[CALIBK12] AP Prep Books

[Serena Refoua]

I have used all of the different prep books as an AP teacher (Psych,  
Gov't. US Hist). Different ones have different strengths.

My overall fave is Princeton Review: it teaches many excellent test  
strategies for the mult. choice and the free response essays. The  
chapters break down the concepts into do-able chunks and the vocab is  
in bold face font

My second choice would be Kaplan: easy to use, but not as strong on  
strategies. The free response essay sections are too skimpy.

I've used Barron's many times. It's comprehensive, but very dense:  
chapter reviews can be boring. Vocab is italicized but not bold faced.  
The free-response sections are robust.

Another book to consider is the 5 Steps to a 5 series. My students  
liked these the best. It's the easiest one for them to get through on  
their own. It's accessible even for English Language Learners.

I suggest that you try to get the Princeton series and as many of the  
5 Steps to a 5, if you have the funds.

Hope this helps,

Serena Refoua
Belmont High
Los Angeles


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