I think I just heard a virtual "groan" or "snore" come right through my computer!
I am quite aware that developing dictionary skills can be quite a bore for students, and let's face it, it's not all that fun for teachers to teach either.
But don't let that get in the way of teaching your students this important skill. There are so many skills that are utilized when looking up words! There are eye-co-ordination and scanning skills that can develop as they search for word or word parts, they will utilize problem-solving and thinking skills as they make judgements on whether or not a word might be found on a given page, they will begin to make and test their predictions, they can begin to apply and test their understanding of the parts of speech as they look at whether the word is a verb, or a noun, (or perhaps both), not to mention that they gain practical experience with ordering the alphabet.
But perhaps it's that broad range of skills needed to use the dictionary is part of they reason some students resist so staunchly. It's a lot to think about and do!
Some argue that with the technology today that teaching dictionary skills is obsolete. I disagree. The wide range of skills needed to use a dictionary quickly and effectively, can be drawn upon for a wide range of other activities. Moreover, we are a LONG way from a paperless world. Our leaders of tomorrow are still going to need to know where to file their "paper-things", either at home or at work, using an alphabetized filing system!
The key is to make teaching dictionary skills fun. And yes, it can be done, it just takes a little creativity. Here are some suggestions:
1) Work on one skill at a time. Because looking up words involves a lot of multi-tasking, break it down so that they are only doing part of the job of using a dictionary at a time. For example, if they are looking up "parka", ask them to find the section with all the "p" words, and then assist. For older more advanced students, have them find the page that contains the first syllable. Alternatively, you could bookmark or photocopy the page with the word, or provide your students with the page number. That way, they can focus on the scanning skills to find the word once on the right page to avoid complete mental exhaustion before the word is even located.
2) Display the alphabet. Displaying the alphabet prominently on a display board or on their desk does not have to be considered "cheating". It can be used as a reference for students who need it. Once students become more skilled at the alphabet order, it will take longer to scan the alphabet than it will to access the information they need using their own problem-solving skills and knowledge. But, this can take a long time (years after a student can recite and identify all letter quickly and automatically), so be patient! Consider displaying it in an arch, with the two middle letters "m" and "n" in the middle. It provides a visual cue as to what letters are in which half of the alphabet.
3) Play Games. On a meter stick write all the letters of the alphabet. Make sure you measure out 26 uniform spaces for the letters to be written on first so they are all evenly spaced. On the reverse side of the stick, measure out and clearly mark the 26 spaces, but don't write the letters in. With the letter-less side of the stick facing the students point to one of the spaces and have the students guess what letter would go in that space. Simply flip the stick over to see how close they were. Alternatively, name a letter and have them guess where on the stick that letter would be located. You can also insert a bookmark into a dictionary and have the students guess what letter the words on that page start with. With flashcards hold up a letter of the alphabet and the students have to name the letter that comes next. This can be adapted to be an "around the world" event as students compete with another student to move on. For more of a challenge have the students identify the letter that comes before the one displayed.
4) Use the Dictionary in Context. Providing the students a list of random words to look up everyday or once a week practices the skill completely out of context. There is no end goal aside from actually finishing the assignment, and a boring one at that. If students are to look up words, have the words come from sources the students are using at that time. Math terms, geography terms, words that come up in their novel studies. I tended to do this as we came across them and often looked up words with the students in the middle of a lesson. We used the dictionary several times a week in this way, if not everyday. Sure there are some students that had very little interest, but I was actually astounded at the number of students who wanted to keep dictionaries at their desks knowing they'd be able to "help me out" in the middle of a lesson. I would model making predictions by telling them what I expected to find, and expressed genuine interest and surprise if I found something different. Students spontaneously made predictions as well, and were interested in finding out if they were correct. Use the dictionary at every opportunity. If a student asks you how to spell a word or asks you what it means, model for them how to use the dictionary, even if you know the answer. Finally, use the dictionary for a variety of purposes. To find the correct pronunciation, to find out the meaning, to find out alternate meanings, to find out the part(s) of speech the word belongs to, or to find out the origins, to name but a few.
5) Explore the Dictionary. Actually have your students "get to know" the alphabet and their dictionaries. This needs to go beyond knowing how many letters there are and how many vowels. Have the students explore the alphabet using a dictionary and paperclips. Have students make predictions about what letter they think the most words start with, and what letter has the fewest. Clip all the pages with words starting with A together, and continue through the entire alphabet, and discover what letters require the most pages, and which require the least. Note that "m" and "n" are the middle letters, but if you open the dictionary to the half-way point, what letter do you think do your students think they'd be in? Were they right? Also begin to explore all the different types of information contained in a single entry in the dictionary, and look at how the entry is organized. When there are multiple meanings for one entry, do your students think there is a reason to the order of the definitions? Compare different types of dictionaries. Why is one huge and another one called a "pocket" dictionary? Look at dictionaries with print dates that differ by a decade or more. Have them look for words that won't be in dictionaries with the earlier print, or obsolete words no longer in current dictionaries. Can they think of other words that won't be in one of the dictionaries?
6) Have Students Contribute. Have students make up a word, and a definition. I displayed their entries on a bulletin board so that each student made a contribution to this "pretend" dictionary posted on the wall. The words, of course, were displayed in alphabetical order! Depending on age and grade level, students may include other aspects of a dictionary entry in addition to the definition (i.e. pronunciation, origin, etc.). Have them identify what two words their word would be located between.
7) Create some Interest. Consider reading the book Frindle by Andrew Clements to your students. I started the year by reading this book to my students, and it served to set the tone on their attitudes towards the dictionary. It's actually a fun, easy, and humourous read. Really!
8) Keep Activities Brief and Short. I like to keep dictionary activities simple, straight-forward, and brief. No matter what the age group is, I keep it between 2 and 5 minutes unless it is a class activity or game, or something more creative like making up a word. Brief but consistent dictionary activities are better tolerated by students, they still get ample practice over the course of the year, and is less likely to result in negative attitudes towards the dictionary.
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