The National Assessment of Educational Progress is a vocabulary test given to fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders across the country.  The 2011 results were just released, and there are a LOT of words our kids don't know.

Here are 10 words that more than HALF of the students didn't know: 

#1.)  Fourth graders didn't know that "puzzled" means confused. 

#2.)  A majority of eighth graders didn't know that "permeate" means spread all the way through.

#3.)  High-school seniors didn't know that "mitigate" means to make less bad.

#4.)  Most fourth graders didn't know that "eerie" means scary or unsettling. 

#5.)  Eighth graders didn't know that "urbane" means elegant and sophisticated.

#6.)  More than half of high-school seniors didn't know that "delusion" means an incorrect belief or opinion.

#7.)  Fourth graders didn't know that "barren" means empty or desolate.

#8.)  Fourth graders also didn't know that "detected" means found. 

#9.)  Half of all fourth graders didn't know "flourish" means to bloom or thrive.

#10.)  And fourth graders ALSO didn't know that "prestigious" means respected and admired.

(Wall Street Journal)