Why is a dictionary important for kids?
Can’t they look it up online, on computer or tablet? Or ask a parent or sibling?
Yes, they can, but when you get information given to you with no effort, it is all too easy to forget. The act of looking up the information, seeing the word in print, aids the memory.
Parents often say to me that they have a dictionary at home, but then I find out that it is aimed at an older audience.
Adult dictionaries tend to be too big and hard to digest. I always recommend getting a dictionary suitable for the child’s age.
For children in primary school that I tutor, aiming to sit the 11+ or private school entrance exams, I always recommend the Oxford School Dictionary.
The Oxford English Dictionary is available to buy at Amazon.
Do kids need a thesaurus?
A thesaurus is often forgotten when looking for a dictionary, but it is almost as useful. If ever you need to find a more imaginative word for a piece of writing, a thesaurus can give you a series of options that you might not have thought of.
As well as for writing, it is very useful for preparing for the 11+ or entrance exams, where there is a requirement to know synonyms and antonyms.
– Synonym : A word with the same or similar meaning
– Antonym : A word that is opposite in meaning to another
For the same reasons as mentioned for a dictionary, I recommend that my students look up words for themselves in a thesaurus.
The Oxford English Thesaurus is available to buy at Amazon.
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About Me
My name is Nicola Bhalerao and I am a private tutor based in Warwick. Since 2013, I have provided one-to-one tuition for children and adults. I specialise in maths tutoring, but cater for different requests, ranging from 11+ / entrance exams to various uses of maths, e.g. : interviews, job promotions, GCSE retakes, Functional Skills, nursing, teaching – any situation where confidence in maths is required.
My background is in computing, with a Computer Science degree from Warwick University. I have worked many years as a programmer, latterly in the games industry. Both my sons were tutored by me for the 11+ (they went to a local grammar school). I received training for teaching secondary school maths and I am fully CRB checked.
Read here for more information on tuition for your child or tuition for yourself or another adult.
"Nicola has been very supportive by helping me to fill in the blanks left over from my high school education. This has been crucial to improving my confidence in mathematics"
"I was lacking confidence in maths. Nicola was a fantastic teacher and really helped to improve my technique and approach to maths problems. She is patient, understanding and friendly"
"She was very friendly and professional. After a few sessions I felt much more confident in my ability and passed the numerical reasoning tests. She explains things very clearly"
"Nicola was a patient tutor, always helpful in answering any questions I had. I’d always found maths quite a scary subject, but through Nicola's tutoring I found I built confidence with the subject"
"Nicola has been very supportive by helping me to fill in the blanks left over from my high school education. This has been crucial to improving my confidence in mathematics"
"I was lacking confidence in maths. Nicola was a fantastic teacher and really helped to improve my technique and approach to maths problems. She is patient, understanding and friendly"
"She was very friendly and professional. After a few sessions I felt much more confident in my ability and passed the numerical reasoning tests. She explains things very clearly"
"Nicola was a patient tutor, always helpful in answering any questions I had. I’d always found maths quite a scary subject, but through Nicola's tutoring I found I built confidence with the subject"