Elks members distribute dictionaries to Coeur d'Alene third graders

COEUR d'ALENE — The books were on the tables for mere seconds before Cathleen Martin's third graders began digging in, exploring definitions, planets, the Braille alphabet and a whole world of information.

On the cover of copies of "A Student's Dictionary" was a quote by philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein: "The limits of your language are the limits of your world."

Skyway Elementary School third grader Hayley Bedingfield was overjoyed to receive this new resource.

"It's good," she said with a thumbs up. "I've never looked through a dictionary."

Elks Lodge 1254 donated 750 dictionaries Friday morning to third graders in the Coeur d'Alene School District, a longstanding tradition of the benevolent organization.

"I feel great, I like to get 'em excited," Elks Trustee and past Exalted Ruler Pat Braden said, wheeling a hand truck of dictionary-filled boxes through the Skyway halls.

"They're going to hold onto that dictionary and do something with it," Braden said.

The "Student's Dictionary" contains much more than definitions. It includes parts of speech, punctuation and the longest word, as well as information about the U.S. Constitution, the periodic table of elements, multiplication tables, maps of the world, clouds, planets and the water cycle.

"It actually gives them a way of searching words on paper in front of them instead of on the computer," Martin said. "A lot of times we have spellcheck right in front of us, but having a dictionary, they have to learn how to look up a word in alphabetical order. Plus, it allows them to see the definition and parts of speech all in one place."

Elks have historically supported student literacy through the Dictionary Project, a program that encourages students to become proficient writers, active readers, creative thinkers and resourceful learners.

And it all begins with a book.

"I'll probably bring it home and my parents will help me read this," third grader Colter Cafferty said, flipping through the pages. "Then I can be better at reading and writing."

    Elks member Pat Braden, left, highlights some of the cool information in "A Student's Dictionary," 750 copies of which he and fellow Elks donated to Coeur d'Alene School District third grade classrooms Friday morning.
  

    Elks member Janet Grant distributes dictionaries to Skyway Elementary third graders Friday morning.