CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.4e

ELA2nd GradeVocabulary Acquisition and Use

The Standard

Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students locate unfamiliar terms in print and digital glossaries or beginning dictionaries. They use alphabetical order, entry words, and sentence clues to choose a fitting meaning.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students quickly find an entry in a print or digital resource. They select the meaning that fits the sentence and explain it in their own words.
Common Misconceptions: Students may expect a glossary to include every unfamiliar word. They may copy the first dictionary meaning without checking whether it fits the sentence. Some search only by the first letter instead of using the full alphabetical order.
How to Assess It: Give students a short passage containing “enormous,” a one-page glossary, and a child dictionary. Ask them to find the word, name the source used, and write the meaning that fits the passage.

Lesson moves

Give pairs word cards, child dictionaries, and sticky notes to locate each entry and record a short meaning.
Ask, “When is a glossary more useful than a dictionary?” Have students write one example and explain their choice.
Run a dictionary scavenger hunt where teams find five listed words and record each page number or digital result.
Give students a simple recipe, then have them use a dictionary to define cooking words such as stir, sprinkle, and simmer.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.4e, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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