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Happy Thanksgiving!

Dictionary basics

1 Nov 2007
Learning to use a dictionary is an important part of a child's education.

Last month, columnist Eve Kelly at The San Diego Reader interviewed local booksellers to find the best dictionaries for children. We've summarized some points to remember when choosing a dictionary. For the full article, please see "Best Buys," Oct.18, 2007, San Diego Reader.

Things to consider

• Colorful and easy-to-read text
• Examples of word-usage in sentences
• User-friendly pronunciation and syllabification guides
• Eye-catching features

And remember, the dictionary needs to be little-hands-friendly -- not too big!

Recommended dictionaries

• Merriam-Webster's Primary Dictionary: lots of pictures, color, and large type. For ages 5 to 7.
• Macmillan Dictionary for Children: user-friendly visuals with multiple example sentences.
• Scholastic Children's Dictionary: kid-friendly, color-coded entries. Designed for ages 8 to 12.
• Webster's New World Student's Dictionary: for advancing students, this 50,000-entry volume is targeted to ages 11 to 14.

Children's dictionaries online

• Word Central: Merriam-Webster's site for elementary school level vocabulary-building. Easy to navigate.
• Fact Monster's Dictionary: From Information Please, Fact Monster's Dictionary provides entries from the Random House Unabridged Dictionary. Bright graphic design, but ad-heavy.
• Wordsmyth Children's Dictionary-Thesaurus with Word Explorer: From a start-up collaborative, Wordsmyth features a "Help me spell" function. It encourages (but does not require) users to register.

Share your ideas

Do you have a recommendation for children's reference books? Email us your suggestions at postoffice@bwlibrary.org.