Preparation for Dictionary Work
1. Early in the year have the pupils arrange the words in any lesson, lessons, or on a page, in alphabetical order; as, Lessons 22–25, page 15. Pupils write as follows:
| A. | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| around | bowl | clean | dash | etc. |
| beside | cash | |||
| bottom | ||||
| bean |
2. Have the pupils turn to the third grade vocabulary, page 43.
(a) Have them make an alphabetical list of words from the vocabulary; as, able, beam, cage, daily, etc.
(b) Finding Words Quickly. Teacher says, “Read this list of words until you find the word cane.” After the pupils have complied the teacher says, “Count all the words you read before you found the word cane.” Pupils count and answer, “Seventy-one.” Teacher asks, “How could I have saved time in finding this word?” The pupils easily discover the fact that they can save time by looking for the word among the words beginning with the same letter. The teacher tests and proves this to be true by calling for other words; as, “With what letter does face begin? Where shall we find it?” Pupils answer, “Face begins with f; we shall find it with the words beginning with f.” They do so. Teacher asks, “How many words did you have to read before finding the word face? How many do you think you would have to read if you counted from the beginning?” Conclusion to be discovered and expressed by the pupils: An alphabetical arrangement of words saves time in finding any particular word.
(c) Finding Words Easily. Teacher says, “Who can find the word autumn first?” Pupils find it. Teacher asks the first pupil ready with the word, “Where did you find it?” Pupil answers, “I found it among the words beginning with a at the beginning of the list.” Teacher calls for more words from different parts of the list; as, farm, yellow, branch, taste, many, etc. In every case pupils must determine first, the initial letter of the word; second, the place in the alphabetical list for words beginning with that letter.
Conclusion to be discovered and expressed: An alphabetical arrangement of words makes it easier to find any given word in a given list.
3. Have the pupils arrange the hundred words on pages 41 and 42 in alphabetical order, considering only the initial letter of each word. This may be done by having each word copied on an oblong piece of paper, or on oak tag cards, and these cards placed in alphabetical order, or by having columns marked off, headed by letters alphabetically arranged; as:
A B C D E F G
4. (a) Have the children list the words from sentences or short stories in alphabetical order, as those in “The Golden Eggs,” page 17.
(b) After the list has been made (see a above) have the pupils read through the sentences again to make sure that every word in them has been listed. The exercise emphasizes the value of alphabetical arrangement. Example: Teacher says, “If you wish to make sure that you have the word the on your list, how can you find out easily and quickly?” Pupil answers, “I will look near the end of my list among the words beginning with t.”
(c) Adding to an Alphabetical List of Words. Teacher says, “I would like to have the word do added to the list. (See (a) above.) Where should it be written?” Pupil answers, “Put it with day because it begins with d.” The teacher says, “There is no word beginning with i in the list; if I wish to add the word into, where shall I place it?” Pupil answers, “Place it after the words beginning with h (or before the words beginning with j) because that is the place of i in the alphabet.”
5. Have the pupils arrange themselves in a line in alphabetical order, considering first the initial letter of their first names. Have the pupils take their places as the teacher calls the letters. Thus, the teacher calls a, and Alice, Andrew, and Anna step into line. At once the question arises as to who shall stand first—all names begin with a. Teacher writes the names on the board and says, “Look at the second letter in each name.” The pupils study the second letter with the teacher, and decide that as l, the second letter in Alice, comes before n, the second letter in Anna and Andrew, Alice should have first place. To fix the place of Andrew and Anna the third letters of each name must be considered.
6. On page 29 is a lesson on arranging by the second letter. Following this have the pupils arrange other lists of words in alphabetical order, (a) considering the first two letters of the word; (b) considering the first three letters.
7. Have the children give all the reasons that they can think of to prove that the alphabetical arrangement of a list of words is a good one.