The Reading Teacher and the Dictionary

 

As a practitioner in the field of reading and someone with dyslexia, I agree with the tenets described in Seidenberg and Borkenhagen’s (2020) article titled Reading Science and Educational Practice: Some Tenets for Teachers. The article provides excellent points of discussion, reflection, and consideration when planning and executing the delivery of reading instruction. As a teacher of reading, I understand the distress students experience when they become adolescents or adults and are still not able to read because I lived that very misery. My goal as a reading teacher, therefore, is to provide an effective form of reading instruction to students, so they can experience both the liberation that comes with being able to read, as well as the honor they feel when they can fully participate in a literate society. In their article, authors discuss eight tenets that I critically reflected on and ones that shape the implementation of my teaching and classroom practices moving forward. I will cover tenet number three, “Teachers are Cognitive Theorists”, because it reflects the core of who I am and my thinking as a reading instructor. Seidenberg and Borkenhagen (2020) assert:

“Deciding what to teach, when, and how depends on your understanding of theory-of what needs to be learned (e.g., to become a skilled reader), how it relates to other types of knowledge (e.g., language, genre, topical, other “background knowledge”), how children learn, and how learning changes with development” (pg. 9).  

    The above paragraph is concentrated. Reflecting on my own experiences, the questions posed are at the core of my thinking and planning. In my own practice in the classroom, I use the dictionary as a specific kind of text and learning tool. The dictionary guides students’ in developing their own writing and reading skills and supports the student’s ability to learn and access linguistic information. 

        Using the Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 11th edition, or an Elementary dictionary if the student is in the early part of developing language skills, involves several aspects that include: (1) knowledge of the alphabet and sequence of the alphabet, (2) a breakdown of words into their constituent phoneme sounds, (3) articulatory loop (i.e., memory), and (4) morphological structure (i.e., building blocks) (Beech, 2004). For all students, particularly those with a specific learning disability, the acquisition of both alphabetic knowledge and learning the entire sound structure of the American English language are fundamental for subsequent fluent reading. These skills are also essential components for learning dictionary skills. Thus, teaching dictionary skills implies having a clear roadmap of the different stages a user will go through when consulting the dictionary. These six stages as outlined by Nesi (1999) are:

1.     Before study

a.     Users determine what to access and how to design a dictionary lesson plan with a specific purpose and outcome. 

2.     Before dictionary consultation

a.     Users decide if a dictionary is necessary. However, for mastering linguistic knowledge, this learning tool is essential. 

3.     Locating entry information

a.     Users understands: the structure of the dictionary, what parts are relevant for the writing system (i.e., logographic, & alphabetic), the principles under which a language is organized, as well as knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondence and homonyms, derived forms, and multi-word units. 

4.     Interpreting entry information

a.     Users’ ability to interpret the information that has been found. 

b.     Finding content about the spelling of words, understanding typographical conventions and the use of symbols, punctuation, translating letter(s) and sound(s) and pronunciation, etymology, morphology, syntactic and definition(s). 

5.     Recording entry information, and

a.     Users’ ability to remember what will be useful for the task at hand or for future assignments.   

6.     Understanding lexicographical issues

a.     All users involved in the language teaching and learning cycles need to know about dictionary culture, lexicographic terminology, various uses of dictionaries, and evaluation of dictionaries.  

        Further, mastering the dictionary stages as described above is critical in the language and learning process, can assist students to develop their reading and spelling skills, and provide them opportunities to access linguistic knowledge. In addition, Seidenberg and Borkenhagen’s (2020) pose a set of questions that are important for me as a practitioner. I teach dictionary skills because it is a language learning tool that students can access for free and empowers the student to engage in critical conversations about linguistic knowledge in small groups. I find these linguistic conversations lead to improved language comprehension. In addition, students take the Study Aid & Reading Assessment which guides my instruction and lets me know what areas may need more focus. In closure, my thinking and planning is aligned with the body of knowledge that equips me to provide the best resources available to aid students’ reading, language, and learning based on the individual needs. This process is an ongoing and lifelong commitment to learning. 

Sincerely, 

Shawn Anthony Robinson PhD

References

Beech, J. R. (2004). Using a dictionary: Its influence on children's reading, spelling, and phonology. Reading Psychology, 25(1), 19-36.

 

Nesi, H. (1999). The specification of dictionary reference skills in higher education. Dictionaries in language learning. Recommendations, national reports and thematic reports from the thematic network project in the area of languages, sub-project, 9, 53-67.

 

Seidenberg, M. S., & Borkenhagen, M. C. (2020). Reading science and educational practice: Some tenets for teachers. The Reading League Journal, 1(1), 7-11.