Florida Center for Reading Research
Dictionary Cube
Young scholars investigate new vocabulary words with a fun, collaborative activity. Given a deck of word cards, pairs of students flip over one at a time and independently look up the term in a dictionary. They then take turns rolling a...
TLS Books
Dictionary Skills Review
Why do we use a dictionary? Your scholars will tell you why while demonstrating their dictionary skills. In addition to stating the purpose of using dictionaries, they will also show what they know about guide words, alphabetizing, and...
Curated OER
Dictionary Skills Review
Elementary and middle schoolers write 12 words in alphabetical order. They answer seven questions using the dictionary skills of pronunciation, breaking words into syllables and finding definitions. Then they answer five questions about...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Vocabulary: Word Meaning, Dictionary Digs
Young scholars dig through dictionaries to uncover the wealth of information they provide. Using the included graphic organizer, children learn about target words by finding their parts of speech, pronunciation, definition, synonyms, and...
All About Reading
Pirate Dictionary
Shiver me timbers, this here resource is a great way to teach young landlubbers to speak the language of the briny deep. Including over 30 different words and phrases, complete with definitions and guide words, this dictionary will have...
Curated OER
Dictionary Detective
Build your class's dictionary skills with this fun game. The activity allows learners to better understand dictionary usage, spelling, and vocabulary. By the end of this activity, they should be skilled word finders.
Curated OER
Creating a Picture Dictionary
Second graders create a reading, vocabulary,picture dictionary on the computer. They participate in becoming familiar with some basic capabilities of a word processor. They build vocabulary, spelling, and dictionary skills, reinforce...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Third Grade Skills Unit 4: Stories of Ancient Rome
A unit covering stories of Ancient Rome examines spelling rules, suffixes, verbs, quotation marks, writing, and dictionary skills. Lessons follow a similar routine; reading, skills practice, and extension activities, followed by...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Vocabulary: Word Meaning, Dictionary Cube
Scholars work together to define words and answer questions using a dictionary cube.
Curated OER
Student Dictionary
Third graders practice dictionary skills. They use a digital camera and insert pictures from a floppy disk into a document. They play a game in which they are handed an anonymous definition of each other and must find each other in class.
Curated OER
New Words: Make a Conservation Dictionary
Gosh dictionaries are great, and your class gets to make one of their own. They look up and write down the dictionary definition to nine words related to conservation and pollution prevention. They list their words alphabetically for...
Macmillan Education
Skills and Attitudes
What kinds of skills and attitudes are valued in a work environment? Using this set of worksheets and collaborative activities, your pupils will develop important life skills and consider what is necessary for getting and keeping a job.
Curated OER
Guide Word Game
In pairs, learners describe and use guide words to locate words in a dictionary. This is a timed activity, where points can be earned by completing the goal first. Tip: Have kids look up weird words in the dictionary, and then come up...
Teach-nology
Root Words Activity
A study of prefixes and root words can help your learners with their word choice in writing. Participants review the meaning of 13 prefixes before adding them to root words and defining the new words.
Curated OER
Beyond the Dictionary: Meaningful Word Study
Engaging lesson and activity ideas that grow pupils' word knowledge in all content areas.
Curated OER
Dictionary Work - Entry Words
Second graders examine the use of entry words in the dictionary. For this dictionary use lesson, learners look at guide words in a children's dictionary as the teacher/librarian describes the characteristics of each entry. They complete...
Curated OER
Guide Words in a Dictionary
Second and third graders match the five pairs of guide words to the words in a list that should appear on the same page in a dictionary. They look at a second set of five pairs of guide words and circle the word (from three choices) that...
Curated OER
Dictionary Work
Here is a handy one-pager useful for any spelling work. Learners write 10 words from their spelling lists in the first column. They find them in the dictionary and write the page number and guide words in the subsequent columns. I'd use...
Prestwick House
Vocabulary Activity Sheet
What does it mean to stream a program? How do you know if you're watching a mash-up? If you don't know these words, reach for your handy Merriam-Webster dictionary, because they're there! A series of fill-in-the-blank questions prompt...
Curated OER
Dictionary Bluff
Students practice their dictionary skills by participating in a game of words with correct and incorrect definitions. They must work in pairs to determine the incorrect definitions and uses for a word.
Curated OER
Revising Writing: Plain English
Eschew obfuscation! Using dictionaries, writers revise a complicated text so that it reads more simply and improves the clarity of the passage. Focusing on word meanings, they revise the sample worksheets and then present their...
Curated OER
Learning About Homonyms
I don't know why but I love teaching homonym lessons. This one encourages learners to look up and write a definition for a set of 10 different homonyms. Tip: Put new knowledge to the test and have the class fix a story that contains...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Vocabulary: Word Meaning, Undercover Meanings
Support young scholars with studying new vocabulary using this foldable resource. By cutting and folding the included template, learners can record definitions, examples, and a sentence for four different words.
Curated OER
Placing Words in a Dictionary
In this language arts activity, students will strengthen alphabetizing skills. Students analyze a list of 24 words that all begin with the same letter. Students place the words correctly in one of 6 dictionary pages with guide words...