English Language Arts and the Dictionary

        English Language Arts (ELA) could be called the ‘art of language’ class. ELA classes across the country are melting pots of diversity, embracing diverse languages and dialects. 
    For many students, the formal, academic language of an ELA class is akin to learning a new language. So, whether the student is learning academic English as a native speaker or a non-native speaker, we have an excellent, though underutilized, resource in the simple dictionary. My dictionary of preference, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is a low-cost, high-impact tool could help eradicate illiteracy. The topic of dictionary use in education has been around since 1957 (Murray, 1957). Implementing lessons plans focused on using the dictionary as a tool can help students learn how to spell words independently and expand vocabulary, which are part of the national English Language Arts Standards.
    Knowing how to access the information in a dictionary helps readers correctly pronounce words, understand syllables, identify the words’ origin, and meaning. These are all components of Chapters 1-5 of Speech to Print (Moats, 2020). The dictionary can be a resource to teach and reinforce knowledge about words and increases independence in language growth. Using the dictionary as a teaching tool helps facilitate optimum reading growth as well as advances reading, spelling, writing, and intellectual development. There are four criteria that practitioners should critically reflect on when selecting a dictionary: scope, reliability, format, and word treatment (see, Murray, 1957). 
 
Scope- refers primarily to the vocabulary and meaning of words student will mostly find in their everyday interactions and readings. 
 
Reliability- refers to the reputation of the publisher and editor. As a practitioner and user of dictionaries, I found the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 11th edition one that is reliable when teaching students varied aspects of language.
 
Format – refers to not just accessibility but must also be appealing to students who are new to learning dictionary skills.  
 
Word treatment – refers to five points covered in Chapter Four of Speech to Print (Moats, 2020). Moats explains that the “structure of the English writing system includes word treatment, phoneme-grapheme correspondences, spelling, pattens and conventions of letter sequence, and morphology” (pg. 94). In addition, when considering word treatment, pronunciations should be considered as non-regional (i.e., dialect). 
 
These four areas are important when selecting dictionaries as well as developing ELA classroom lessons for students. As practitioners, let’s all make excellent choices in using dictionaries in order to serve the ELA needs of our students! Language is an art, and dictionaries help us all to be become better language artists. 

Sincerely, 

Shawn Anthony Robinson PhD


Moats, L. C. (2020). Speech to Print. Language Essentials for Teachers . Paul H.

Murray, C. M. (1957). Selecting an Elementary School Dictionary. Elementary English, 34(5), 293-297.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unpacking Systematic Barriers for Black Boys with a Learning Disability in Special Education

Image
Special Education classrooms are a melting pot of students who are creative, innovative, and waiting for an opportunity to shine. These are the generalized qualities the students come with as their hard-wired gifts. Students all still need to learn how to read through direct, explicit and systematic instruction, and that will only happen through effective  literacy instruction that is culturally responsive  and teacher training. Literacy should be the great equalizer for students to become academically independent. Not every student will get exposed to quality literacy instruction which pushes them to reach their full potential or positions them to achieve their freedom. However, it should be at the top of the list for educators, policymakers and administrators to train teachers to excel in literacy instruction.  Although the demographics of classrooms are changing to reflect increasingly diverse students, what remains unknown in Special Education is why there is a persi...
Read more

Learning to Read – The Key That Opened The Door

Image
As a young kid, I had always struggled with reading and avoided it at all cost. Reading should be an activity that one does for pleasure and opens their mind to endless dreams. However, reading was not an activity I enjoyed. I was engaged in behaviors that were destructive in order to avoid it. I had to attend an alternative program for two years of high school because I could not control my temper. I was angry for many reasons, but the main one was that I was not able to read.   I was not diagnosed until the age of 18 and graduated from high school reading at an elementary level. My options were very limited. Yet, my life changed in 1996 when my mentor, an angel, Dr. Robert T. Nash literally saved my life and gave me HOPE as a student who was in Special Education. He and his colleague Dr. Kitz told me I was one of the most illiterate students they had meet, but that it was not my fault. They both said the system failed me. Dr Nash saw talent in me, told me I had a gift, b...
Read more

Balancing Resources for Literacy: How Policy Impacts Literacy Quality and Modern Illiteracy Rates

Image
The Science of Reading (SoR) has become a central focus in education, emphasizing evidence-based practices for teaching literacy skills. However, alongside these instructional methods, the role of policy in shaping literacy outcomes is often overlooked.  Understanding how resources—both public and private—are allocated can shed light on why certain literacy disparities persist, even with advances in the SoR.  This piece explores the balance of resources and inequities through the lens of the equation  LQ = R {Pub + Priv (M)} - I , which highlights how policy decisions impact literacy quality and modern-day illiteracy rates. Figure 1 : A black and white vector illustration depicting the balance of resources for literacy, showing books and coins on a balanced scale, symbolizing the relationship between educational resources and funding. Created by an AI illustration tool. While instructional approaches are critical for improving reading skills, how resources are distributed...
Read more