Rotary gifts 60 dictionaries to third graders at Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena

Eight members of the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset presented dictionaries to 60 third grade students at Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School.

One might ask: In this day of digital research, why give a printed dictionary to students?  The answer is simple: “Looking through a printed dictionary can be a learning experience in itself.  Finding words helps children develop problem-solving skills by requiring them to consider order, spelling, context and alphabetization.”  

The students were surprised at the amount of information that they found in their own copy to keep of “A Students Dictionary and Gazetteer.”

During a “Dictionary Treasure Hunt” activity held in September, students refined their word search skills by using their new reference book.  They learned how to look up word definitions, find the times tables, and even identify the state tree of Hawaiʻi through the activity facilitated by Rotary Maui Island Resource Chair Joanne Laird.  

McDonalds gift cards were awarded as prizes to students who were first to find answers. Rotary club members helped to engage the students during this activity, while teachers were offered a follow-up standards-based lesson using the dictionary in their classrooms.

This is just one example of the many community service projects sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset.   Rotary is a leadership organization made up of local businesses, professional and civic leaders.  For more information about this organization visit https://www.rotarycluboflahainasunset.org.