Dictionary+Skills

dictionaries are fun! 3.4(E) alphabetize a series of words to the third letter and use a dictionary or glossary to determine the meanings, syllabication, and pronunciation of unknown words  Slides with three words for kids to look up in the dictionary :)

Ask students to brainstorm different reasons for using a dictionary. List these reasons or just announce orally Reasons may include: Begin by introducing the structure of a dictionary. Explain that words are listed alphabetically. Use the [ mountain ] link to illustrate the following features:
 * Lesson Plan-**
 * How to spell a word
 * How to pronounce a word
 * Determine how to break a word into syllables
 * Find the meanings of a word
 * Find synonyms and antonyms
 * Find out where a word comes from, or its history
 * MODEL-**
 * **Entry Words:** Each defined word is called an entry. Ask: //What is the entry on this page?// [ mountain ]
 * **Syllables:** Show students how dots and spacing are used to indicate syllable breaks. Discuss why it can be useful to know how a word is divided into syllables. [//When a word won't fit at the end of a line, you can break it with a hyphen. The break should occur at the end a syllable. Knowing syllables also helps you apply spelling rules and figure out pronunciation.//] What syllables form the word "mountain?" [//moun * tain//]
 * **Pronunciation:** The pronunciation guide tells you how the word should sound when spoken. Point out that dictionaries have pronunciation keys that help you read the phonetic spellings.
 * **Parts of Speech:** The part of speech information tells you how each entry is used in a sentence. It indicates whether the word is a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, or other part of speech. Note that some words are used in multiple ways. //What part of speech is mountain?// [noun]
 *  Definitions: The definitions give the meaning of the word. Some words have more than one meaning. The different meanings are listed in order of how they are most commonly used.

Give each group a dictionary. Have students to look up the word //mistake// . Ask: //How this word pronounced?// Encourage students first to read the phonetic respelling, and then to check their pronunciation by listening with the audio button. Remind students that some words can be used as different parts of speech. //What part of speech is// mistake? [It can be both a noun and a verb.] Ask: //What does it mean?// Have students read both definitions, as a noun [a thought or action that is not correct] and as a verb [to confuse someone or something with another]. Ask students to read the example sentences on the page. //How does the word change when used a past tense verb?// [//mistake// becomes //mistook//]
 * GUIDED PRACTICE-**

Have students look up a word of their choice. Then have them write the word, showing the syllable breaks. Have them identify the part of speech (choosing only one) and the definition.
 * Independent-**