Four thousand third graders in Cobb County are getting free dictionaries thanks to a grant from the Cobb EMC.

The electrical membership corporation gave $7,875 to the Cobb Literacy Council so dictionaries could be given to students in 28 schools in south and west Cobb, said a spokeswoman for CobbWorks, Inc., the parent organization of the council.

The group targeted third graders because they are considered to be at a critical age for projecting potential future drop outs, the spokeswoman said.

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