Young scholars investigate new vocabulary words with a fun, collaborative activity. Given a deck of word cards, pairs of students flip over one at a time and independently look up the term in a dictionary. They then take turns rolling a...

Shiver me timbers, this here resource is a great way to teach young landlubbers to speak the language of the briny deep. Including over 30 different words and phrases, complete with definitions and guide words, this dictionary will...

Young scholars dig through dictionaries to uncover the wealth of information they provide. Using the included graphic organizer, children learn about target words by finding their parts of speech, pronunciation, definition, synonyms, and...

Why do we use a dictionary? Your scholars will tell you why while demonstrating their dictionary skills. In addition to stating the purpose of using dictionaries, they will also show what they know about guide words, alphabetizing,...

Scholars work together to define words and answer questions using a dictionary cube.

Finding engaging ways to help your middle schoolers build their vocabulary is not easy to do. The lesson presented here offers a great way to motivate them to build vocabulary by making it into a game. Teams of pupils use a dictionary...

Bring dictionaries back into your classroom! Although it's often preferred to look up a word's definition on a computer or smart phone, we still need to practice this important skill. Middle and high schoolers investigate how to use the...

This activities in this packet, the second in the series of support materials for the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt thematic units on animal habitats, are designed specifically for English language learners.

Examining idioms is a peace of cake when using this graphic organizer! Here, grammarians identify an idiom and use it in a sentence. Then they investigate its literal meaning versus its figurative meaning, and accompany each one with a...

Support young learners' acquisition of new vocabulary with this pair of graphic organizers. Using context clues and reference materials, children complete each section of the activity, including the definition, synonyms, examples and...

Lead young learners to understand new vocabulary with this series of word maps. The first of these organizers asks children to determine the definition and provide examples and descriptions of each word with the help of dictionaries,...

Analyze informational text with a set of three worksheets that focus on the main idea and supporting details, and reinforces note taking skills, and the use of context clues to define new words. 

Looking for a good lesson plan on dictionary and word definition skills? The lesson plan presented here is for you! In it, learners utilize a worksheet, embedded in the plan, to record a word's definition(s), etymology, multiple...

Middle schoolers engage in a lesson which reminds them that root words indicate the base meaning of a word, and that those roots are found in many different words that have similar meanings. Pairs of pupils use construction paper and...

After a review of what suffixes are and how they are used, middle schoolers utilize a worksheet that is embedded in the plan to work in pairs to strengthen their understanding and skills in using these very important parts of our...

Eschew obfuscation! Using dictionaries, writers revise a complicated text so that it reads more simply and improves the clarity of the passage. Focusing on word meanings, they revise the sample worksheets and then present their...

Here is a classic vocabulary activity presented in a very cute way. Children dive into new and unknown words specific to third grade reading and learning content. They choose a word from the list, look it up in the dictionary, then use...

"Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle?" Inspired by this quote from the award-winning novel written by Andrew Celements, this lesson allows children to invent their own...

Support children with finding meaning in unknown words using this graphic organizer. While reading a piece of writing, learners identify unfamiliar words, using context clues and reference materials to find and record definitions before...

How can pronunciations and definitions vary in two different dictionaries? Middle schoolers look up words in abridged and unabridged dictionaries. They compare the pronunciation, spelling, and definitions in each version. Additionally,...

Ever come across an unfamiliar word while reading and can't decipher its meaning? Use a worksheet and graphic organizer that tracks and helps bring meaning to unknown words as learners read a text. A worksheet and graphic organizer come...

"i before e. . ."  Spelling is easier if kids know the eight basic spelling rules  contained in this resource packet.

Match prefixes and suffixes to their definition in a 10-problem grammar worksheet. Prefixes and suffixes in focus include muta-, pre-, aud-, post-, psych-, fid-, -ize, -dox, -urb, and anti-.

Support the acquisition of content area vocabulary with this foldable resource. With space for studying three new terms, pupils determine the definition, write a sentence, and provide examples for each word.