The power of a printed dictionary is alive and well in Lake County classrooms

(Rotary member Sharon Fulton shakes hands with Marcus Heavyrunner as Rotary members gathered at Linderman School in Polson last Tuesday to disperse free dictionaries. (Photo courtesy Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)

Thanks to the Rotary Club of Polson, MT, nearly 400 third graders received their own dictionaries—hands-on tools that help students build vocabulary, learn research skills, and grow beyond screens. For many children, it’s the first book they’ve ever owned, making the gift of words both powerful and memorable.

The Linderman school teacher, Kim Norman, shared that the dictionaries’ greatest value is that they are hands-on learning tools—not screens—adding, “Just look at the excitement. That’s the value of it.”