Now that my girls are learning to read, as they learn new words I have a new and better understanding of the importance of good visual aids. Similarly, for kids a little older than me, the right visual aids can make all the difference between them to understand a word or a confusion. This pattern is true when students are learning new vocabulary words and / or seeing connections between similar words. To that end, there are four visual dictionaries and a thesaurus that can help your students learn new vocabulary words.
Kids Wordsmyth is a great visual dictionary where students can search for words, hear their pronunciation, read definitions and see word pictures. Students can search for words or browse through the Kids Wordsmith online dictionary. The dictionary is arranged in a virtual book format with tabs for each letter of the alphabet.
Visuwords uses a web design to show users the definition of words and the connection between words. To use Visuwords just type a word in the search box and Visuwords will create a web of related words. Place your cursor over any word and the definition will appear. Use the color-coded key to understand the connection between words on any web.
Snappy Words is a free visual dictionary and thesaurus. Write any word or phrase in the Snappy Words search box and it will create a web of related words, phrases and definitions. Rotate your cursor to read the definition of any word or phrase on the web. Click and drag any node to explore other branches of the web. Double click on a node and it will create a new web branch.
Wili the Word Wizard’s Math Dictionary is a glossary of important terms that elementary school and high school students need to know to succeed in math classes. Diagrams are included in the dictionary if appropriate.