Description:
Designed as a transition dictionary for readers in late-elementary school, Webster's New World Children's Dictionary bridges the gap between simple, picture-based dictionaries and the dull-but-necessary ones we all reach for when faced with unknown words. The medium-sized text, example sentences that accompany most definitions, and the miniature pronunciation guide on every page all work nicely together to ensure that kids will understand correct usage without getting overwhelmed with detail. Also included are maps, history and geography pages, and an introductory thesaurus. Especially helpful for younger users is the 10-page guide to dictionary usage, which covers synonyms, homonyms, and the ever-important ways to look up a word when you don't know how to spell it in the first place. In general, the definitions are easily understandable for children ages 7 to 12, providing accurate answers without being verbose. In Webster's New World College Dictionary, "rebel" is described as "one who engages in armed resistance against the established government of one's country." In this version, you'll find the more kid-friendly definition "a person who fights against any kind of control or authority." The disk that accompanies the text version of the dictionary will be especially helpful to fifth and sixth graders using a home computer for papers and book reports, but chances are it won't replace your word processor's spell checker. It loads quickly and easily, but its special feature may actually annoy some users: an automatic pull-down menu starts churning out possible words as soon as you type the first letter, so it may end up frustrating rather than assisting in your word hunt. Educational games are also included on the disk, but they only work with older, 8-bit video cards. --Jill Lightner System requirements: - PC, Pentium recommended
- Windows 95/98
- 16MB RAM
- 20MB free hard disk space
- 640x480 video display with 256 colors
- Soundblaster compatible sound card and speakers
- 4x CD ROM
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