Encourage your class members to keep track of new and neat words throughout the school year. At the start of the year, learners can put together this booklet, and the booklet can act as an individualized dictionary. Each letter is...

Warm up your class at the start of the year by checking their ability to read and unpack dictionary entries. This activity asks pupils to pick apart a sentence that uses some pretty advanced vocabulary by using three dictionary...

Want to become a lexicographer or a terminographer? These two specialized professions have to do with putting together and editing dictionaries. Lexicographers document general language vocabulary and terminographers collect words from...

Use Greek roots, suffixes, and prefixes to create polysyllabic words. Readers use the dictionary to identify what the word's prefix, suffix, and root or base word mean. They define what a syllable is and how one is formed using Greek...

When do we use dictionaries? Provide this dictionary scavenger hunt for your youngsters. Third and fourth graders search for words, recording the number of syllables or definition for a variety of words. Get your class using dictionaries...

Prep your class for any upcoming standardized language test with this resource. Use the sample dictionary page included to answer the reference questions provided. Great practice is provided here!

Use artwork to illicit responses in a writing journal, and then present your class with the short list of key terms provided. Can your learners add any of their own key terms? Segue for a second, and read tales such as Peter Pan or...

What is the difference between a dictionary and a glossary? After looking at series of dictionary and glossary entries (included on the worksheet itself), learners are asked to explain the differences between these two reference...

Work on word pronunciations by exploring the dictionary. Learners complete a worksheet containing questions about dictionary entries. They review how to use a dictionary, identify syllable breaks, parts of speech, and word pronunciation.

Play with words and word meanings involving the suffix -er. After reading a sample list of words, young readers look up each one in the dictionary to decide which words refer to people, animals, or objects, or have three or more...

Teams practice decoding and using context strategies to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. After verifying the meanings of words through the use of dictionaries, the Internet, thesauruses, and other sources, learners write the...

Brainstorm new words for a class dictionary. In small groups, young learners read and discuss an article about how words get into dictionaries. They then develop a new word, use it in a sentence, and share their creations with their peers. 

Using key words from the story "Two Days in May," this spelling list features 24 words with common prefixes and suffixes (un-, re-, -ly, -ful), as well as a column of six challenge words. The activity prompts learners to find three...

How can pronunciations and definitions vary in two different dictionaries? Middle schoolers look up words in abridged and unabridged dictionaries. They compare the pronunciation, spelling, and definitions in each version. Additionally,...

Have your class attend a funeral for the words they overuse in their writing. They develop a list of alternate words for those overused words, and make an effort to employ alternatives whenever possible. This is a great way to improve...

Build a class synonym list and enrich your classroom vocabulary! Learners choose any word, think about what it means to them, and build synonym poems around their words. This is a great way to encourage an understanding of word...

Bring dictionaries back into your classroom! Although it's often preferred to look up a word's definition on a computer or smart phone, we still need to practice this important skill. Middle and high schoolers investigate how to use the...

Learners practice consulting a thesaurus to find synonyms for each of 14 words on a list. They circle one of three choices as a synonym to match the target word. The list features adjectives you might call esoteric. 

What's the best resource to use when looking up words? Use Visual Thesaurus to see a word's meaning. The class accesses the interactive website and then compares and contrasts the difference between using a traditional dictionary and the...

To examine advertising and expressing opinions, learners create an original brand or product. They rank their favorite brands and discuss what they like or do not like about the brands, following a brand name investigation. This...

Reinforce your pupils' knowledge of connotation and denotation with a set of three sports team name activities. Using a dictionary, partners examine, define, and discuss 16 fictitious names for athletic teams. They brainstorm and analyze...

Examine persuasive writing using this informational excerpt about natural habitat conservation. Readers examine the headings of three paragraphs to determine their effect, then copy the first sentences of each. They use these topic...

Expose your readers to the fascinating legends of Norse Gods Thor and Sif. They read a brief introduction about traditional stories and myths then read several paragraphs on these figures, marking unknown words as they go. Learners look...