Barron's is a respected publisher of test prep materials. They publish workbooks to help students prepare for the SAT I, SAT II, PSAT, ACT, and AP exams.
This is a detailed review of Barron's Critical Reading Workbook for the SAT [Barron's Educational Series, 2006].
Pros
- Hundreds of practice questions
- Multiple ability levels
- Answer key with explanations
- Great vocabulary words
Cons
- Brief descriptions of problem-solving strategies
- C level questions more challenging than official SAT questions
- Flashcards for vocabulary
- Short answer explanations
It is recommended that The Barron's Critical Reading Workbook for the SAT be used in conjunction with other SAT prep materials. The workbook as a stand alone critical reading SAT prep is not enough for the majority of high school juniors and seniors preparing for their first SAT exam. Barron's provides an ample number of practice questions for students of all ability levels, however, Barron's Critical Reading Workbook does not provide sufficient vocabulary exercises or overall SAT test taking strategies.
Sophomores who are looking to gain an edge by beginning their SAT test prep early and are simply looking for a way to become familiar with the types and styles of questions they will face on the SAT may find The Barron's Critical Reading Workbook for the SAT sufficient preparation for the verbal section.
While the vocabulary in the Barron's workbook is excellent, the presentation of the vocabulary is less than stellar. Many students do not enjoy the burden of flashcards and some students may discover that they have learning styles that are incompatible with rote memorization. A separate vocabulary book such as Vocabulary Cartoons or The Critical Thinking Company's Word Roots series is recommended to use in conjunction with Barron's Critical Reading Workbook to provide alternative and enriching vocabulary activities.
If used in conjunction with better vocabulary exercises Barron's Critical Reading Workbook is appropriate for independent, individual use by high achieving, highly motivated high school seniors preparing to take the SAT reasoning test. With a high level of motivation students will be able to easily following the guidelines provided at the beginning of the workbook and proceed through the book independently; without this motivation students may need the help of a parent, teacher, tutor or coach to guide them through the book and assign specific sections and pages to complete.
Students of all levels may find it helpful to have a tutor, teacher or mentor guide them through the Barron's workbook to provide problem-solving strategies, test-taking skills, enrichment activities and encouragement that the book by itself does not.
