Using a Dictionary to Check Spellings
Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary; consult reference materials including beginning dictionaries to verify and correct spellings
What a learner can do afterwards
- Locate a word in a dictionary using its first two or three letters (e.g., find 'beautiful' by looking up 'be-')
- Check and correct a misspelling by comparing with the dictionary entry (e.g., look up 'freind' → 'friend')
- Use a glossary or beginning dictionary to confirm spelling of a word used in own writing
The lesson
A dictionary lists every word in order from A to Z. This is called alphabetical order. If you know the first two or three letters of a word, you can flip straight to that part of the book instead of reading every page.
Sam is not sure how to spell 'beautiful'. She thinks of the first two letters, b and e, opens the dictionary near 'be-', and scans down until she finds 'beautiful'. She checks every letter matches her writing.
Tom wrote 'freind' in his story. He looks up 'fr-' in the dictionary and finds the word spelled f-r-i-e-n-d. Now he knows to fix his mistake and change 'freind' to 'friend'.
If your first guess is not close, think of another spelling that sounds the same and try that instead. A dictionary only helps if your first few letters are close to right.
Use the first two or three letters of a word to find it fast in a dictionary, then check every letter to fix any mistakes.
Watch it
Where it sits
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.