Last week’s Community Question, “Are Print Dictionaries Obsolete?”, is a question parents of my co-op writing classes ask each year. Due to our co-op guidelines–which disallow cell phones in class–as of this year, my class still requires a print dictionary and thesaurus.
Admittedly, I am happy the use of cell phones in class is not a decision I must make just yet because I still hold to what I wrote about the same subject two years ago.
Throughout my own elementary to high school years, the “process of looking up the definitions for my assigned vocabulary words or phrases taught me far more than the obvious end-product. I learned alphabetical organization, how to quickly process guide words printed at the top of the page, spelling patterns, word meanings, parts of speech, and reading comprehension. In addition, many times one word led me to another word, inadvertently extending my vocabulary beyond the initial word I set out to define.”
On the other hand, I do not believe we should eschew online word resources and apps. I encourage the use of Google, Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com, but BEFORE I introduced my children to the online and mobile versions, I made sure they knew how search the “old school” print and bound dictionaries and thesauruses.
The students in my 5th-6th grade writing course begin the year reviewing ways to strengthen their sentences. First, they use more descriptive nouns, adjectives, and adverbs, and then, they learn to integrate different figures of speech–like alliteration, similes, and hyperbole.
By our 6th class together, the students begin formatting their strong sentences into paragraphs, but before they even get to that point, they have used their print dictionaries and thesauruses in enough different ways to be comfortable, if not semi-proficient. For some of the kids, my class was their first introduction to a dictionary, not to mention a thesaurus.
In one assignment students built a word base so they could write 10 alliteration sentences. Alliteration includes words that start with the same beginning consonant sound and letter.
While it is possible to view a page of “p” words in an online dictionary, it forces students to click each unknown word to read its meaning. This type of task is much easier when flipping through the “p” pages in a print dictionary because the definition is readily available for viewing.
Still, there are other tasks that are better matched with online versions of these resources. For instance, if one of my students are truly unsure about the spelling of a word it can be a real struggle to find it in a traditional print dictionary or thesaurus. By simply typing in the letters they know, an online resource will render a number of search results that may match or suggest the word they are trying to find.
Also, the advantage of audio pronunciation and voice recording functionality makes online dictionaries much more interactive and accessible.
There are a number of reasons I believe BOTH methods are important for our kids to learn. Pitting one against the other is unnecessary; they both have strengths and weaknesses. And ultimately, print dictionaries will eventually go by the wayside–holding one’s student back from embracing the new technology seems unwise for the future.
As a homeschooling parent I am more interested in the different ways families utilize these different resources than I am deciding which one is better. And that’s what I’m curious about today.
How do you utilize print and online dictionaries and thesauruses? How do you introduce them to your students? What other online word resources do you find most helpful?
Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families across the nation. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods and homeschools her three children, Emelie, Meredith and Kenny.