Guide words help navigate a dictionary, listing the first and last words on a page. Some dictionaries list two words per page, with the first word being the first definition and the second being the last. Other tools, such as thumb cards, aid in finding words quickly. Knowing how to use guide words is a valuable literacy skill.
Guide words are some of the most useful tools for navigating the dictionary. Also found in items such as indexes, telephone directories, or reference manuals, they can help narrow down a search so people can determine if they’re on the right page or if they need to go forward or backward. These determinations really speed up research, and although many people now rely on things like the Internet for definitions, there may come a day when the power goes out or when people have to grab a reference book for other reasons. Luckily, guide words are still used to aid in this process.
A very simple definition of lead words is that they list the first word on a page and the last word on a page. Sometimes the arrangement is slightly different. An open dictionary might have a bold word on the left page and a bold word in the right corner of the right page. This would mean that the word to the right was the last word on the two dictionary pages.
Many dictionaries use a slightly different practice. They list two words on each page, which might be separated by a period or a dash, and these words are usually in boldface. Sometimes the words are separated from the whole page and there will be a bold word in the upper left and upper right. No matter how they are arranged, when there are two words on the page, the first word is the first definition found at the top of that page and the second word is the definition word found at the bottom of that page. It may be helpful to remember the following:
The first word equals the first list and definition, and the last word equals the last list and definition.
When the dictionary is opened in the middle, people might read four words on two pages and this can immediately help them decide whether they will find the definition they need on those two pages. You may only need to read the first word on the first page and the last word on the second page, although sometimes people will have landed on the right page and need to search in between.
In addition to dictionary guide words, many larger dictionaries have some useful tools for quickly finding a word. Some of these reference books have thumb cards or index cards that list the letters of the alphabet. This helps people open up to the alphabet section they need.
Because there has been such a trend towards things like internet search, fewer people may be familiar with guide words. Yet it is always a good idea to know how to use them and sharpen literacy skills. If the subject is not taught in school, young readers can teach it at home with a good dictionary. It’s easy to come up with games where parents can ask kids to look up a word and read the definition. Choosing a few silly words can make it a lot of fun, and it teaches an important skill that might still be quite useful.
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