• Why Owning a Dictionary Is So Important for Middle School Students

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American Heritage^® Student Dictionary Editors Devise "Daily Definition" — A Word for Each Day of Summer

Summer vacation is a time for kids to get out and have fun. But it should not be a time for kids to forget what they learned in class the previous year or what they'll need to know for the next higher grade. To help parents of middle school students keep their kids connected to learning over the summer, the editors of The American Heritage^® Student Dictionary have developed a vocabulary list — 65 words, one for each summer vacation weekday — to give students a head start on the coming school year.

"We have compiled a list of words across a variety of subjects that parents can use as a game to help their children maintain and enhance their vocabularies over the summer months," says editor of The American Heritage^® Student Dictionary, David Pritchard. "Once each weekday, parents can ask their children to locate one of the words in the family's dictionary. At the end of the summer, parents can give the kids a quiz and offer them an outing of their choice as a reward."

In 2002, the editors of the American Heritage^® line developed a list of "100 words every high school graduate should know" that was well received by educators, librarians, and the media. It was featured in Atlantic Monthly, USA Today, and on National Public Radio. Similarly, with the summer vocabulary list, the editors hope to engage young people in an appreciation of the amazing power of language.