Dictionary Skills Lesson One • Dictionary Skills Lesson Three Using Guide Words This is number 2 in a series of lessons designed to teach students the sometimes forgotten art of using a dictionary and is designed for students aged 9+ although many teachers will adapt it for younger students. Curriculum: Written Language, exploring language, shaping text, editing text. Guide Word Drills 1 … what belongs and what doesn't? The use of guide words needs regular practice to be an effective method of helping students quickly locate words they need to find. Try the following drills with your class. Write the following two guide words on the board … (the first guide word is on the top left page and the second on the top right page). ligament limitation Now write the following four words on the board. Tell the students that two or these words can be found on the pages between the guide words and that two can not. like library line limit Have students check to find the words which are between the guide words. Can they say why two of these words were between the guide words and why two were not? eg library will not be there as the third letter is before g in the alphabet. Line will not be found there as the third letter n is after the m of limit in the alphabet. More examples… Guide words are flat/flippant flavour flap (go to letter 4 for reason in is not there) flex flock Guide words are cast/caterer carry cat catch cause Have groups select their own sets and challenge the class to find the words within the guide words. Guide Word Drills 2 … finding the meanings between guide words Write a pair of guide words on the board, eg sour/spare Next write the definition of the meaning of one or more words which can be found between the guide words of the two pages. The challenge for the students is to scan the meanings of the words to find the words which fit the definition given, eg the Royal ruler of a country (sovereign- don't include this) a tool for gripping and turning a bolt (spanner) When the students have cottoned on to this process, assign groups and/or individuals the task of finding their definitions between pairs of guide words. Many teachers use this as a daily drill and rotate the task of finding the definitions around groups. Remember to remind students that they only should include the definitions - not the actual words. More examples… Guide words are probably/ program Find the words between these guide words which mean … a way of doing something an outline - especially of the human face Lesson Three Do you have a lesson you would like to share with other teachers? Simply email us an attached Word, Works or PDF file and we will add it to our library. Don't forget to include your name and school so we can acknowledge your work. www.teachingonline.org is published by s&s Publishing P.O. Box 229, Turangi, (Southern Lake Taupo) New Zealand. Phone in NZ: (07) 386 6667 Phone Outside NZ 0064-7-386 6667 email: sspub@reap.org.nz