Routine · Vocabulary
Using a dictionary
Find a word in a dictionary, choose the meaning that fits the sentence, and say it in your own words.
- Time
- 6 to 10 minutes
- Skill
- Vocabulary
- In a session plan
- Library only
When to use it
For older students who can read the entries and need a way to check a meaning on their own.
Materials
- A student dictionary, print or online
- A sentence with the target word
Steps
Get ready
Read the sentence and point to the word to look up.
I do
Find the word, thinking aloud about the guide words or the search box. Read each meaning and pick the one that fits the sentence.
Say: This word has three meanings. Only the second one makes sense in my sentence.
We do
Look up a second word together. The student finds it; you decide on the meaning together.
You do
The student looks up two more words, picks the fitting meaning, and writes it in their own words.
Student: Finds each word, picks the right meaning, rewrites it simply.
Check
The student reads the sentence with their meaning swapped in for the word.
If the student...
Chooses the first meaning even when it does not fit.
Swap that meaning into the sentence and read it aloud together. When it sounds odd, read the next meaning and try again.
Tips
- Practice alphabetical order with a few words first if the student is slow to find entries.
- One to one, a student dictionary with simple meanings works far better than an adult one.
Original routines written by Literacy Trail. In the app, every routine is filled with your student's lesson.
Related routines
- Use clues in the textLook around an unknown word for a clue to its meaning: a definition, an example, an opposite or the general sense.5 to 8 minutes · Library only
- Word mapFill a simple map for a word: its meaning, a sentence, a picture, and words like it and unlike it.6 to 10 minutes · Library only
- Teach a word: friendly meaning, examples, non-examplesExplain a new word in everyday language, show it in use, and test it against examples and non-examples.3 to 6 minutes · Library only
- Word talk during a read-aloudPause briefly on rich words while reading aloud, then come back to them after the story.5 to 10 minutes · Library only
Have this routine filled in for every lesson
In Literacy Trail, the session plan picks a routine for each block and fills it with the words, sounds and sentence from your student's lesson. Every plan starts with a 15-day free trial.