Hello -

DS6 has recently made some progress with his reading and is also beginning to write. He had an assignment to write his autobiography and had lots of questions about spellings. He has always been very into words and language so I am thinking he would enjoy having his own dictionary beyond the "my first dictionary" type. The one I have from college is massive, not visually appealing and nearly 20 years old.

Here is the dilemma. After perusing Amazon I see there are well illustrated early elementary dictionaries (Age 4-8); those aimed at middle schoolers (age 9-12); and then young adult.

I think I have it narrowed down to this one although it doesn't seem to have as many illustrations as I think he would like. http://www.amazon.com/American-Heri...id=IMRJ4BGN77V7V&colid=190VM6LF9JC3M

On a related topic, it is also kind of fun extending my role as "Mommy dictionary" into his writing. What kind of dictionaries did/do your dc like at this stage and how did/do they use their printed dictionaries and their people dictionaries.

thanks.

I bought a Macmillan's Dictionary for Children "fully illustrated" for DS when he was 5 and even at that age, a lot of the words he wanted to look up were not in it. He still likes browsing it at age 7 (like a picture book), but when he really needs to look up a definition or spelling, he uses a Webster's college dictionary. I got him a new one to replace my beat up one from 1981. Nan

or maybe this one? no "look inside". I will have to go to a bookstore and check it out.
http://www.amazon.com/Merriam-Webst...UTF8&qid=1289262168&sr=8-1-fkmr0

cricket3 and Nan -

Thanks!

cricket3 - how old are your kids?

My DS uses a Webster's pocket dictionary and Thesaraus. They came together as a set and he actually uses the Thesaraus much more than the dictionary. They aren't illustrated but that doesn't seem to bother him.

http://www.amazon.com/Merriam-Webst...mp;s=books&qid=1289273105&sr=1-1

I picked up this one last year, because the bookstore didn't have the one I wanted (I can't remember what that was). I like it. It has beautiful photographs, and I recently discovered it has an appendix with 7 pages of flags of the world. (I love flags.) It doesn't have etymologies, but it does define it and tell you how to pronounce it. My DS is 6, and this has worked well. As a caveat, he is not that into writing or spelling.

ETA: It does have a "look inside"

My ds loved the Merriam Webster Garfield dictionary, he enjoyed sitting around flipping through it, which was nice to see. It is a big, pretty good dictionary, but at 10 I think he has outgrown the word level.
http://www.amazon.com/Merriam-Webster-Garfield-Dictionary-Jim-Davis/dp/0877796262

Oh, and as for being the people dictionary, I am more of an encyclopedia... Well used in the car, I might add, when other sources of info are not so accessible. Hopefully I am mostly getting things 'right'.

We have the same dictionary St Pauli Girl mentioned. My boys, almost 7 & 9, both enjoy it. DS8 uses it to look up his differentiated spelling/vocabulary and occasionally he can't find the word in this dictionary, and he uses mine. I've found both my boys reading it like an encylopedia, finding an interesting picture and then wanting to find out more. It's been a good source for new topics to research.

thanks everyone!

I ordered The American Heritage Children's Dictionary. We'll see if ds likes it.

Mama22Gs and St Pauli Girl - the "DK Merriam Webster" looked really good to as did the "Webster's New World Children's Dictionary".

cricket3 - My ds isn't online that much yet. I am sure he will be soon enough and those database resources will come in handy.