As a parent, you may find it useful to use a children's dictionary and thesaurus when helping your child with his or her homework.
Using Online Resources to Improve Language Skills
Although it's smart for parents to be cautious when allowing Internet access for their children, there are many ways your child can benefit from using online reference tools. For example:
- He or she can look up the meaning of an unfamiliar word from a homework assignment or personal reading.
- He or she can verify the spelling of a new vocabulary word.
- He or she can find a synonym for a word to avoid repetition in writing.
- He or she can play word games to build vocabulary skills while having fun.
Kids Online Thesaurus and Dictionary Websites
The Internet is full of kids online thesaurus and dictionary websites, but you'll need to do some careful research to choose the one that best fits your child's needs. Here are some factors to consider:
- Does your child understand how a dictionary and thesaurus works?
- How would you describe your child's level of reading comprehension?
- Is your child comfortable navigating unfamiliar websites?
- Is your child easily distracted by advertisements or flashy graphics?
Wordsmyth Children's Dictionary and Thesaurus with Word Explorer
Wordsmyth offers a web-based dictionary for elementary school children with over 30,000 definitions. The site's definitions are well-written, and the search function offers a "help me spell" feature that is very useful for young visitors who are unsure of the correct spelling of the term they are looking for. In addition, hyperlinked cross-references allow for easy browsing of the dictionary by topic.
When you look up the word "dog", for example, you are taken to a page with a short definition, synonyms, audio pronunciation, and picture link. There are also links your child can click on to learn more about topics such as accessories for dogs, the behaviors of some dogs, things dogs eat, people associated with dogs, and the young of dogs.
The Wordsmyth website is free to use, but the site is moving towards a system in which users will be required to register in order to gain full access to all available features.
With a name like Fact Monster, parents instinctively know this website is designed to make learning a fun experience for kids. The Fact Monster dictionary and thesaurus has over 125,000 entries, plus links to online word games, crossword puzzles, and common foreign words and phrases. Visitors to this fun children's website can even learn how to become a participant in the National Spelling Bee!
If you're looking for a comprehensive homework helper for children ages 6-14, the Fact Monster website is an excellent choice. In addition to the free kids online thesaurus and dictionary, this website also offers an atlas, almanac, encyclopedia, historical timeline, and links to kid-friendly educational resources in a variety of subject areas.
Reference Library from Yahoo! Kids
The reference library from Yahoo! Kids is a convenient homework helper for elementary and junior high school students. Kids can look up words using the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language or read one of 52,000 articles in the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. There's even a handy currency calculator, links to educational games, and a section of study skills tips. However, since there are also a number of non-educational features such as movie previews and jokes, parents will want to supervise to make sure that their children don't become too distracted while studying.
Merriam-Webster's Word Central is a cleverly designed online dictionary and thesaurus for older children. The colorful graphics make this site fun to use, but the navigation system may be difficult for some children to use without parental assistance. In addition, minimal synonyms are provided for most definitions.
RhymeZone Rhyming Dictionary and Thesaurus
Young poets will love using the RhymeZone website to improve their writing. Simply type the word you're looking for into the search box at the top of the page to find definitions, synonyms, anonyms, rhyming words, similar sounding words, or related words.
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