Book Description

Dictionary Skills, a guide to the dictionary for pronunciation, meaning, information and usage, complements the school programs in reading and language-arts and embraces the studies of the Common Core State Standards in Language Arts and Literary Standards. This resource book is for everyone as they experience greater irregularities in the English language. There becomes an increased bombardment of words from French, Latin, Greek, Old English and countless other languages which have influenced our American language and culture.Dictionary Skills promotes vocabulary growth through a comprehensive study of etymology by way of structural analysis: prefixes, suffixes, types of compound words, base words, root words, stems, combining forms, initial and terminal; inflectional endings, and derivatives, etc.Lexical Phonics is introduced as the use of the phonemic symbols in the dictionary for the pronunciation of words. The phonemic symbols are to be understood as sound symbols not letters of the alphabet. Lexical phonics,as a pronunciation skill, begins on page 19 with the Pronunciation Key, then on page 28, the Blending scale is introduced for effective pronunciation. The Blending Scale is an innovation which will guide the student's pronunciation of polysyllabic words. With practice, the pronunciation of new words, as described by the dictionary, will be electrically prompt. Lexical phonics is a for-now skill, for life.Mindful use of the dictionary and its vast wealth of information is a formidable ally coupled with wonder, the positive approach to learning. Through Dictionary Skills, the student will become aware of what the dictionary has to offer, and become motivated to use the dictionary.One day, when alone, the student, parent, or teacher will become aware that the dictionary is the only immediate help available: the dictionary becomes the ubiquitous "silent teacher."