Study Skills Guide
(G) Using a dictionary, a textbook and an encyclopedia
(a) If you are uncertain about the spelling of a word you have written down, do not leave it as it is - look it up in a dictionary.
(b) When you get back some corrected work and the spelling mistakes have been indicated, spend some of your homework time using your dictionary and look up how to spell these words correctly. Learn the correct spelling so that you do not make the same mistakes again.
(c) When you read a book and you meet a word which you do not understand, do not just ignore it - use your dictionary to find the meaning of the word. Learn the meaning of the word and how to spell it.
(d) Every textbook has an index at the back. If you are looking for information about a specific topic, do not just flip through the textbook - look up the topic in the index and find the correct page references. Look for these pages in the book to find the information you require.
(e) If your textbook does not contain enough information, find out more about your topic by using an encyclopedia. If you do not have an encyclopedia at home, then use the school library which has a number of different encyclopedias, both in French and in English.
Note to parents
Please try to encourage the use of the dictionary, textbook index and encyclopedia. When your child asks a question, try not to give the answer - even though you probably know it! Help your child to use the correct document(s) to search out the information for his- or herself. It may take more time but it will get the child used to research work and can be much more satisfying for the child in the long run.
© A.W. Damon 2011
Last modification: 2011-03-01