Third-graders receive help with learning their ABCs

There probably aren't too many activities that would inspire third-graders to race through the pages of a dictionary as if hunting for hidden treasure.

But there they were Monday, hungrily flipping through the crisp pages of not just any old school dictionary, but their very own new dictionary.

The dictionaries -- Webster's student edition -- were gifts from Kappa Delta Pi's Alpha Eta chapter at Southeast Missouri State University and the local Student Missouri State Teachers Association.

The two organizations teamed up this week to give dictionaries to all 300 third-graders in Cape Girardeau public schools.

"It was a great idea because third-graders are just beginning to use the dictionary and this is a way to expand their vocabulary, which was the main goal of our project," said Krystina Beine, an early childhood major who helped organize the donation.

Students from Southeast's education department delivered the dictionaries during the past two weeks to students at Alma Schrader, Blanchard, Clippard, Franklin and Jefferson elementary schools. In each class, the education majors showed students how to used the dictionaries and played a word finding game with them.

"The kids have seemed genuinely excited," Beine said. "It's really nice just to see the smiles on their faces."

The gift has brought smiles to teachers' faces too. In Amy Surman's third-grade class at Franklin Elementary, students share outdated dictionaries.

"It's one of those things on our wish list," said Surman. "So these are going to be great."

Dr. Julie Ray, an education professor at Southeast involved in the project, said she hopes to give the dictionaries away next year as well.

cclark@semissourian.com

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