My Kids Love This Vocab App Because it Makes Them Laugh

I have three kids using this app: 13, 15, and 17. They all like it--especially my 13-year-old who likes to keep up with the other two. They like that the words are taught with rhyme, and that there is a lot of sarcastic humor in there. I love that the pronunciations are given, that the words are used in context, and that there is an audio option that lets the kids hear all the poems read for them. This is especially great for my younger two who are very strong audio learners. Also, there is a memory clue after every poem, and that's been a huge help. I ask the kids what the words mean and they often refer to the memory clues like, "We revere Paul Revere," and "Monday feels Mundane." Other apps I've found just give the definitions, but this one is much more of a learning tool. There are occasional mentions of edgy things like smoking, but I find that the references are critical, as in the poem for the word, "jocular," where it says, "Jocular people mock and make jokes. I feel jocular whenever I see people smoke. That is if I don't feel like whacking their heads; nothing funny about taking the fast track to dead." I really suggest that you try this app. I hope that there are more words coming soon for this app because my kids are tearing through the first 350. Great website, Common sense media. Thanks!

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
WordLover
WordLover Adult
February 23, 2012
age 14+

My kids love this app. I give it 5 Stars.

My kids are crazy about this app. This is the first time I've been able to get my teenagers interested in learning vocabulary. They love that the vocab rhymes are funny and they love the character voices. I like the mnemonics because they make sense and make words easy to remember. The app is very easy to use and is a great teaching tool. One thing that's really unique is that when you take a test, if you get a question wrong a button pops up that teaches you the word you should have picked. I recommend this app very highly.
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

From the navigation bar, teens can choose from Teach Me, Test Me, Playlist, Index, and Test Results. The index includes an alphabetical list of words with parts of speech, pronunciations, definitions, and mnemonic devices. Teens can mark words as easy, medium, or difficult. The playlist lets kids create a custom set of words from the full list. The Teach Me section includes the poems and mnemonics. In both the Teach Me and Test Me sections, teens can review or test all words, words they've marked as difficult, or a custom playlist.

Is It Any Good?

SAT Word Slam is very down-to-earth, and the author's voice comes through pretty clearly, opinions and all. The testing section is well-designed, and the teaching and index sections give teens various ways to learn the words with clever poems and mnemonics, as well as the ability to categorize and study words by difficulty. While the sassy references to Paris Hilton and O.J. Simpson make for memorable associations, they don't always provide the most precise idea of the meaning and correct use of the words. However, in terms of learning design, it would be hard to find an app that's better than SAT Word Slam for helping kids learn and remember challenging vocabulary.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Encourage your teen to use the SAT words in everyday conversation. Choose one word a week to focus on as a family, and make a point of using it.

  • Suggest to teens that they start a vocabulary journal. Along with the words and definitions, they can include original sentences and hand-drawn images to help them remember the meanings.

App Details

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love working with words

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