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Key Features

The Words-in-Context Approach. Students learn new words by encountering them in meaningful contexts, not through rote memorization.

Abundant Practice. Each book is packed with activities, exercises, unit reviews, and tests that prompt students to interact closely with each new vocabulary word.

Appealing Content. Dull materials discourage learning. Our books avoid that. Each features high-interest passages students will want to read.

Standards Aligned. TP’s Vocabulary Series is a comprehensive, research-based approach to vocabulary instruction aligned with the Common Core Standards for Vocabulary in Grades 5-12. Each book in the series presents vocabulary words in multiple contexts, giving students ample practice in determining “the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text.” In addition, the words-in-context approach requires students to actively figure out definitions though analysis using explicit or inferred meaning—a benchmark of the Common Core.* Looking for a Common Core aligned program to improve students’ vocabulary for success in school and beyond? With TP's Vocabulary Series, you've got it. *Common Core Standards RL.6.4, 7.4, 8.4, 9-10.4, 11-12.4

Relevant Words. Words from the series were drawn from word frequency lists with alignment to state standards and standarized tests. The aim: to equip students with words they need to know.

Affordability. This print vocabulary book teaches 300 key words and is priced at $12.90. Bundles of the print book + Vocabulary Plus are value-priced at just $17.90 each.   

Outstanding Supplements. Free supplements include:

• Placement Test. The TP Vocabulary Placement Test is made up of 100 multiple-choice items drawn from Townsend Press vocabulary books. A student's score on this test may be used to determine which TP vocabulary book would be most beneficial to that student. Free and available online or in print. 
• Instructor's Edition. Instructor's Editions for all of the vocabulary books are available to teachers with a class adoption of 20 or more students. They are identical to the student books except that they contain answers to all of the activities and tests.
• Instructor's Manual and Test Bank. Available as a PDF for each Vocabulary Series book, the Instructor's Manual and Test Bank contains the Vocabulary Placement Test as well as a pretest and a posttest for the book and for each of its units. It also contains teaching guidelines, suggested syllabi, answer keys, and an additional mastery test for each chapter and unit. Free to educators with an approved account in the Learning Center.
• The Learning Center. Free to educators with an approved account, the Learning Center is a digital learning environment that provides resources to accompany the Vocabulary Series. It includes PowerPoints, assessments, and much more!

Digital Options. This textbook can be bundled with Vocabulary Plus, a powerful online vocabulary-building program that brings ALL the content of our famously clear, user friendly, Vocabulary Series directly to your tablet, smartphone, or computer. Download a complete brochure to learn more, or visit our Learning Center.

*Note: Students must have a paid subscription to access Vocabulary Plus materials. Click here to learn more about subscription options, including discounted digital/textbook bundles.

Changes in this Edition:

Hundreds of new items: The latest edition vocabulary titles feature brand new sentence items, revised/updated context clues, and in many cases, entirely new passages.

Photos added to chapter readings: Final Check activities in this and all new edition vocabulary texts now feature full color images to add context and interest for visual learners.

Updated digital content: All new and revised items in our printed books have also been released in Vocabulary Plus, our web-based digital vocabulary building program.

Broader, more universal appeal: TP's Vocabulary Series was originally developed for college students in the early 1990's. Updated regularly, the series remains popular in colleges today but is also used in adult literacy centers, and increasingly, in middle and high schools. Recognizing this broadening audience, our editors have carefully calibrated each book in this revision cycle to feature content and situations suited to readers of all ages. This impulse has led to changes in each activity, chapter, test, and unit review for all nine books—making the series better than ever!
 

Re-sequenced items: This and all new edition vocabulary titles have had test and practice answers shuffled and re-sequenced. This effort invalidates answers posted online and discourages cheating. Answers in Vocabluary Plus have also been updated (and feature their own shuffle capability).

Download a complete brochure or visit our Learning Center to explore Vocabulary Plus Independent Study for your classes.

Word List 
 

aberration
abstemious
abstract
abstruse
accolade
accommodate
acquiesce
aesthetic
affable
affinity
altercation
ambivalence
ameliorate
amicable
anarchy
anomaly
apocryphal
appall
archaic
arduous
articulate
ascetic
assent
assiduous
assuage
astute
authoritarian
aversion
belittle
biased
blasphemy
blithe
bombastic
brevity
brusque
buoyant
cacophony
cajole
callous
capitulate
capricious
catalyst
catharsis
caustic
censure
chastise
circumspect
clairvoyant
clamor
clemency
coalesce
cognizant
colloquial
commiserate
composure
conciliatory
congenital
contiguous
contract
convivial
copious
cordial
crass
credulous
cultivate
dearth
debilitate
decadence
defame
deference
delineate
depravity
deprecate
desecrate
despot
desultory
devious
diatribe
didactic
diffident
diminutive
discerning
discordant
discrepancy
disparage
dispassionate
dissonance
duplicity
eclectic
edifice
efface
effervescent
egregious
eloquent
elucidate
elusive
enervate
engender
enmity
ephemeral
equanimity
equivocal
erroneous
erudite
eulogy
evanescent
exalt
exemplary
expedient
extol
extraneous
exuberance
fallacious
fervor
fledgling
formidable
frivolous
garner
garrulous
gratuitous
gravity
grueling
guile
hackneyed
haphazard
hardy
heed
heist
heretic
hindrance
hyperbole
hypocrisy
iconoclast
immutable
impassive
incessant
incidental
incipient
incisive
incite
incontrovertible
incorrigible
indefatigable
indict
indigent
indoctrinate
induce
inexorable
infraction
ingratiate
inscrutable
insipid
insolvent
insurgent
intangible
intractable
irascible
irrefutable
irresolute
jargon
judicious
kindle
laconic
lampoon
languish
lassitude
laudable
lavish
levity
listless
loquacious
ludicrous
malevolent
marred
meager
meander
misanthrope
mollify
morose
nefarious
negate
negligent
nonchalance
obliterate
obtuse
officious
opaque
opulence
painstaking
paradigm
paragon
parochial
parsimonious
partisan
paucity
peerless
peripheral
peruse
phenomenon
pique
placate
placid
pompous
ponderous
potent
preclude
precocious
predecessor
predilection
premonition
prerogative
prestigious
prodigal
prodigious
profane
profusion
progeny
propriety
provincial
proximity
pugnacious
querulous
quixotic
raze
rebuff
recalcitrant
recapitulate
recluse
rectify
renounce
renown
reproach
rescind
resigned
resolution
respite
retract
reverent
rigorous
sagacious
salutary
satirical
scanty
scrutinize
serene
servile
somber
soporific
spurious
spurn
stagnant
static
steadfast
stealthy
stoic
stupor
subjugate
submissive
substantiate
sullen
supercilious
supplant
suppress
surmise
surreptitious
sycophant
tacit
taciturn
tactless
tawdry
temerity
temper
therapeutic
thwart
tirade
torpor
trepidation
trite
turbulence
unassailable
uniform
unimpeachable
unobtrusive
unscathed
untenable
urbane
usurp
vacillate
vilify
virtuoso
virulent
vitriolic
volatile
voluminous
voracious
wanton
whet
whimsical
writhe
zany

Common Core State Standards Fulfilled by TP's Vocabulary Series

Looking for a Common Core-aligned program to improve students' vocabulary for success in school and beyond? With TP's Vocabulary Series, you've got it.

TP's Vocabulary Series is a comprehensive, research-based approach to vocabulary instruction aligned with the Common Core Standards for Vocabulary in Grades 4–12. Each book in the series presents vocabulary words in multiple contexts, giving students ample practice in determining "the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text." In addition, the words-in-context approach requires students to actively figure out definitions though analysis using explicit or inferred meaning—a benchmark of the Common Core. (For a complete listing of the CCSS, please visit www.corestandards.org.

The TP Vocabulary Series fulfills the following Common Core State Standards:

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards: R.4 and L.4–6

Grade-Level Standards: RF.4.3, 5.3

RL.4.4, 5.4, 6.4, 7.4, 8.4, 9–10.4, 11–12.4

RI.4.4, 5.4, 6.4, 7.4, 8.4, 9–10.4, 11–12.4

L.4.4–6, 5.4–6, 6.4–6, 7.4–6, 8.4–6, 9–10.4–6, 11–12.4–6

For more than two decades, the TP Vocabulary Series has helped millions of students learn the words they need for success in the classroom—and beyond. You be the judge of whether our effective, affordable series can work for your students, too.

Supplementary Materials

Mastering Vocabulary Skills includes the following supplements:

Placement Test. The TP Vocabulary Placement Test is made up of 100 multiple-choice items drawn from Townsend Press vocabulary books. A student's score on this test may be used to determine which TP vocabulary book would be most beneficial to that student. Free and available online or in print.



 

An Instructor's Edition. Instructor's Editions for all of the vocabulary books are available to teachers with a class adoption of 20 or more students. They are identical to the student books except that they contain answers to all of the activities and tests.


 

A combined Instructor's Manual and Test Bank. Available as a PDF for each Vocabulary Series book, the Instructor's Manual and Test Bank contains the Vocabulary Placement Test as well as a pretest and a posttest for the book and for each of its units. It also contains teaching guidelines, suggested syllabi, answer keys, and an additional mastery test for each chapter and unit. Free to educators with an approved account in the Learning Center.
 

The Learning Center. Free to educators with an approved account, the Learning Center is a digital learning environment that provides resources to accompany the Vocabulary Series. It includes PowerPoints, assessments, and much more! Along with these free materials, the Learning Center also hosts Vocabulary Plus, a comprehensive subscription-based word-building program that brings all the content of our vocabulary text to students' fingertips. Learn more here.
 

Print supplements can be obtained quickly by calling Townsend Press toll-free at (800) 772-6410, by sending a fax on school letterhead to 1-800-225-8894, or by e-mailing Customer Service at cs@townsendpress.com.

Sample Chapters

To see the "To the Instructor" chapter of Mastering Vocabulary Skills, click here. (Coming Soon)

To see the "To the Student" chapter of Mastering Vocabulary Skills, click here. (Coming Soon)

To see Chapter 1 of Mastering Vocabulary Skills, click here. (Coming Soon)