Dictionary Dilemma

I spent quite a bit of time this week examining the reference section of my school library, with special attention paid to the assorted dictionaries.  When I was growing up and  going to school in the 80's and 90's, the school library always had a huge, imposing, tomb-like dictionary on a special wooden stand - we dared not go near it!  To us kids, it screamed 'adults only!' 

In my current situation, I agree with what many of my classmates have stated- students are not well-versed in using a dictionary for everyday use.  They may have the alphabetizing system down pat, but they are not used to 'readability' factor - navigating multiple meanings, multiple spellings, word origins, and pronounciations guides that many dictionaries include.  In addition, students find navigating the small print challenging, and often are convinced that they word they are looking for is simply not there.

In terms of 'essential' print dictionaries, I recommend:

1. a French-English / English-French Disctionary
2 a dictionary of word origins
3.  the Scholastic Dictionary of Homonyms, Synonyms, and Antonyms (my personal fav!)
4. a Large-sized visual dictionary for little ones

(a note about the language dictionaries: I am still trying the teach my students (I am the French teacher,  too, or at least that's what they tell me!) how to properly use the French-English/ English-French dictionary.  These dictionaries are really two in one, and students need to understand how you use different parts of the book to look up a French word as opposed to an English word).

Many classmates have commented that the problem with dictionaries lies with the fact that students are not being instructed properly in their usage.  I certainly remember, as a child, "doing worksheets" on dictionary skills: choosing the correct set of guide words from a confusing list, alphabetizing rows and rows of words, and deciphering pronounciation keys.  Was this useful?  I certainly feel that I know how to use a dictionary well, but did this direct (and dry) approach  to student learning reach all students?   Perhaps the direct  teaching of dictionary skills is becoming overshadowed by the even-increasing curriculum, and the fact that online resources seem to be the wave of the future - are classroom teachers pushing dictionary skills aside for other topics?  The push to integrate learning and  to provide authentic learning experiences also has pushed aside dictionary skills.  When the need arises, a student looks a word up in the dictionary, and, through trial and error, find what he or she is looking for...this is a good learning experience, and one that is authentic and situational, but it does not provide the student with practice and mastery.