Online Dictionary for Kids Homework

Using online dictionaries for kids homework can save a lot of time tracking down information. Sites such as YourDictionary.com contain a treasure trove of articles, resources and advice that will make a parent's job of helping his or her children with homework much easier. More and more studies show that parental involvement with schoolwork is a key to a child’s academic success.  Many, if not most parents, however, do not have formal training in tutoring skills or academic exercises.  This is where on-line dictionaries can be of great help.

Finding a Variety of References

You should look for an online dictionary that provides a variety of references. Having as much information information in one place will save you and your student time.

YourDictionary.com provides links to important reference works for both general education needs and also more specialized information needs. YourDictionary.com links to a variety of other references right from the home page. For example:

• Webster’s New World College Dictionary
• Roget’s II The New Thesaurus
• Encyclopedia of World Biography
• The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy 

However, having access to lots of reference material without guidelines for how to make the best use of it can be an issue for parents and students alike.  This is where the rest of the YourDictionary.com content comes to the forefront.

Database of Articles

Look for an online dictionary which can give you information on a variety of subjects, not just definitions.

A very useful feature of YourDictionary.com is the extensive database of articles written by well qualified writers on topics ranging from proper grammar usage to college entry exam study techniques and famous personages. These can serve as an excellent general knowledge base for looking up basic information and provide a jumping off point for in-depth research or links to more comprehensive information. There is a complete subsection on English as a Second Language (ESL) including grammar games, writing exercises and links to useful DVD’s and other lessons.

List of Resources

Parents who are looking to help their child improve academic skills and be successful, will want to find an online dictionary that provides writing samples as well as testing resources. At YourDictionary.com there is a comprehensive list of resources, including excellent supplementary material:

• Essay writing guidelines
• Examples
• SAT word lists
• Writing sample tutorials 
• Tips and exercises for vocabulary and writing papers

The articles on YourDictionary.com come with examples and links to other related material which can provide a greater depth of information. Parents can also download and print worksheets for such things as sentence construction and SAT vocabulary practice.

English Grammar Help

An online dictionary is an excellent resource to learn English grammar, a subject that can confuse even high school graduates and college students. There are many misunderstood rules of grammar, commonly misspelled and misused words and even concepts in analyzing English literature with which many students struggle.

The YourDictionary.com website provides guides for parents explaining the proper usage and spelling of the words and then gives parents resources for presenting them to their children for homework assistance. There are:

• Examples of grammar
• Sentence structure
• Spelling
• Word usage

Parents can print worksheets, games, word lists, and quotes and even slang terms. Almost any subject matter question likely to arise at the homework level has some sort of article to help parents and children both, with homework and as continuing learning tools.

Staying Informed

As education becomes more global in scope and greater emphasis is placed on an understanding of world politics, economics and cultures. It is important that your online dictionary provides current information which relates to the words and concepts being investigated. For example, YourDictionary.com has articles and links to point parents in the right direction to stay informed and help guide their children’s learning.

Links to free translation websites for foreign languages are a great assistance if studying a piece of foreign literature becomes necessary. Articles on foreign word inclusion in English, vocabularies of common terms even chronologies of terrorism and its impact on world culture and politics are valuable resources for both parents and children.

Search Features

To save yourself time with homework, look for an online dictionary with a convenient search feature. YourDictionary.com has a comprehensive and easy to use search feature that allows finding just the article or word spelling needed without spending valuable time looking thru lists of topics. A wild card feature lets the user get close to what they need, even if the specific topic or word is not known. Ease of use is definitely a plus for the parent who doesn’t have an unlimited amount of time to help their children and needs to make the most of their Internet reference experience.

YourDictionary.com is an excellent umbrella site for reference material that also incorporates examples, usage guides and reinforcing games and exercises to assist parents in getting the maximum value toward helping children with their homework. The levels of assistance start at kindergarten and progress through high school graduation. There are even sections on college grammar and writing to help the student carry on with studies on their own.

The greatest strength of Yourdictionary.com for parents is the articles that inform the parents and offer advice and assistance in using the examples, games and worksheets so that they can provide quality assistance with their children’s homework and improve their academic achievement.