Words Count

Flemming teaches key vocabulary terms based on the premise that students learn best by seeing words repeatedly in different contexts—not through rote memorization. These vocabulary terms appear in increasing levels of difficulty throughout the text and have been carefully selected to highlight essential words that students will frequently encounter in their readings. Extensive practice opportunities appear in each chapter, in addition to end-of-unit tests. Plus, students can take advantage of a CD-ROM featuring over 800 additional vocabulary exercises.

Flemming teaches key vocabulary terms based on the premise that students learn best by seeing words repeatedly in different contexts—not through rote memorization. These vocabulary terms appear in increasing levels of difficulty throughout the text and have been carefully selected to highlight essential words that students will frequently encounter in their readings. Extensive practice opportunities appear in each chapter, in addition to end-of-unit tests. Plus, students can take advantage of a CD-ROM featuring over 800 additional vocabulary exercises.

• Multiple-choice self-test determines students' general understanding of a word, while a more advanced mastery test evaluates students' ability to use the words in context.
• Memory pegs offer learning strategies specific to each individual word so that students go beyond short-term memorization of words and meaning.
• Idiom Alerts teach the meanings of common expressions like on the wane, open secret, and alpha and omega.

After receiving her B.S. at Southern Connecticut State University, where she was certified as a teacher of secondary reading, Laraine Flemming went on to earn an M.A. in English literature at Boston College and a Ph.D. in American literature at the State University of New York in Buffalo. During her career, Flemming has taught students from elementary to graduate school--covering subjects as varied as reading and writing, American literature, time management, speed reading, and study skills. She began writing textbooks while working as Director of the Reading and Writing Center at Dean Junior College. In need of a reading textbook that had lots of exercises combined with genuinely thought-provoking readings, Flemming decided to write her own.