The Dictionary Project

“Students learn to read until the third grade, but from the third grade on they read to learn.”  

So far, our club’s Dictionary Project has have given 30,000 dictionaries and thesauruses to North Clackamas 3rd graders in the Rex Putnam High School feeder system!

A dictionary is perhaps the first and most powerful reference tool a child should own.

Its usefulness goes beyond the spellings, pronunciations, and definitions it lists. It is a companion for solving problems that arise as a child develops his or her reading, writing, and creative thinking abilities. Students benefit from an increased self-reliance and resourcefulness inspired by the maxim, “look it up.”

Third grade is a critical time for forming good reading skills. Giving each student their own personal dictionary allows teachers to provide special assignments directly related to reading and dictionary skills, which helps them become better readers, better speakers, and better spellers.

Please encourage your child to use the dictionary in order to maximize his or her full potential. You can learn more about the Dictionary Project by visiting their website at www.dictionaryproject.org.