Virginia SOL 5.RV.1.J
The Standard
Use glossaries, beginning dictionaries, and thesauruses, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English · Vocabulary Development and Word Analysis
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students decide whether a glossary, dictionary, or thesaurus will answer a word question. They locate an entry and use context to choose the fitting meaning or synonym.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students select the right print or digital tool for a specific question. They use the entry, sentence context, and subject area to choose an accurate meaning or synonym.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often select the first definition without checking the sentence context. They may expect a thesaurus to give definitions or overlook a text’s glossary. They may also treat every listed synonym as interchangeable.
How to Assess It
- Give students the sentence, “After weeks without rain, the soil was arid.” Ask them to name the best reference tool, record a definition, and choose a fitting synonym.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Set out print glossaries, student dictionaries, and thesauruses, then have pairs match question cards to the best tool and explain each choice.
Ask students to write: “When would a glossary help more than a dictionary, and when would a thesaurus help most?”
Play “Reference Relay”: teams solve meaning, pronunciation, and synonym clues using print or digital tools, earning points for naming each source.
Give students a dull cafeteria announcement and have them use a thesaurus to improve two words without changing the message.
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- 4.RV.1.I
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