Using a Dictionary
English: Year 5 & 6 National Curriculum, topic 2.3.1
Using a Dictionary for Spellings
Using a dictionary helps us check our spellings. Let's look at how you can use the first 2 or 3 letters of a word to check if it is spelt correctly.
Why do we use a dictionary?
- In our writing, we sometimes find words we are not confident at spelling.
- It is important that we use a dictionary to help us.
- The first few letters of the word will help us begin to find it.
Example
- Imagine you are looking up the word 'disguised' to see if you have spelt it correctly.
- Look up 'd'.
- Look up 'di'.
- Look up 'dis'.
Find 'disguised'!
- By now, you should be able to find the word 'disguised'.
- But if you cannot find it just yet, don't worry!
- You can look up the fourth or fifth letter if that helps you.
- Once you have found the word, you can check its spelling!
Test yourself on Using a Dictionary
What do we use dictionaries for?