wordsforthirds

Words for Thirds Dictionary Project

Orangevale Grange No. 354

Serving Orangevale and the surrounding communities since 1910.

The Orangevale Grange has taken up the challenge from the National Grange and is proud to support The Dictionary Project through its Word for Thirds program. Through the tireless efforts of the National Grange's nationwide network of more than 300,000 volunteers, America's oldest rural and agriculture organization has presented third grade students across the nation with more than 100,000 dictionaries.

Locally, Orangevale Grange has presented more than 2,500 dictionaries to third graders in Orangevale, Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights and other communities in the years we have been supporting the project.

Fundraising for this project is taken from the donations given by the general public who park in the Grange Hall's parking lot while visiting the nearby Dovewood Court Holiday Celebration in Lights and the Live Nativity at Christ the King Lutheran Church next door. The $2 (+) donations go directly to the purchase of the dictionaries for the following year.

The National Grange, headquartered in Washington, D.C., partnered with The Dictionary Project, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, in 2002. The goal of the program is to assist third grade students to complete the school year as good writers, active readers and creative thinkers by providing them with their own personal dictionaries. The dictionaries are a gift to each student to use at school and at home for years to come. The organization has presented more than 1.8 million children with dictionaries.

A dictionary is one of the most powerful reference tools young children will be introduced to during their schooling years. Its usefulness goes beyond just providing correct spellings, pronunciations, and definitions. It is also a companion for solving problems that arise as children develop their reading, writing, and creative thinking abilities.

"It is amazing to see the smiles on children’s faces when we present them with dictionaries," Leslie Parker, Orangevale Grange Vice President said. "It gives them a sense of pride when they have their "very own" dictionary to read, look up words and learn other things about the world in which we live. It promotes learning, now and going forward throughout their school career, and helps mold their self confidence and independence."