Customer Reviews

Words I Use When I Write

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I was very surprised to see that Amazon had listed this resource book as being appropriate for baby-preschoolers. What this book actually is is a SPELLING DICTIONARY (NOT a picture book, and there is no story!) designed for k-2nd graders to use to aid their writing. It is a tool that I have found enormously useful to my First graders, who quickly learn that rather than raise their hand to ask how to spell simple words like was, they can look them up themselves. This practice aids in alphabetization skills, and aquaints young students with the use of a dictionary in an easier-to-use format. When the student finds the correct page, they must then use phonetic sounding skills to help narrow the search to which word might be the one they are looking for. Spelling dictionaries give students an autonomous feeling that they become proud of. They integrate well into both Whole-language and phonetic-based instruction. This particular dictionary lists words as simple as in and as complicated as kangaroo. There are about 30 words for each letter, and 10-20 additional spaces to add words that pertain to units you are studying or words that the child just wished to use that weren't included. The print is a handwritten style, about size 18 or 20 if you compare it to word processor sizes. I find that large size print to be helpful for First grade, as the students' eyes don't skip to the wrong line as easily. There are some helpful sections in the back, including lists of months and their abbreviations, contractions, days of the week and their abbreviations, ordinal numbers, and places to list the names of classmates, friends, family, and pets. The only fault I find with this dictionary is that the handwriting is a little cramped at times and the letters occasionally touch each other, which can be confusing to children still learning letter formation. But on the whole, it's an important resource for fledgling writers at school or at home. For a spelling dictionary with more advanced words and a larger word listing per letter, look at My Spelling Dictionary by Nancy Shaw, Edupress. Happy writing!

This spelling dictionary is a great tool for students I see in my occupational therapy practice. The concise format works well for the average student learning how to read, write and spell. Also comes in handy for students with dyslexia and visual motor challenges. Each letter section also has empty spaces for students to add their own high frequency words, and separate sections for words in categories, such as days of the week and months. A fantastic tool!