The 10 Best Dictionaries For Kids
Special Honors
Kids Picture Dictionary: Learn English A-Z words Available in Apple's App Store or Google Play, the Kids Picture Dictionary contains hundreds of words and images that make it easy for children to learn on their own, as long as they have a tablet or phone to use. It is ideal for youngsters between three and six years of age. apps.apple.com
Editor's Notes
August 11, 2020:
Rather than just include a bunch of boring old dictionaries that all cover the same words in a dry format, we wanted to recommend interesting options that either focus on specific subject matter, or which were comprehensive, but put together in an engaging and easy-to-understand style to make the information more approachable for kids.
Falling into the former category, we have Super Heroes: My First Dictionary, Space Dictionary for Kids, The Dictionary of Ordinary Extraordinary Animals, and Dinosaur Dictionary for Kids. Each of these is well-suited to children that have an interest in a specific subject matter, though The Dictionary of Ordinary Extraordinary Animals and Space Dictionary for Kids aren't quite as pigeon-holed as the other two since learning about the various animals and celestial beings can be considered very common subject matter. Any youngster interested in comics, specifically the DC universe, should find the Super Heroes: My First Dictionary very engaging, as it combines a comic strip-like style that can be read like a book with informative content. Conversely, while the format of the Dinosaur Dictionary for Kids might not be quite as engaging, some may consider it to have more useful information.
In the latter category, we have Scholastic Children's Dictionary, The American Heritage Children's Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary, Merriam-Webster's Elementary, and My First Dictionary. These are generally much more comprehensive tomes that cover words related to a wide variety of subject matter.
DK First Spanish Dictionary is a bit of an outlier, as it can be considered subject specific, since it has a focus on Spanish, specifically Castilian Spanish, but the terms it covers are broad. It utilizes images to help children make easily-remembered associations, and there are two indexes in the back, one organized alphabetically in English and the other in Spanish.
Combining any of the options on this list with some great educational toys is a great way to make learning more fun and engaging for little ones.
December 17, 2018:
On top of listing editions that were extremely comprehensive for different age ranges, we also ensured that a few tailored tomes made the cut as well, in order to appeal to and engage young learners. Simplicity, quality photography, well-chosen terms, and additional information were prioritized for these rankings. The Scholastic Revised and Updated was placed at the top spot since it met the aforementioned criteria exceptionally well.