Assignment 1: Evaluation of a Reference Work

Dictionaries are essential tools for every library learning commons, helping us explore and understand language. These reference materials are important sources for language definitions, meanings, pronunciations, word origins, usage examples, grammatical categories, tenses, synonyms, and antonyms. Nestled in the Parkcrest Elementary school library reference section is the Young Canada Dictionary. This printed reference book is the softcover teacher’s edition, which only differs from the hardcover student edition by the inclusion of a 16-page blue section at the front of the book. This section provides dictionary games, activities, exercises, skills, and prepared worksheets intended to aid teachers in their instruction.

          The Young Canada Dictionary was published by Nelson Canada in 1980 and is a 212 page English language reference book aimed for elementary school aged children. “The Young Canada Dictionary is designed to bridge the gap between ‘picture dictionaries’ used in early primary grades and the ‘junior dictionaries’ in upper elementary grades. It exposes students to major elements of adult dictionaries, but in a format and level of complexity appropriate to their needs” (Courtney and Stenson 3).  The cover is attractively bright red with a colourful array of the alphabet letters on the front. It has a sturdy plastic coated cover and a strong glued binding that has withstood repeated usage. The book is in great physical shape (not tattered, ripped or worn) despite our teacher-librarian noting its frequent use. This dictionary contains more than 6500 entries, and the word list was developed in consultation with a number of authoritative sources such as the high frequency lists of Dolch, Thorndike, Rinsland, Gates, and Stone, word lists of predominant Canadian spelling and reading programs and content words across Canadian elementary curriculum content. This abridged dictionary has a scope of language that is condensed to words suitable for elementary aged children with explanations written at a carefully monitored, elementary reading level.

          The Young Canada Dictionary is arranged in formatting that is clear, simplistic and easy to follow for young children. The page layout is in two column format and the typography is large with a font that matches the primary printing model. Pages are unconvaluted with bright orange guide words at the top and bold black entry words listed in alphabetical order. Entry words are followed by an italicized abbreviation of it’s grammatical category (adj. adv. n. pron. v.), it’s definition in a short explanation suitable for children’s understanding (eg. escape – getting free, excellent – very, very good) and an example of the word used in a simple sentence (eg. He was lucky to escape from danger.) Verbs include past and present tenses (eg. examine – examining, examined) and a noteworthy feature is the inclusion of ‘usage notes’ to highlight common confusions for young students (eg. except – Note: Do not mix up except with accept; accept means ‘to take something that is offered’). In keeping with visual simplicity, pronunciations are only included for words that are non-phonetical (eg. fossil – no pronunciation included, front – (frunt) included). A large strength of this print resource is in the introduction section that provides a simplified three step guide on ‘How to Find a Word’ for students:

1. If your word starts with a ‘p’ like pitcher, think of the alphabet and whether it will be in the front part or back part of the dictionary. Open your book about halfway.
2. Look at the guide words until you find those beginning with ‘p’.
3. Then think of the next letter in the word, ‘pi’, so that you won’t have to look through all of the words beginning with ‘p’, just look for the words beginning with ‘pi’ until you find pitcher.                                                      (Courtney and Stenson 3)

          Lastly, the inclusion of interspersed illustrations are visually appealing for young students and are used to “clarify meaning when the entry word may be outside the student’s experience, or when it cannot be defined briefly in appropriate-level vocabulary” (Courtney and Stenson 3).

          The simplistic, straightforward, unconvaluted pages of this reference resource make it highly user-friendly for elementary aged students. With the language carefully chosen to be suitable for the development and reading level of younger students, the Young Canada Dictionary would be easily comprehensible by most elementary children. The book was published by a highly reputable company, Nelson Canada, who has been a strong publisher of excellent educational material for over a century. Despite the early publishing date of this reference (1980), the language included remains the words most commonly used for elementary ages in their writing, reading and curricular areas. A dictionary resource stands the test of time in many ways, however some updating or inclusion of new language for indigenous education (this dictionary still uses ‘indian’ for those who were first peoples of North Amercia), SOGI vocabulary and modern language idioms would be warranted. The current cost of replacing this resource is $26.86.

        Before evaluating this printed reference using the rubric for it’s format, authority, accuracy, currency, relevancy, purpose and curricular connections, it is also important to consider the pros and cons of using a print reference dictionary in general. Therefore, I have outlined some of the advantages and disadvantages below, followed by a highlighted rubric evaluation of the Young Canada Dictionary.

Advantages to using print reference dictionaries:

• aids in developing alphabetical order skills (as opposed to entering a search bar in digital references). Alphabetization is a necessary skill as a lot of lists can be alphabetized in your work place, by names, last names, ordering files in a filing cabinet, charts at a dental office, accessing stocked medication, warehouse stock, etc.
• less screen time
• less visual distractions on the page than on the screen, “predictable layout of entries and the formal and structured arrangement allows for students to focus on a limited amount of information that will give them what they require” (Beaudry)
• no unwanted advertisements
• quick reference (it may take longer to boot up computer, go to website, enter word, especially with the slow internet at my school)
• print dictionaries capture historical information in permanent form (Words can be taken out of the dictionary when they are no longer commonly used and once a generation passes away, are the words gone forever? As someone who loves language and reading, the thought of words being ‘gone forever’ is dreadful.)
• print form allows students to flip through the pages exploring words that surprise and intrigue them (I used to peruse through the Websters New World Dictionary in our family living room for hours on end, finding captivating words and learning new ones! Now online,  I am only entering in the search bar the word that I am trying to define.)

My well loved and well perused family dictionary.

• in the physical reference section the books are easy to find by everyone (unlike navigating a digital interface which can be complicated for some, especially at the elementary level where “reference instruction continues to use print sources because of the difficulty young children experience in navigating the Internet” (Riedling and Houston 25).
• inclusive (for those with little exposure to digital equipment in the home) “Librarians have a professional responsibility to be inclusive, not exclusive, in selecting materials of the library collection” (Riedling and Houston 20).

Disadvantages to using print reference dictionaries:

• cost of updating, replacement (digital resources can automatically update/maintain currency)
• wear and tear easier (pages rip, bend or tear and can be altered, drawn/coloured on)
• must decide what format to purchase, although varying formats may overlap in content, they may differ in access capabilities (printed references may be too difficult or too simplistic for the users needs)
• students and teachers can only use them in the library, they can’t be signed out

Rubric Evaluation of Young Canada Dictionary

          With the advantages and disadvantages of printed resources in mind, it is vital to  consider the needs of the school community in which this reference resource is located and the user community it serves. Parkcrest Elementary is a small elementary school of 12 divisions, grade K-7,  located in North Burnaby, BC. The school hosts a high ELL population (slightly over 50% of students, where English is not their first language) and improvement in Reading proficiency is currently a school-wide goal. The importance of access to quality word reference texts cannot be understated. A majority of the students in the school are learning (both in their speech and reading skills) English vocabulary, meanings, pronunciations, root words, suffices, prefixes, compounds and spellings. The school library learning commons has a small print reference section that includes 3 atlases, 5 dictionaries, 2 encyclopedias and 1 thesaurus. On display is a giant world atlas, with shelves underneath that hold an Atlas of the World and Atlas of the World: Junior. Dictionaries include the Concise Canadian Oxford Dictionary, Illustrated Oxford Dictionary, Young Canada Dictionary, Webster’s Third New International Dictionary and The Dictionary of Nature by David Burnie. There is one Encyclopedia of British Columbia, one Websters New Dictionary of Synonyms and one copy of Flags of the World by William Crampton. There is also a large book titled Pioneer Tales of Burnaby by Micheal Stone. Close to the reference section are three desktop computers used for library catalogue searches and accessing district elementary web resources found here. There are also school-based links to online references including; The Canadian Encyclopedia, World Book Encyclopedia, Countries of the World and Canada Info. There is also one magazine rack located in a different area of the library that holds former magazine subscriptions from Chickadee, Sports Illustrated for Kids, National Geographic Kids and Discovery Girls.

          Considering the high ELL population in our school, the need for English language vocabulary acquisition is high at this elementary level. It is important for the students to have access to a quality dictionary reference, written in simple language that is easy to understand. We know that “the ability to access enormous amounts of information at any time from almost any place is forcing schools to rethink teaching and learning” (Riedling and Houston 7) and “as school librarians, we must embrace the continual changes, not resist them” (Riedling and Houston 105). Therefore, when considering dictionary reference resources it is just as important to explore electronic resources that are accurate, have good authority, easy format, and adequate scope.

          The resource that I feel could potentially replace or upgrade the Young Canada Dictionary print reference is the digital dictionary, Merriam-Webster Student Dictionary for Kids (link here).

         This digital reference source is free of cost and “written specifically for young students [with] kid-friendly meanings” (Merriam-Webster). It offers a search bar for specific word inquiries or an alphabetical browsing feature for perusing new language. The webpage is not too convoluted with information and fairly straight forward to navigate. The heading bar includes fun games and activities that could be seen as enticing the user into further wordplay and language learning, or as distracting students from their task at hand. Once an entry word is located and clicked on, the user immediately encounters the simple features of the printed resource (language definitions, pronunciations, grammatical categories and tenses) with the added attributes of syllabication and audible sound clips of the word (very helpful for ELL learners). If the user stays on this screen, the interface is simple. If the user scrolls up and down however, then there more features such as, etymology, history of the word, synonyms, example sentences, dictionary entries near the word and ‘online sharing’ features. This becomes quite an overwhelming amount if information and the interface becomes convoluted with various text sizes and fonts, headings, labels, colours and information boxes. For a more tech savvy intermediate student this could provide a more well-rounded understanding of the word as the content remains in suitable language for elementary school students, but for the primary student I would think this would be overwhelming to navigate. Perhaps the biggest downfall of the Merriam-Webster Student Dictionary for Kids digital reference site is the interspersing of numerous advertisements throughout. There are advertisement boxes on the sides, bottom and even interspersed between the dictionary features itself. When scrolling, a slip of my own fingers on two different occasions took me to advertising sites in which I had to navigate closure and return. Since the Merriam-Webster Student Dictionary for Kids is an extension of the main Merriam-Webster Dictionary site, the advertisements are geared for adults (cars, jewelry, Amazon, etc.) and therefore despite the free cost of this resource, one might consider the need to purchase an ad-blocker to maintain student appropriateness and less distractibility.

          The publisher of this resource, Merriam-Webster, is America’s foremost publisher of language-related reference works. Extremely reputable, the Merriam-Webster company has been in operation since 1831 and is well known for their accuracy in lexicographic works. “During the past 150 years, Merriam-Webster has developed and refined an editorial process that relies on objective evidence about language use, and it applies this process to create reference products that meet rigorous standards of quality and reliability for both print and electronic formats” (Merriam-Webster).  Merriam-Webster launched its first website in 1996 which provided free access to an online dictionary and thesaurus. This current online source is consistently maintained to remain immediately current and it is updated to include modern language, newly developed language and current idioms (eg. indigenous, transgender, lit – meaning excellent, exciting “the party was lit”). This free resource includes language from all areas across the elementary curriculum.

          With these observations in mind, the following outlines some advantages and disadvantages to using digital reference dictionaries followed by a rubric evaluation of the Merriam-Webster Student Dictionary for Kids reference site, knowing that “evaluation criteria for print resources – including accuracy, authority, bias, arrangement, presentation, and cost can also be applied to electronic information sources” (Riedling and Houston 104).

Advantages to using digital reference dictionaries:

• not as expensive
• not as large, heavy (“electronic resources take up less space” EPIC 11)
• information can be kept current (“technology has transformed the reference area of the school library and reference services more than any other area” (Riedling and Houston 12) as digital resources can automatically update/maintain currency)
• not worried about the organization of the data since it is searchable in a variety of ways (Beaudry)
• users can access information from a variety of places in the school and in their homes (“the ‘library’ is always open, 24/7” (EPIC 11)
• allows for multi-media within the reference source, including video and graphics (Beaudry)
• allows some interactivity (Beaudry)
• information retrieved is printable (Beaudry), (quicker than copying it out, can be taken home)
• “web materials can make searching steps easier, more efficient and certainly more comprehensive” (Riedling and Houston 103)
• “online material is easier to preserve than print material, there are no ripped pages or broken bindings with electronic resources” (EPIC 11)
• “electronic resources can be used simultaneously by multiple users” (EPIC 11)

Disadvantages to using digital reference dictionaries:

• limited computers in the library
• typing skills of elementary students (they make a spelling error and then they can’t find the word they’re searching for)
• “children’s developmental issues lead to ineffective use of information technologies” (Riedling and Houston 13) because “they have trouble with literacy tasks such as reading directions…and formulating appropriate words for keyword or phrase searching” (Riedling and Houston 13).
• may lack technical skills to use computer navigation tools (eg. copying and pasting information)
• digital resources doesn’t mean everyone can access them from home, some students don’t have access to a device, “barriers to students’ access to digital information”(Riedling and Houston 12)
• overwhelming amounts of material (Beaudry)
• confusing graphical layout (Beaudry), too complicated to use “young students have trouble with hierarchically structured information sites that require a specific sequence of behaviours” (Riedling and Houston 12).
• advertising on sites
• easy distractions, “young students have trouble with unstructured information environments containing distracting information links” (Riddling and Houston 12)
• potentially longer search times “young children have a preference for visual browsing for information over strategic keyword searching, leading to longer, more circuitous searches” (Riedling and Houston12)
• “librarians are being stretched in directions that can be overwhelming, now performing duties such as license negotiation, dealing with vendors when systems go down” (EPIC 12)
• “loss of control over organized instruction of proper use of library materials since users can now access library materials online from their own home or office without ever setting foot inside the library” (EPIC 12)

Rubric Evaluation of Merriam-Webster Student Dictionary for Kids

          In the reference sections of library learning commons, there lies a wealth of curated resources to provide students, teachers and the community with invaluable tools for academic exploration and inquiry. “One of the most important tasks of a school librarian is to help students and teachers find the best materials available—in all formats—to support teaching and learning.”(Riedling and Houston 20). Both print and digital reference materials have their advantages and disadvantages and the main thing to remember is that effective school library programs provide a broad range of reference materials. Although, “budget constraints and increasing costs of technology and online database subscriptions will force (some librarians) to choose one format over another…having multiple formats would better meet the needs of their diverse student body” (Riedling and Houston 13). As we have learned so far in this course, “actively involving students in accessing a wide range of print, and electronic resources, is not only good pedagogy, it is absolutely essential” (Beaudry). I feel that bot of these reference resources strongly support student learning and are great tools for language exploration and aquisition. Ultimately, it is the positive relationship between the quality of reference sources along with the quality of reference services, that results in quality student learning outcomes. It is my sincere hope that as I continue in this teacher-librarianship training that I will gain even more “competence in selecting, acquiring, and evaluating resources to meet students’ needs” (AIL 4).

Works Cited

Asselin, M., Branch, J.,and Oberg, D. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006.

Beaudry, R. LIBE 467 Information Service I. https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/131637/pages/ lesson-4-print-and-slash-or-electronic-reference-materials?module_item_id=6365739. Accessed 9 February 2024.

Courtney, R., and E. Stenson. Young Peoples Dictionary:Teacher’s Edition. Nelson Canada Limited, 1980.

EPIC. “Online Use and Costs Evaluation Program Final Report.” EPIC, Sept. 2004. https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/131637/files/30502587/download?wrap=1. Accessed 9 February 2024.

Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster Student Dictionary for Kids. Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2024. https://www.merriam-webster.com/kids. Accessed 9 February 2024.

Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. Reference Skills for the School Librarian:Tools and Tips. 4th ed., Libraries Unlimited, 2019.