Do secondary kids need a dictionary and thesaurus in their bag at school?

[LilyTucker]

If so which ones are best?

We have bigger ones at home but have seen those mini ones everywhere so wondering if they're supposed to have them.

My son takes a pen and sometimes a pencil in his blazer pocket. He also has a phone which I guess would have a dictionary on it? So no, keep them at home.

Not IME (have a dd in Yr9, one going into 6th form, and a ds who went to a different secondary from them).

French/German/Spanish dictionary, yes, but not English one for in school.

I bought my oldest daughter both when she went to secondary school, they were unused so got passed on to my youngest daughter. She didn't use them either.

No, have had dc at 2 different secondary schools, and taught/done teaching practice at 5 others and at none of them did the students carry either around with them. Def usedul to have at home.

Cool,one thing off the list then.

My DD didn't have these either.

No. We have lots in the classroom for them to use. A working pen every day is the most important thing for DC to have. (And a lot lighter too!)

No IME not needed.

More useful is a pocket (I mean tiny) dictionary for whichever MFL they are studying. They actually are handy tho they only (obv) have the most basic words in them.

IME the secondary schoolbag is so so full of tut that you don't want to be adding a load of books.

YY to (several) working pens!

Yes, DS at a grammar school, recommended Chamber's Mini-Dictionary, Oxford Popular English Dictionary and Thesaurus or the Oxford Mini Dictionary. DS advised not to buy the Webster's as it prefers American spellings. Hope it helps.