View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

“Vocabulary is key,” Scott Farber tells NBC’s Chuck Scarborough during his interview discussing the SAT. Citing Vocab Videos as a fun and effective way for students to learn essential test prep and high school vocabulary, Scott discusses why he came up with the concept of our site. Check out the clip below!

Upon logging in to your student or educator account or signing up for a free trial, you’ll be able to see these changes firsthand, but take a sneak peek at some of the updates below:

Video Library:

• Our new format clearly lists out all Vocab Videos episodes in series order
• ALL VIDEOS ARE IN HTML5—now play them on mobile devices and tablets!

The new search functionality allows users to search for individual words; so don’t worry if you remember a word you want to review, but forget what episode it’s featured in!

New Video Player:

• Larger screen + sharper, better quality videos Full screen mode is now available!
• Conveniently move on to the next episode with the new “Play Next Episode” button
• Watch episodes straight through or easily move from one word to the next by selecting specific words from our episode playlist
• Quick links to each episode’s digital quiz and worksheet make it easy to use study tools you’re watching videos

Students:

• Your new home dashboard allows you to easily click through to any Vocab Videos series, and select the episode you want to watch simply by clicking on the screen
• Quick links to “My Quizzes,” “My Worksheets,” and “My Flashcards” allow you to click through to view past quiz results, completed worksheets, and flashcard sets or to take an episode quiz, complete a worksheet or make a new flashcard set.
• Your home screen also allows you to browse your recent activity, reviewing past quiz scores or completed worksheets.

Teachers:

• New teacher dashboard makes it easier to manage your class
• It’s easier as ever to add students to your class—simply copy and paste your student roster from a word processor
• View class or individual student quiz or worksheet results
• Reset student passwords as necessary from the Manage Students page

Reading comprehension is absolutely essential to success on standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, GRE, ISEE, SSAT, and TOEFL. A thorough understanding of word meanings enables a person to better comprehend a text containing those words. Students with greater word knowledgehave higher comprehension levels, and thus tend to perform significantly better on high-stakes standardized tests.

But remember, a good vocabulary is the gift that keeps on giving, and will help you long after the SAT and ACT.  An increased vocabulary improves overall literacy making you a better reader, writer and interpreter of information.

Vocab Videos provides an accessible vocabulary system for students and educators replete with engaging vocabulary video content and valuable review tools. The combination works to create an effective vocabulary learning solution. We hope that you’ll take advantage of our special holiday offer, and give Vocab Videos a try!

1. Go to the Get Started page
2. Select the subscription of your choice
3. Enter coupon code “HOLIDAY2011” in Step 3 of the Checkout

We wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season and new year!

But what’s perhaps more troubling is that the problem doesn’t end there. Students who require remediation in all three subjects, likely discouraged,  are at the highest risk of dropping out.  To respond to the large number of students in academic need and to prevent dropouts, CUNY has developed the Start program, an intensive semester focused on remedial  reading, writing and mathematics. The program has proven successful and given students the much-needed help they require. Of the 300 students enrolled thus far, 241 stayed the duration of the semester, and 159 of these students after taking the course, passed all three remediation tests.

CUNY is taking the right steps to help students facing all too common of a problem: not being prepared for college level material. As the Times article points out, it calls to question what Regents exams, which so often drive school curriculum, are actually measuring. Unfortunately, in many cases, it seems the tests do not accurately reflect what students need to know for college success. So how do we better prepare students academically for college? NYC’s chief academic officer, Shael Polakow-Suransky, says the solution isn’t adjusting passing and “college ready” scores, it’s  ”to give kids more challenging, rich and authentic work.”

What’s your take?

While there’s no use denying that SAT and ACT scores are an important piece of your application and student profile–they’re not everything.  Four years of hard work and good grades (hopefully) in high school  are not erased with one standardized test score.

That being said, the SAT and ACT are tests that can be mastered through hard work and time commitment. College entrance exams aren’t quite tests you can cram for. They’re tests you should prep for over a long period of time, so you can get comfortable with the exams and develop the critical thinking and problem solving skills that are essential for succeeding on the SAT and ACT.

Scott Farber, founder of educational services company A-List Education (and one of the creators of Vocab Videos!), was recently featured on the Weekend Today Show offering his expert test prep advice for both students and parents.  Watch the clip below:

Because we had so many AWESOME submissions, choosing our grand prize winners was an extremely difficult decision, but the votes are in! A panel of judges including members of the Vocab Videos team (who know their vocabulary!) and a special guest judge in the film-making industry helped choose the big winners. Drum roll please…..check out the impressive winning entries below:

Filmmaker Grand Prize Winner (May Holiday Challenge) by Guthrie Kornbluth:

Filmmaker Runner-Up (TV Parody Challenge) by Matthew Fiedler:

Student Video Grand Prize Winner (Oscars Challenge) by Gilberto Moreno’s Class:

Student Video Runner-Up (April Fool’s Challenge) by Desiree Duzich:

Student Video Best Parody (TV Parody Challenge) by Gilberto Moreno’s Class:

Student Video People’s Choice by Eli Palomares (Oscars Challenge based on number of votes):

Student Photo Grand Prize by Stephanie Baldwin:

Antithesis = the direct opposite.

Student Photo Runner-Up by Joshua Sessoms:

Trepidation = a state of alarm or dread; apprehension.

Student Photo People’s Choice by Paul Stamper:

Ineffable = incapable of being expressed or described in words.

What does it mean for teachers?

Educators using Vocab Videos teacher accounts now have another means of monitoring their students’ progress. In addition to being able to view individual student and class quiz results, teachers can view their students’ worksheets. So if educators give students an assignment to watch a Vocab Videos episode, take a quiz, and write sentences for the featured words, they can easily see that assignments have been completed and review student work right from their teacher accounts. Check out student, Kaitlyn White’s quiz and worksheet data displayed below:

Teachers and students, be sure to register for an account, so you can make use of all Vocab Videos features!

But even though the Festival is no longer accepting submissions or votes, a big portion of the contest has yet to come–the GRAND PRIZE CEREMONY! Student and filmmaker finalists are competing to take home the top prizes; a special judging panel will be deciding on the winning finalist entries (with the exception of the People’s Choice Award, which is based solely on votes), and it will certainly not be an easy decision.

So stay tuned Vocab Videos fans, the judges are deliberating. May winners will be announced by June 8th, and the grand prize announcements (including the winning nonprofit organization) will be made by June 17th.

Thanks again to everyone who got involved. Please enjoy some of the wonderful Festival submissions below:

February Oscar Challenge- Protract | The King’s Speech (filmmaker):

February Oscar Challenge- Soporific | Harry Potter (student):

March TV Challenge- Upbraid | Real Housewives of Atlanta (filmmaker):

March TV Challenge- Inane | Modern Family (student):

April Fool’s Challenge- Nefarious | April’s Fool (filmmaker):

April Fool’s Challenge- Vacuous (student):

May Holiday Challenge- Lackadaisical | Jimmy’s Game (filmmaker):

As featured on:

The Vocab Film Festival has been running since February, and has received numerous video and photo submissions illustrating the meanings of key SAT vocabulary words. Students, teachers, and filmmakers, alike, have found clever ways to help participants and fans understand the meanings of words. Check out one of our winning student video entries below:

Additionally, hundreds of votes have come in to support of affiliated nonprofits, Harlem Children’s Zone, Year Up, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, and Urban Word NYC; the one that has the most votes at the close of the Festival will receive special prizes and donations generously provided by our innovative educational partners.

In the final month of the Festival, we welcome your participation more than ever!

GET INVOLVED. GIVE BACK. WIN BIG!