Assignment #1: Evaluation of a Reference Work
Part One: Exploring Dictionaries in our Library Learning Commons
Evaluating our Current Reference
With this rubric in mind, the current dictionaries are in need of improvement and should be weeded from our collection. While the publisher, Nelson, is well known, this particular reference falls in the "needs improvement" category for most other categories. Many of the terms include wordy explanations that would be hard for students to understand. Some of the terms included are also outdated and irrelevant, such as "floppy disk." It is not possible for the reference to be revised or updated. While it is well organized and the terms are bolded to stand out, it's impossible to quickly locate the different headings since orange is used for all of the headings throughout the text.
- 36,000 words and 900 colour photographs
- easy to navigate layout (colour coded for each letter of the alphabet)
- definitions are accurate, clear, concise, readable, and current (2019 edition)
- publisher is well known and reputable
- is an abridged dictionary, meaning it is designed for younger children with appropriate and relevant language and terms
Proposed Cost
The cost of this resource is $26.70 on Amazon.ca. Therefore, a class set (24 copies) would cost $640 in total. Shipping is free. At a similar cost, The Teacher's Learning Store in Abbotsford, BC has them available online and would cost $646.32 before shipping fees. Currently, the Merriam-Webster website does not ship to Canada.
How this Reference will Support Learning in the Classroom
These dictionaries could be signed out by teachers and used to support vocabulary in the classroom, which is one of the five key pillars of literacy. Verifying spelling and using more interesting words when writing is another great use. Scholastic Parents Staff (2022) points out other key uses of dictionaries as well, including a boost to reading comprehension, developing problem solving skills, increasing focus, and fueling curiosity. When students flip the pages or look up a desired word, they undoubtedly will be drawn to other images and words nearby. Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2021) suggests one strategy in which dictionaries can be used to support vocabulary and grammar in the video below:
How to use this Reference in the Classroom
Using Dictionaries to Help ESL Students Improve their Vocabulary (2022) suggests using different activities to go along with the dictionary, with ESL learners in mind. However, these activities would benefit all learners. For example, students could keep their own personal mini dictionary with new terms learned. Or a teacher could write a term on the wall that students have to look up and then use correctly as many times as they can throughout the day as a fun challenge. The dictionaries would also serve as a useful support to go along with social studies content and science content.
Dictionaries could also support phonics instruction as well. For example, when learning the "wh" letter team, students could look in the "w" section and record all the words that start with "wh" and then read them or use as many as they can in a sentence, etc.
Summary
Dictionaries can be a very useful tool to support the learners in our school in a multitude of ways. Reidling (2013) claims that, "Sometimes a dictionary is precisely what is required to meet the needs of every student in every imaginable situation" (p. 61). While our current set of dictionaries is very outdated and difficult to navigate through, Merriam-Webster has provided a much more relevant and current alternative that could be utilized in meaningful and effective ways.
References
Lynette, R. (2011). 10 Fun Activities for Dictionary Skills. Minds in Bloom. https://minds-
in-bloom.com/8-fun-dictionary-activities/
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2021). Build Vocabulary with Merriam-Webster's Elementary
Dictionary. [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=3LqltNI_exY&t=1s
Reidling, A. (2013). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and
Tips. Linworth.
Scholastic Parents Staff (2022). Five Unsung Literacy Benefits of Using a Print
Dictionary. https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-
reader-blog/childrens-dictionary.html
Using Dictionaries to Help ESL Students Improve their Vocabulary. (2022,
September 23). OnTESOL. https://ontesol.com/blog/how-to-teach-
english/teaching-vocabulary/improve-english-vocabulary-using-dictionaries/
I asked my district librarian what resources she has in her K-5 LC. She told me the tech has a dictionary in her desk. After reading your blog, I see the importance of having resources like dictionaries available to students, especially those with language barriers. As a child, I walked around with my dictionary and thesaurus. It helped me understand words I read in stories better. We often forget access to resources, technology, education; they aren't as universal as we might think, being in Canada. I also appreciate your connection to phonics as it seems especially in early primary and with the pandemic, we are seeing a lot more speech and language challenges. It would also be interesting to see if there was a dictionary specific to subject matter for young children. They have encyclopedias for space, but what about dictionaries for space?
ReplyDeleteI really find myself wondering about what we are losing as tech continues to spread and replace things.
DeleteBut it's interesting...eBooks and Kindles haven't replaced physical books for fiction. They co-exist. But nonfiction references and texts don't totally coexist with digital references. We do have an extensive nonfiction section in my school, but it's really only taken because of student interests and not because of specific questions in mind. If someone has a specific question in mind, they would just google it. I'm not sure what the answers are here, but it's interesting!