Scholastic First Dictionary [Hardcover]

Judith Levey (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Series: Scholastic First Dictionary

Perfect for beginning readers, this new reference is the most up-to-date, informative, and visually appealing dictionary on the market for children ages 6 to 9. Containing 1,700 headwords and 600 full-color photographs, this volume has been carefully designed to reflect the vocabulary and interests of early elementary school children.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

How would you define "bump" for a 6-year-old? The Scholastic First Dictionary outlines it as follows: "1. A bump is a round place that is above the area around it. William got a bump on his head when he hit it on a low branch of a tree. When something has many bumps on it, we say it is bumpy. The country road was bumpy. 2. When you bump into something, your body hits something you didn't mean it to hit." Not bad, eh? The chief advantage of this straightforward, inviting dictionary is that it is accessible to young readers--the definitions are written in complete sentences with age-appropriate language, and each word is used in a simple sentence.

Containing more than 1,500 words highlighted by bold, kelly-green type, the Scholastic First Dictionary is targeted to the reading level--and interests--of elementary school students, and not designed to be comprehensive. For example, "knitting" is not in this dictionary, but "kneel," "knife," and "knight" are. "Iguana" is not there, but "igloo" is. Each page of this 224-page volume contains an average of eight words, and includes at least two full-color photos to help illustrate word meanings. The real value of this resource for children is in helping them build basic dictionary skills and as a general guide for early readers, teaching them how to spell words, how to pronounce them, what words mean, how to use them in a sentence, how words change form, and, of course, discovering new words. The crisp, colorful layout encourages hours of contented browsing for the voracious young knowledge seeker. A great gift for any budding reader! (Ages 5 to 9) --Karin Snelson

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?With a crisp layout, bright colors, and a large typeface, this dictionary is appealing and accessible. The 1500 main entries are well suited to use by young readers and writers. There are at least two full-color photographs on each page; they illustrate words such as "cash machine," "camcorder," and "headphones." The photos help children distinguish between a computer mouse and the animal, an audio and a video tape, and a floppy and a compact disc. Common animals are included, most with pictures. Each entry word is followed by phonetic pronunciation; a simple definition; an illustrative sentence using the word; and alternative forms such as plurals for nouns, comparatives for adjectives, and tenses for verbs. If there are multiple meanings for a headword, each definition is numbered. The introduction includes two pages that explain how to use the dictionary and a pronunciation guide. Following the dictionary proper is a page on prefixes, suffixes, and contractions. A two-page spread covers forming plurals, words that sound alike, and how words work in sentences. Lastly, there is a page on measurement and an index of pictures. The attractive format and appropriate contents will invite children to use the dictionary when needed and to browse for pleasure.?Priscilla Bennett, State University of West Georgia
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Reference; 1 edition (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059096786X
• ISBN-13: 978-0590967860
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #816,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scholatic First Dictionary, July 26, 2000

By 

admirer (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scholastic First Dictionary (Hardcover)

Teaching my child to read has been a great experience. To teach him to look up the meaning of new words has become a fun time activity. This book is essential for faimlies with school age children.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing..., December 18, 2004

By 

familymom "StEpH" (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scholastic First Dictionary (Hardcover)

I purcjased this dictionary for my daughter last year when she was in first grade. It does not have basic words such as "Christmas", "decorate", "build". We are ordering a different children's dictionary tonight, and hope to have better luck! The photos are nice, but there are too few words and watered down definitions...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Left a lot to be desired..., March 30, 2007

By 

Mia "Mia" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scholastic First Dictionary (Hardcover)

I purchased this dictionary for my daughter when she was in 2nd grade. There were a lot of words that were not in her dictionary that were a part of the 2nd grade curriculum for our county here in Florida. She would ask me what a word means and I would tell her, "I just bought you a dictionary, so go and look it up." Well, she did and more times than not, the words were not there. So I ended up going to a local used book store to purchase her a dictionary. This was a disappointing purchase because she excitedly picked it out online and it did not serve her purpose.