Can you imagine trying to look up the definition of a word only to be faced with more words you don't understand? This is often the case with the outdated dictionaries the students are currently using. As one of my students stated "They use adult words that we don't understand."
Students at my Pennsylvania school are compassionate, tolerant, and extremely helpful, especially when they observe adults in the building practicing those behaviors.
We have a very family-like atmosphere here at school. Everyone helps each other out in our school family.
My Project
When I asked the students how new dictionaries will help them some of the answers amazed me and made me so proud of their love of learning. Their answers included "There's too many definitions that are hard to understand because it sounds like something an adult would say. If we don't understand them then where's the education?" This is true. Using the out dated, published in 1975, dictionaries for a lesson I have to watch what words I have the students look up. Even simple words such as polite are difficult for the students to understand the definition of. Students also brought up the point that the dictionaries do not include some of the words we use today in them because of their age.
It is imperative for students to master the basic skills before they can move up into more challenging curriculum.
In order for the students to master these skills they need age appropriate and up to date resources. Using dictionaries do not just teach how to look up words but many other small skills that are important to their learning. Through using a print dictionary student learn alphabetical order, problem solving, and vocabulary.
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