Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
7.2.E*
use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words.
Dictionaries have words and their meanings listed in an alphabetical order. Dictionaries are helpful in learning the correct spelling of words. They also show the correct pronunciation of words. Dictionaries are in book form and are also on the Internet.
This is an example of a dictionary entry:
im•mi•grant /im-i-gruhnt/ n.
a person who goes from one country to another, usually to live there forever
a living being found in an area that is different from its natural home
adj.
of or about immigrants
Thesaurus
A thesaurus is a dictionary of antonyms and synonyms. Antonyms give the opposite meanings of a word. Synonyms are words that mean nearly the same as a word.
Following is an entry on a thesaurus.
re•volve /ri-valv/ v.
Definition: to turn around a center point
Synonyms: spin, swirl
Definition: to think about something seriously
Synonym: consider
This thesaurus entry shows two definitions of the word “revolve.” It shows how the word is broken down into syllables, how it is pronounced. It says that the word is a verb. It also gives the synonyms for the two definitions of the word.
Glossaries
Glossaries are lists at the end of a passage or a book. They give meanings about the words found in the passage. Usually, the words in the glossary are important to the text and difficult or new to the reader.
This is an example of a glossary:
Glossary of Terms in Music
Arpeggio
Playing the notes in a chord quickly, one after another
Beat
The pattern you can clap to in the music
Harmony
The sound of two or more notes heard at once
7th Grade Reading - Reference Materials (Dictionaries, Glossaries, Thesaurus) Lesson