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Encouraging the Young Reader

The Dictionary Game

by Kimberly L. Keith
for About.com

Working with reference books like a dictionary is important to learning about words.

What you'll need:

* Paper, pencil, a dictionary, and the list of questions given below, each written on a separate piece of paper.

What to do:

* Fold each question in half and put them all in a hat. Ask your child to read a question and then use the dictionary to answer it.

  • Is a burnoose the cousin of a moose?
  • Can you bustle, hustle, and jostle at the same time?
  • Is a hog likely to hog all the hogmeat?
  • How much bread is there in breadfruit?
  • Is it possible for a fowl to have a jowl?
  • Can a gnu be a guru to a few?
  • Is a lingbird likely to linger long on a clothesline?
  • Are calligraphy and otography the same?
  • Can you abandon an abalone?
  • Can an ermine be a hermit?
  • Explain why we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway.
  • Can a sphinx put a jinx on you?

* Once your child answers these questions, ask your child to develop some questions for you, using challenging words from the dictionary.

READ*WRITE*NOW Activities for Reading and Writing Fun - May 1997

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