100 words every fourth grader should know - Editors of the American Heritage Di 2014

A note to teachers and parents

Since 2002, the editors of the American Heritage® dictionaries have published over a dozen titles in the 100 Words® series, including 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know, 100 Words Almost Everyone Confuses and Misuses, and 100 Words to Make You Sound Smart. The response has been tremendous—over 800,000 copies have been sold, and we have received a great deal of positive feedback.

These books are intended to foster a love of language and to generate interest in dictionaries. Each title stands on its own, but in every book, we hope that the words selected will spur readers to explore the English language in greater depth. The full richness of the language is available at your fingertips in The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition, or online at ahdictionary.com. We are encouraged to see that so many people are aware of the importance of dictionaries for promoting literacy and vocabulary building.

Our readers have let us know that they’re interested in a book in this series designed for younger children. We hope you will enjoy our newest title, 100 Words Every Fourth Grader Should Know, a choice selection of words from A through Z that schoolchildren in the fourth grade (roughly ages 8 through 10) should be familiar with. We have chosen vocabulary words that are found in the reading materials that children of this age encounter at school and in the home.

Most of the definitions in this book are based on the American Heritage® Children’s Dictionary. Example sentences show the use of these words in context. Quotations using these words come from popular authors of works for children, including Christopher Paul Curtis, E. L. Konigsburg, Ursula K. Le Guin, Grace Lin, Lois Lowry, Katherine Paterson, and E. B. White. In browsing through this book, your young student will build a larger vocabulary while getting a taste of many great works of children’s literature.

We hope that you find sharing these words with your fourth grader to be a rewarding experience.

—Steve Kleinedler

Executive Editor