dictionary skills assignment

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Dictionary Skills

Use these worksheets to enrich your lessons on dictionary skills. Includes practice with guide words, entry words, pronunciation, and multiple definitions.

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Dictionary Skills Worksheets

No one is expected to know the meaning and pronunciation of every word; that’s why there are reference books like dictionaries. Students can gain a valuable skill for reading and writing by learning to read a dictionary. But using such a valuable source takes some practice. Our worksheets for helping your student become adept with a dictionary are listed below. Click on the title to review the worksheets and their descriptions. You may download a free, printable PDF for use in the classroom or at home. Don't forget to check out all of our vocabulary worksheets .

Dictionary Abbreviations: Do You Know?

In this activty, abbreviations commonly used in dictionaries are listed and students write what each abbreviation means.

Dictionary Game: Definitions

The activity teaches how to quickly find words in the dictionary. Students play together by trying to quickly match aword card with a definition.

Dictionary Game: Pronunciation

A fun game where students try to determine which word each pronunciation refers to.

Find the Definition

In this worksheet, students use a dictionary to find the definition of each word listed. Write the first definition given in the dictionary in the space provided.

Using the Dictionary: Guide Words

Students learn how to use guide words at the top and bottom of dictionary pages.

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FREE Dictionary Activities

Dictionaries are important in esl classrooms and whether your students have electronic or paper ones, they should have some practice using them in class. in this section there are 106 possible worksheets to choose from that will help you encourage your students to use the resources they have available. this dictionary worksheet asks students to provide words to match definitions but you can also flip this around and ask students to look up the definitions of words to get them better acquainted with their dictionaries. the worksheet is meant for intermediate and advanced students and contains good notes about each activity so that you can easily conduct them in class. for activities suitable for lower level learners, simply browse this section. dictionaries may not be the most exciting tool students use in school but they are definitely a valuable one to have and something that will help students throughout their english language studies. a resource such as this is only as good as its user so it is important to help students learn to use their dictionaries effectively. activities like those found in this section can really help you find creative ways to get students to use their dictionaries in class. read more... ...less.

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Dictionary Skills

This is a lesson which will help students review their spelling words while practicing dictionary skills

Objectives :

Students will successfully locate words in the dictionary and will demonstrate awareness of guide words

Materials :

• Spelling list
• piece of paper
• Dictionary Skills Worksheet – Guide Words  – Use worksheet to record spelling words, look up in dictionary, record page number & guide words.

Lesson Plan :

• Teacher will review the meaning and use of guide words.a. Guide words are found at the top of each page in the dictionary (some dictionaries place them on the far left and right of two facing pages). They tell the first and last words found on that page(s).

b. Look them up in the dictionary.

c. Find the guide words for each spelling word you have chosen.

d. Write the spelling word, the dictionary page number, and the guide words on the page where the word is found.

This could be used as a center activity or a homework assignment.

By:  Upsadaisy

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Dictionary skills.

I thought people would be interested in this resource. I have used it a lot, particularly with Entry students, to get them used to using a dictionary and to practise the different types of words. It also helps them practise alphabetical order.

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Not So Wimpy Teacher

The Not So WImpy Teacher creates resources for busy teachers in grades 2-5 who are looking to deliver engaging and meaningful lessons without overwhelm and chaos.

Grammar Fourth Grade Activities: Dictionary Skills

Grade Level: 4th Grade

This resource is all about dictionary skills : what they are and how to use them. I designed this unit to help your students learn what dictionary skills are—and retain that knowledge. The activities are simple to prep, and should only take about 10 minutes of class time. Students will be working with guide words , alphabetizing , and choosing a definition for words with multiple definitions. By the end of the week, your students will be able to confidently use dictionary skills  at 50 paces!

Also available in the following bundles

More about this resource

Our UPDATED fourth grade grammar lesson on dictionary skills makes teaching grammar a piece of cake. Grammar is so important for kids to understand, but it can be tough to teach. There are so many rules and exceptions. It’s easy to second-guess yourself. And let’s face it, grammar isn’t always a ton of fun.

But with these  UPDATED & IMPROVED lessons , your students can become excellent grammarians in just  10 minutes a day ! Each  no prep  lesson comes complete with a full week of activities, including: a mini-lesson, interactive notebook activity (NOW with answer key), writing, task cards, and an assessment.

We’ve done all the planning and prep for you. Each lesson includes everything you need to  teach, practice, and assess  the weekly skill. Tricky grammar skills are broken down into bite-sized pieces. All you have to do is  print and teach . And a  JUST ADDED digital assessment  makes weekly assessments a breeze. The digital assessment is editable, so you can customize it to meet your students’ needs.

***This UPDATED lesson is also part of a money-saving bundle. See the full-year  Fourth-Grade Grammar Bundle !***

This resource is all about dictionary skills : what they are and how to use them. I designed this unit to help your students learn what dictionary skills are—and retain that knowledge. The activities are simple to prep, and should only take about 10 minutes of class time. Students will be working with guide words , alphabetizing , and choosing a definition for words with multiple definitions. By the end of the week, your students will be able to confidently use dictionary skills  at 50 paces!

What’s Included:

• Detailed teacher instructions, including a recommended schedule for the week and instructions on how to use digital assessments
• A PowerPoint presentation for the mini lesson
• Student interactive notebook activity and  JUST ADDED Answer Keys
• 24 task cards ( NOW also in Black and white)  and a recording sheet (with answer key)
• Assessment (with answer key)
• JUST ADDED: Editable digital assessment
• JUST ADDED: Interactive notebook activity answer keys

Please look at the preview to see what’s included.

How to Use it in the Classroom: 

• Monday: Interactive PowerPoint mini lesson
• Tuesday: Interactive notebook activity
• Wednesday: Grammar writing assignment
• Thursday: Task card scoot
• Friday: Assessment
• PowerPoint lessons introduce students to a new grammar skill
• Interactive notebook activities include foldables and flaps that students manipulate to deepen conceptual understanding. Great for kinesthetic learners.
• Interactive notebooks feature simple cuts to keep the emphasis on grammar.
• A weekly writing prompt helps students apply new grammar skills.
• Choose from a printable or digital assessment.
• Digital assessment can be used in Google Classroom.
• Edit the digital assessment to meet your students’ needs.
• Notebook (composition or spiral)

Differentiation:

There are many ways to differentiate this grammar lesson:

• Complete interactive notebook activities in small groups to provide additional support
• Allow students to use interactive notebooks as a reference during the writing activity or task cards
• Have students complete fewer task cards
• Move around the room with students who need additional support during the task card scoot
• Use the editable digital assessment to customize weekly assessments

Why You’ll Love It:

• No prep grammar resource is easy to implement
• Saves class time! Only takes 10 minutes a day!
• Interactive activities make grammar fun!

Related Resources

************************

Click HERE To find the fourth grade Unit 1 Bundle.

Click  HERE to find the fourth grade  Unit 2 Bundle.

Click HERE to find the fourth grade Unit 3 Bundle.

Click HERE to find the fourth grade Unit 4 Bundle.

Click  HERE to see the fourth grade Yearlong Bundle.

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Frequently Asked

Yes! You can see all of the fourth grammar lessons here , or purchase this lesson as part of a money-saving year-long bundle .

Yes! We have grammar lessons for second , third , and fifth grades.

I have my students do it on the page next to their notebook activity.

My students don’t generally have enough room in the writing notebook to include grammar. But I did go ahead and split my reading notebook in half and use it for grammar and reading.

I’m sorry. There is not an editable version of this resource at this time.

This resource includes a PDF with links to the digital assessments. These are editable so you can customize them to meet your students' needs. Digital assessments work with Google Classroom.

You May Also Enjoy These Resources

Dictionary Skills Printable Worksheets for Grade 2

As Anatole France has rightly said, “A dictionary is merely the universe arranged in an alphabetical order.” It is a book that is meant to hold in itself every word in a given language and enlist them alphabetically along with their meanings for the sake of our efficiency. Granted, since it’s a big, fat book it can be difficult to navigate for young kids. But if taught properly, a dictionary, with its brilliant design, can become easy to use for anyone. That is where this set of interactive worksheets come into play. All you need to do is hand out these printouts to your kids and tell them how to solve each activity. And by the end of it all, they are sure to become big fans of the handy little guide that a dictionary is.

1. Arrange in Alphabetical Order

This is the first set of worksheets in a series of three which requires your child to arrange the given words in alphabetical order based on their first letter. A dictionary sorts out words based on how they are spelled, so no brownie points for guessing that the first letter of the first word of every dictionary is an ‘A’.  This process gives a structure to the positioning of words in a dictionary and also makes for an efficient system of searching for the words one needs.

How to use the following worksheets –

These worksheets need you to put this feature of a dictionary to use and grab the one you use to solve the questions above. Flip through the pages and figure out which word comes before which one, and write the words in that order. A solved example is given for your convenience. In that example, the word ‘ F ather comes before ‘ G randfather’ which is followed by ‘ M other’, then ‘ N ephew’, then ‘ S ister’, then ‘ U ncle’ as the letter ‘ F ‘ comes before ‘ G ‘ which comes before ‘ M ‘, ‘ N ‘, ‘ S ‘ and ‘ U ‘, in that particular order.

2. Spelling Worksheets

A dictionary isn’t just a random collection of words arranged in alphabetical order. It gives us more information than that, like the meaning of the word, how to pronounce it, and of course, its spelling.  While just googling seems like a good way to get to know specific spelling fast and easily, it’s not a solution that will help engrave the spelling in a kid’s mind and thus will not yield any long-term result.  The best way to master spelling is to go through them from time to time, perhaps read books and watch shows or cartoons with subtitles. But the most effective way is to just flip through a dictionary, letting the young mind come in contact with and absorb all the new words it comes across.

In this set of four worksheets, there are four words written side by side, but one of them is spelled incorrectly. It is the student’s goal to try to identify the word and write it with its correct spelling in the blank provided on the right-hand side. Guide your kids through how to use a dictionary and check for spellings in them in order to complete the following exercise.

3. Match the Following Words with Apt Abbreviations

A dictionary is a massive collection of words along with their definitions. It goes without saying that it is neither practical nor important to print every frequently used word in its full form all the time. So most dictionaries resort to the use of standardized abbreviations.  The most common reason to use abbreviations is to indicate which part of speech the word belongs to. In order to use a dictionary effectively, it is essential for one to be familiar with the common words and their corresponding abbreviations.

After you print out these worksheets, your toddler will get some good practice in the department in the form of a fun match for the following activity. They are supposed to pick an abbreviated word in Column A and connect it to its correct full form given in Column B.

The second worksheet doesn’t deal only with parts of speech. It includes words and abbreviations meant to connote which geographical area a word is used in. For example, in Indian English, ‘French fries’ and ‘Chips’ are two different things. ‘French fries are potatoes cut in long and deep-fried till it has a golden exterior and soft interior.  ‘Chips’ on the other hand are thinly sliced potatoes, deep-fried until they are crunchy. Whereas in British English, both these definitions quality as ‘Chips’ and in North American English both these definitions qualify as ‘Fries’. Thus, it is important to distinguish them in a dictionary that caters to the whole globe. But the way to solve the second worksheet remains the same as the first one.

4. Arrange in Alphabetical Order

A mentioned before, dictionaries arrange their words in alphabetic order. But among the hundreds of words that have ‘A’ as their first letter, how is it decided which words will take precedence over others? That is decided by taking into account the second letter of every word. And in case there is a tie there too, they move on to the third letter. And so on and so forth until they find a letter that isn’t placed in exactly the same place in two or more words. Then that letter becomes the deciding factor for where the word will appear in the dictionary.

These worksheets require the kids to arrange the given words in alphabetical order, like in the very first worksheet. But there is a catch. All the words are given below start with the same two letters, therefore they have to depend on the third letter to sort out the order of the words in the A to Z format. As shown in the first example, you have to number the words in order of their appearance in a standard dictionary.

5. Arrange in Alphabetical Order

This set of worksheets also require your toddler to arrange the given words in alphabetical order but all the words start with the same letter. So the arrangement has to be done based on the second letter of each word and rewritten in the appropriate order in the blank spaces provided below. After the student is done, check the answers using the elementary dictionary.

After being done with these worksheets, your kid will learn how to use a dictionary effectively and with this much practice, he or she will also decrease the time it takes them to hunt out words from there. While solving these activities they will also come across a bunch of new words, their meanings, spellings, and pronunciation. That will increase their vocabulary and improve their reading and creative writing skills.

So get these printable worksheets in your child’s hand as fast as possible and take their knowledge of English to the next level, all completely free of cost!

You should not Miss This:

• A-Z Letter Focus Worksheets for Preschool
• Letter Hunt Worksheet Printables for Preschool
• Letter Recognition Preschool Worksheets
• Alphabetical Order Printable Worksheets for Grade 1
• Tracing Letter Worksheets for Kids
• Put Words in Alphabetical Order Worksheets
• Sleuth Spelling Activity Printable Worksheets
• Affixes Spelling Activity Printable Worksheets

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• Knowing the subject

Using dictionaries

Why should we encourage students to use dictionaries? Dictionaries develop learner autonomy. They are a handy resource for researching different meanings, collocations, examples of use and standard pronunciation.

If students know how to use them effectively, there are hundreds of hours of self-guided study to be had with a good dictionary. The best way to complement a dictionary investment is strong study skills. As teachers we play an important role in developing those skills, and this article will explore ways that we can do that.

• Different types of dictionary
• Monolingual versus bilingual
• Learner training

Different types of dictionary Paper dictionaries These can be bought cheaply and last a very long time. Students usually complain that big dictionaries are too bulky to bring to class, so I recommend that they have two - a pocket dictionary for class and a 'shelf' dictionary for home study. Online dictionaries Many traditional dictionaries have online editions. Cambridge, for example, have an online advanced learners' dictionary at dictionary.cambridge.org, which is easy to use and provides examples of word use. There are some excellent and specialised ones, such as etymonline.com, an etymological dictionary (dictionary that explains the origins of words) I sometimes use in class with higher level learners. Urbandictionary.com is a web-based slang dictionary. Like wiktionary.com, users can add content. It is interesting but some of the content is so obscure it is best described as idiosyncratic, not all the definitions are accurate, and many are vulgar (which is part of the point). Their value lies in ease of access to students who own computers, but it is probably also a good idea to direct your learners to traditional ones first. Electronic dictionaries A big plus of electronic dictionaries is that they hold a large amount of data in a small space. However, they can be expensive, are attractive to thieves, and they wear out after a few years. The biggest problem lies, paradoxically, in their ease of use. Many students treat them as pocket translators rather than serious tools of study. I remember one student who electronically translated the whole of his course book into Chinese. His focus on quickly mapping individual words to his mother tongue resulted in a load of nonsense! His dictionary was his safety net because it took him back to Chinese at the press of a button. But he didn't progress. Monolingual versus bilingual Some teachers are opposed to bilingual dictionaries on principle. They believe that learners should think in English as much as possible. I believe that learners should have a bilingual dictionary on hand as a supportive tool but that training should focus on monolingual dictionary work. This is because sometimes a quick translation works best, as in the case of many concrete nouns, but it is a good idea to foster thinking and explanation in English. Bilingual dictionaries can also enable students to express something they want to say when they don't know the correct words in the target language. Learner training Here are some ideas on how I train my learners to be better at using dictionaries. Before you begin, it is very important not to assume that learners, especially at low levels, know how to use a dictionary. Here is a basic task that introduces them to the layout. Layout activity This activity raises awareness of dictionary layout and parts of speech.

• Present learners with a table of words relating to a text you've read in class, for example:
• Give a brief explanation of the difference between the three parts of speech shown in the table and the symbols, v., adj. and n. used to denote them. Also explain why there is an 'X' in the verb section of 'party'.
• Learners then use their dictionaries to complete the table.
• As a follow up activity, learners look back at the text and discuss why the particular parts of speech were used in that context.

This activity underlines the importance of contextualising new vocabulary and integrating it with dictionary work. Collocation It's often said that if you know 2,000 words in English you have most situations covered. However, this doesn't account for the vast number of collocations, or word combinations, which account for the size of more comprehensive dictionaries, which can have 100,000 or more entries. When students over rely on electronic dictionaries in particular, they tend to over focus on individual words, often misunderstanding completely.

• In Malay, for example, the result for ''How are you?'' would be: 'Bagaimana adalah awak?' Which is complete and utter nonsense in Malay.
• Next, explain that learners need to translate meaning rather than individual words.
• Give them a list of common phrases which you think they will not know. For lower level learners this might include: 'How's it going?' 'I'm feeling down' 'Take a break'
• Learners will need to search through the entries to find the complete phrase. For this reason you will need a large dictionary - you are effectively achieving two aims at once here by showing the value of investing in a good paper dictionary.

Dictionary race This activity makes learning fun and integrates dictionary work with the main aims of the lesson.

• Write down a list of eight words that the class will need for the lesson ahead and their definitions. Jumble them up and give them out to the class.
• In groups of four, learners have to look up two words each in their dictionaries and match them to the definitions on the handout.
• They then run to the front to check their answers with the teacher.
• The first group to have a complete set of correct definitions is the winner.

Focus on phonology This activity highlights the usefulness of a good dictionary in determining the correct pronunciation of a word. It assumes learners already have some knowledge of phonemic script and that the teacher's pronunciation is close to the dictionary form.

• Teacher selects some key words that are important for the course / lesson and writes them on the board.
• Learners look up the pronunciation in their dictionaries.
• Teacher pronounces each of the key words in two ways: one is correct and the other is incorrect. Learners use the phonemic spelling to guess which one is right. They get a point for each correct answer.
• In the feedback stage, the teacher drills correct pronunciation and answers any questions.

Conclusion Teachers should not neglect dictionary work. Like pronunciation, it is a natural part of any course that needs to have an appropriate focus and allocation of time. By encouraging the intelligent and self-guided use of dictionaries, learners become more independent, and as teachers this is one of our core goals. The BBC and British Council are not responsible for the content of external web sites. If you have any suggestions or tips for using music in the class you would like to share on this site, email us and put 'Dictionary' in the subject line. Tom Hayton, Business Trainer, British Council Kuala Lumpur

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