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What does the dictionary have to say about itself? We decided to check out a couple of new dictionaries for kids and see what definition they give.
The new Kingfisher First Dictionary has the following: "A dictionary is a book where you can find what words mean and how to spell them." Scholastic Children's Dictionary, also newly published, says: "A book such as this one that lists words in a language in alphabetical order and explains what they mean."
These two definitions reveal several things -- other than what a dictionary is --that we need to remember when selecting dictionaries for young readers. Age-appropriate words and sentence length are important. Children can outgrow a resource in short order, the same as with shoes and clothes. Although older children can always understand a book written for younger ones, they may not like or want to be using "baby" books.
Dictionaries for children offer definitions in pictures as well as words, more and more in recent editions. The Kingfisher First Dictionary uses both photographs and drawings, several on every page, and has 17 full pages of illustrations. As the grade level advances, the number of pictures per page, the amount of color, and the size of the type diminish. The Scholastic Children's Dictionary (for third graders and up) offers at least one illustration per page, sometimes large and detailed as for forklift and windmill.
Young looker-uppers will also find other neat features such as Scholastic's big color tabs on each page to indicate the letter of the alphabet and special boxes for word histories, synonyms, suffixes, and prefixes. This volume capitalizes on kids' being at the age when they are extra curious about everything, so we find definitions of up-to-date and real-life words like bungee jumping, cyberspace, and day care.
To guide the first-time dictionary user, Kingfisher opts for a chain of outline letters of the alphabet down the side of each page, with color on the letter used on that page. Boxes labeled "Wordplay" throughout this dictionary contain word puzzles and games related to the section where they appear.
But children learn real appreciation for the meaning of words as they learn other things -- through interaction with others. In her classic Children and Books published in 1957, children's literature author and enthusiast May Hill Arbuthnot advocated the use of dictionary play in the family. "As soon as a child can read, he should have reference books of his own. Then when questions come up you can say, 'You look it up in your book and I'll look it up in mine, and we'll see if they agree.'" She also suggested taking the dictionary to the dinner table, sort of a "condiment" she called it.
Her tone may sound a little pedantic and sexist for our times, but she was right in saying that children think it's wonderful "discovering early the fun of words -- all the strange and glorious words floating around in print and on the air." A dictionary is all they need.
©1996, ProMotion, inc.
