Education Department

Children's Illustrated Dictionary Education Department

Children's IllustratedDictionary is specifically aimed at children ofseven years and up, an age when children arebecoming increasingly independent readersand writers and when a dictionary can bea valuable companion. Words and picturesUnlike many other dictionaries, The Children's IllustratedDictionary is not just about words-it also contains pictures. Children today are used to information being presented ina visual form through television, movies, and computers, andare skilled readers of images. As a result, they require booksto be increasingly visually sophisticated. The colorful photographs and illustrations in thisdictionary are fresh, exciting, and highly relevant tochildren's interests and concerns. These images will helpto draw young readers into the book; they also work withthe text to give clear and concise definitions. Vital skills for readers and writersUsing a dictionary can teach children many useful skills. One of the most important is the ability to locate informationthat is organized in alphabetical order. Once acquired, thisskill will enable them to use many other reference books, from telephone directories to encyclopedias, that areorganized along the same principle. The clear design andlayout of this dictionary make it easy for children to learnhow to look things up. The Children's Illustrated Dictionary can also help to widenvocabulary and improve spelling. Young readers and writerscan find out for themselves what an unfamiliar word meansor check any spellings about which they are unsure. In addition, this book will help children develop theirawareness of words and the relationships between them. An introductory section explains the concept of parts ofspeech, such as nouns and verbs, that are also listedunder each entry in the dictionary. The final section looksat word beginnings and endings, spelling patterns, and common abbreviations. A dictionary with a differenceA unique feature of this dictionary is the 26 full-pageentries, where words and pictures are grouped by theme. Browsing through these wordcollections, on subjects as diverse ascostumes and time, children will enjoyrecognizing known words and conceptsand discovering new vocabulary andinformation. These pages offer manyopportunities for discussion andprovide the basis for further explorationof a wide range of topics and themes. A lasting work of referenceThe Children's Illustrated Dictionary combines a core ofcommon vocabulary with words that have a high interestlevel for children of this age group. It provides them withboth a rich source of information about the world andan important resource for developing their reading andwriting skil