Tip #151 from 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents (McKinley, Trombly) - Using a Thesaurus

 

Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly.

 

#151

Using a Thesaurus

I do the very best I know how, the very best I can.
~Abraham Lincoln

 

To help your child be the best writer he can be, acquaint him with a variety of tools. A thesaurus is one valuable tool that helps add spice to anyone’s writing. Children especially can benefit from the thesaurus because their vocabulary is generally not as diverse as an adult’s.

Help your child create stories with interesting vocabulary by familiarizing him with the thesaurus. Try sitting down with him and reading a story he has previously written. Concentrate on looking for words that are overused (such as said or really) or mundane words such as big or okay. Write the chosen words on a separate piece of paper, and lightly circle them with pencil within the story. (Does he already have a page in his writing notebook for some of these? If not, he could make one and have a perfect place in which to complete this activity.)

Now, choose a word and demonstrate to your child how to look it up in the thesaurus. After the word appears in the thesaurus, there will be a list of alternative words to use instead which mean the same thing (synonyms). Read them with your child, and have him choose a word that he feels is more interesting or creative and still makes sense in the original sentence. If possible, erase the original word from the story and rewrite the new word in its place. Have your child continue to replace words with “better” ones and write them into his story.

You could even incorporate this yourself into some “Silly Sentences” (Idea #159). Among other things you want him to edit, throw in some boring words and ask him to see if he can liven up the sentences with some “better” words.

When he is finished, have him reread the story with the words from the thesaurus in place. Even he will be surprised at how different, intelligent and interesting his story sounds with the new words! Soon, he will be using the thesaurus on his own to create entertaining stories with fascinating vocabulary!

 

                                             

     Cindy McKinley Alder                                            Patti Trombly

 

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