Students now have easy access to technology, tending to use search engines like google, online videos, among other virtual learning methods. Now with the transition to online schooling after the pandemic´s effects, we are seeing a shift in the amount of technology our children and students are using. As we move towards innovative teaching methods, the use of traditional classroom tools have become less frequent. This however, does not mean that we cannot combine both traditional and innovative methods to have engaging lesson plans. 

With that being said, the use of a dictionary can still be used as a great learning support resource. Moreover, using a dictionary can improve students' literacy and word recognition even with newer resources available. 

The Diccionario Escolar Nacho is a perfect book to accompany your student's learning path. It features 15,000 basic words with concise and clear definitions. Aside from that, the dictionary is student friendly utilizing high frequency vocabulary with subject specific words relating to science, language, anatomy, music and culture.  

Try these activities with the Diccionario Escolar Nacho

1. Play Speed Word Search. Give each student or pair of students a dictionary. When you call out a word, the student(s) must find the word as quickly as possible. The first person to call out the correct page number wins the round. This would be a good one to do in teams; everyone has his or her own dictionary, but the winner wins a point for the whole team rather than individually.
2. Play Fictionary.  Have one student choose an obscure word from the dictionary.  They’ll write the actual definition down on a slip of paper.  All the other students will write a fake definition down, being careful to make it sound real.  In the end, the students will vote on whose definition they think is the real one.  This is a super fun game!
3. Crack the Dictionary Code: Think of a phrase. Assign a number to each letter in the phrase, then write out the phrase in numbers. These will be page numbers in the dictionary. Find a word on each of the pages and write them down in order. To play, give your child the list of words in order — and the key to the numbers. They are to find the words, and note the page number, then crack the code to spell the phrase you chose. 

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Written by: Valeria Flores. University of California Los Angeles. Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Linguistics. Bilingual teacher.