I never realised that buying my 7yr old her first dictionary could be soooo complicated!

[Wills]

I decided to go after an Oxford one purely because someone gave me a workbook to go with it. Anyway I typed children's dictionary into Amazon and ruling out all the obvious ones such as science, music, maths etc this is the list of "starter" type dictionaries
Oxford First dictionary
Oxford Very First Dictionary
Oxford First Rhyming dictionary
Oxford First Illustrated Dictionary
My Very First Oxford Dictionary
My First Oxford Dictionary
My First Illustrated Dictionary
Oxford Reading Tree Dictionary (Kipper & Biff)
Oxford First Dictionary Big Book

Just how many variations can they do?

Oh I remember this dilemma a year or so ago. Can't remember which one we got in the end (it's upstairs in ds' room).

Hi HD hows things? Am sitting here pissed off at the mo so thought I'd search the web and have ended up thoroughly confused by the quantity on offer.

You think you can do something quickly huh?

Some of those sound like they are just reprints under different titles though!

Just got my DD's, my MIL bought it for her (42 teaching in infants experience, so I trusted her judgement), it's Collins Junior Dictionary - ISBN0-00-720369-1. Really think that it's good. She is still using it and my DS who is 6 is beginning to understand how to use a dictionary as well.

HTH

42 years teaching in infants, not 42. DOH!! must preview

Yes but with different pictures. And I don't think there's a lot of difference between those that are "illustrated" and those that aren't

Hmm - I think recommendations will outweigh all else. Cheers Perigrine

I have just bought 5yo DD the Ladybird School Dictionary : first reference for young readers and writers. It has a good selection of words, over 1000 definitions in there. Also has sections at back for subject specific terms inc body, science, technology, colours, numbers, etc. Is illustrated and colour used. Cost £5.99

Had the ORT one and also the Gold Stars one but they only have about 300 words, and DD found the variety not wide enough.

DD is only just beginning to use a dictionary - for her writing homework at the weekend, and so far this one seems good, and not too hard going for her.

I went into a bookshop to have a good look through some as I couldn't work out what to get online as so many different ones available.

here it is

I just crept up to look at ds' bookshelf - he sat up in bed to ask what I was doing and then banged his head on the bedside table on the way back down - oops!

(He has the Oxford Children's Dictionary, btw - not on your list!)

Nooooo don't add to the list

DD is younger than this so the layout, size and clarity of writing, etc. were probably more important than what you need to look for.

Actually I'm not sure I'd recommend it - it doesn't always have the words in that we want to look up.

At my dd school they use this oxford dictionary once they start y3.