Find out how using dictionaries and thesauruses can expand your child’s vocabulary and help them enjoy learning.
Blog posts for: Dictionaries & language
How fun with phonics helps develop communication skills
One of the most valuable skills we can give our children is the ability to communicate well. Read top tips on how to develop communication skills.
WIN a Christmas book bundle!
It’s the season of giving, so we’re celebrating with not just one book of the month, but a whole bundle of festive treats!
Book of the Month: Big Words for Little People
To celebrate the publication of the brand-new Big Words for Little People series, we’ve got three pairs of books to give away! (November 2020)
Big Words for Little People
A series of picture books created by the language experts at Oxford University Press to introduce young children to the words they need to make sense of their feelings.
Oxford Primary Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Dictionary: Answer sheet
Answers to the Oxford Primary Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Dictionary activity sheets.
Oxford School Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Dictionary: Answer sheet
Answers to the Oxford School Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Dictionary activity sheets.
Oxford Primary Illustrated Maths Dictionary: Using the dictionary
Answer questions about these common maths terms.
Oxford Primary Illustrated Maths Dictionary: Answer sheet
Answers to the Oxford Primary Illustrated Maths Dictionary activity sheets.
Oxford Primary Illustrated Science Dictionary: Answer sheet
Answers to the Oxford Primary Illustrated Science Dictionary activity sheets.
Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary: Answer sheet
Answers to the Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary activity sheets.
Oxford First Grammar Punctuation and Spelling Dictionary: Answer sheet
Answers to the Oxford First Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Dictionary activity sheets.
Big Words for Little People: Bravery
This little hardback picture book creates a moment to focus on Bravery. It introduces words to talk about feelings with confidence and in a way that feels good.
Big Words for Little People: Kindness
This little hardback picture book creates a moment to focus on Kindness. It introduces words to talk about feelings with confidence and in a way that feels good.
Roald Dahl: GIANT crossword
Find all the gobblefunk words in this Roald Dahl crossword.
Roald Dahl: Answer sheet
Answers to the Roald Dahl Thesaurus activity sheets.
Oxford Primary Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Dictionary
The Oxford Primary Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling Dictionary is the essential reference book. In full colour, it has easy-to-use rules and help, plus an alphabetical list of the tricky, and everyday, words including those most commonly misspelt, all backed by analysis of Oxford’s unique database of children’s writing.
Big Words for Little People: Friendship
This little hardback book creates a moment to focus on Friendship. It introduces words to talk about feelings with confidence and in a way that feels good.
Big Words for Little People: Calmness
This little hardback book creates a moment to focus on Calmness. Using carefully chosen words and phrases, such as ‘breathe’ or ‘balance’, it creates a special moment for grown-ups and young children to focus on what it means to be calm and how to cope with worries.
Phonics: long vowel sounds (Super challenge)
Identify the pictures and sort the word with long vowel sounds (/ai/, /ee/, /igh/, and /oa/ sounds).
Phonics: Long vowel sounds
Sort words to show which long vowel sound they include (/ai/, /ee/, /igh/, and /oa/ sounds).
Good writing: Standard and non-standard English
Practise identifying Standard and Non-Standard English.
Roald Dahl: Giant wanted
Draw a picture of a murderful giant and label its body parts – from its foulsome teeth to its thirstbloody eyes…
Roald Dahl’s Rotsome & Repulsant Words
Cheeky chiddlers will love foxing grown-ups with Roald Dahl’s mischievously insulting language. Plus get ready to be goose-gruggled and fluckgungled by the raft of snippets of serious language facts they will learn too. This little book is full of vermicious tips, definitions and examples from the World’s No.1 storyteller.
Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary (Hardback)
This is not an ordinary dictionary. Lots of dictionaries tell you what an ‘alligator’ is, or how to spell ‘balloon’, but they won’t explain the difference between a ‘ringbeller’ and a ‘trogglehumper’. All the words that Roald Dahl invented are here, with real citations from Roald Dahl’s children’s books and illustrations by Quentin Blake, to inspire and encourage young writers and readers.
Oxford First Illustrated Maths Dictionary: Answer sheet
Answers to the Oxford First Illustrated Maths Dictionary activity sheets.
Oxford Primary Illustrated Science Dictionary
A new edition of this favourite illustrated alphabetical dictionary with terms and concepts from the curriculum clearly explained to support children aged 8–11. With around 1000 words and meanings and a thematic supplement on focus areas, it is the ideal quick reference tool for school and home.
Oxford Primary Illustrated Maths Dictionary
A new edition of this favourite illustrated alphabetical dictionary of key maths terms and concepts from the curriculum. An essential dictionary for children aged 8–11 to use at both home and school, with around 1000 words and meanings and a thematic supplement on focus areas.
Oxford Mini School Dictionary & Thesaurus
This new edition of the bestselling Oxford School Dictionary (Mini) has contemporary, comprehensive vocabulary coverage, example sentences, and fascinating word origins. The dictionary supports students with their language and spelling skills, and helps with the transition from primary to secondary school.
Oxford First Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Dictionary
A must-have for children, parents and teachers preparing for the grammar, punctuation and spelling test at the end of Key Stage 1. Friendly bird characters help explain grammar and punctuation, and provide spelling tips. Includes
Oxford First Illustrated Science Dictionary: Answer sheet
Answers to the Oxford First Illustrated Science Dictionary activity sheets.
Roald Dahl: Propsposterous plants
Can you invent your own extra-usual tree, plant or flower?
Roald Dahl: Odd word out
Can you spot the odd one out in these lists of related words?
Roald Dahl: What do you call…?
Choose the correct word to match each of the descriptions.
Phonics: Grouping words by sound (Super challenge)
Sort words into the correct boxes to show where the /k/ sound appears in the word.
Phonics: Grouping words by sound
Sort and group words together that have the same phonic sound (/s/, /n/, and /k/ sounds).
Roald Dahl: Hidden creatures
Circle the names of all the extra-usual creatures from Roald Dahl’s stories.
Roald Dahl: Redunculous recipes
The BFG has a surplus of snozzcumbers! Can you create a new recipe to help him use them up?
Roald Dahl: Spliffling speech
Can you fill in each of the blanks with a synonym of ‘said’?
Roald Dahl: Weather for Wonka
Can you predict the weather for Willy Wonka and write a forecast?
Roald Dahl: Guess the origin
Learn about etymology by guessing which words come from which origins.
Roald Dahl: Alphabetical order
Put these jumbly words into the correct order.
Oxford Children’s Rhyming Dictionary
Poetry and creative writing is fun with the Oxford Children’s Rhyming Dictionary. With inspiring poems by John Foster, quirky illustrations and engaging creative writing activities, this alphabetical rhyming dictionary gives over 3000 rhyming words to help children to write their own poems, riddles, and nonsense verse.
Verbs: Active and passive voice
Practise changing sentences from passive voice to active voice and vice versa.
Science and areas of study
Find the different areas of scientific study in the wordsearch and match them to the correct description.
Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary
Using the Oxford Reading Tree Floppy’s Phonics Sound and Letters Programme and synthetic phonics, the Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary helps children become proficient readers and spellers. With 4000 words, ordered by sounds and spellings and linked to the Alphabetic Code Chart, it makes preparing for the phonics screening check simple and fun.
Oxford Primary Illustrated Dictionary
This new colourful dictionary is for children aged 7+ eager to discover new words and spellings. Not only does it feature clear definitions, word origins, and synonyms but the letters start with fun facts, tips help with navigation, examples come from favourite books and the supplement gives extra vocabulary too.
Oxford Primary Illustrated Thesaurus
This new colourful thesaurus is for children aged 7+ to discover different words for writing. It contains thousands of synonyms, panels of alternatives for overused words like ‘nice’, writing tips and related word webs, navigation tips, examples from favourite books and a supplement of extra vocabulary.
Oxford Mini School Thesaurus
An up-to-date new edition of this bestselling, comprehensive classroom classic, with new curriculum support. Focused coverage of words, synonyms and antonyms help to improve writing skills, for creative writing and non-fiction. Essential spelling, grammar and punctuation support makes it perfect for progress from primary to secondary school.
Oxford Mini School Dictionary
This new edition of the bestselling Oxford School Dictionary (Mini) has contemporary, comprehensive vocabulary coverage, example sentences, and fascinating word origins. The dictionary supports students with their language and spelling skills, and helps with the transition from primary to secondary school.
Oxford Roald Dahl Thesaurus
This is a real thesaurus for all chiddlers and even some adult human beans. It features hundreds of spliffling words used and created by the world’s best storyteller, Roald Dahl, together with useful synonyms, related words and phrases, idioms and word origins.
Oxford Illustrated Children’s Dictionary
New edition of this family dictionary to boost spelling and improve vocabulary. With over 50,000 words (including school subject vocabulary), puzzles and artwork and photographs to support entries, child-friendly and relevant examples and help with pronunciation for tricky words – it is perfect for homework help.
Oxford School Dictionary & Thesaurus
The Oxford School Dictionary & Thesaurus is a comprehensive one-stop shop for definitions, curriculum vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and punctuation as well as synonyms and writing tips. It is ideal students finishing primary and going on to secondary school.
Phonics: Which spelling? (Super challenge)
Choose the correct letter or letter groups to complete these common words (/j/and /m/sounds).
Phonics: Which spelling?
Choose the correct letter or letter groups to complete these common words (/s/and /f/sounds).
Phonics: Matching sounds
Identify words that start with the same phonic sounds.
Phonics: Rhyming games (Super challenge)
Find and spell rhyming words then create your own poem.
Phonics: How many sounds?
Identify how many phonic sounds make up these common words.
Phonics: How many sounds? (Super challenge)
Label the pictures and identify how many phonic sounds make up these words.
Phonics: Matching sounds (Super challenge)
Identify words that have the same phonic sounds in the middle.
Oxford School Dictionary
This new edition of the bestselling Oxford School Dictionary (hardback) has contemporary, comprehensive vocabulary coverage, example sentences, and fascinating word origins. The dictionary supports students with their language and spelling skills, and helps with the transition from primary to secondary.
Optical illusions
Look at these optical illusions and answer the questions. In each case, what you think you see is not what is actually drawn.
Word classes
Practise identifying word classes, including adjectives, nouns, and verbs.
Sorting: Hard and soft materials
Identify which of these materials are hard and which are soft and sort them under the correct headings.
Oxford Primary Thesaurus
New edition of the Oxford Primary Thesaurus with thousands of synonyms, writing tips, overused words and word webs to build writing confidence. Examples from authors such as Roald Dahl inspire children to use language creatively. This is the ideal thesaurus for primary age children to use independently.
Life processes
Match the life processes to the correct description and find the odd one out in these lists of living things.
Oxford Primary Dictionary
New edition of the bestselling Oxford Primary Dictionary with more words added, more spelling support, and enhanced supplements for grammar and language help. Easy-to-use with clear entries and examples from the books children love reading, plus curriculum help, it is the ideal dictionary for children aged 8+.
Oxford Children’s Thesaurus
A new edition of the popular Oxford Children’s Thesaurus, ideal for homework with updated text and a new Creative Writing supplement.
Punctuation marks
Practise using the correct punctuation marks in sentences (full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks).
Oxford Children’s Dictionary
A new edition of the popular Oxford Children’s Dictionary, ideal for homework help with updated text and a new supplement on punctuation, grammar and spelling.
Teasing tongue-twisters (1)
How quickly can you say each of these tongue-twisters?
Putting things in order
Put words in alphabetical order.
Write your own tongue-twisters
Write your own tongue-twisters.
Phonics: Word games
Find the words that have the /ai/ phonic sound in this wordsearch.
Phonics: What am I? (Super challenge)
Decipher the phonic clues to work out which animal is being described.
Phonics: Word games (Super challenge)
Use the picture clues to complete this crossword and identify the long vowel phonic sound.
Phonics: Rhyming games
Identify words that end with the same phonic sounds to create fun rhymes.
Phonics: Alternative spellings (Super challenge)
Practise spelling using the correct letter groups for the /ur/ phonic sound.
Phonics: Alternative spellings
Choose the correct letters to complete these common words containing the long /oo/ phonic sound.
Plants and photosynthesis
Answer the clues to solve this crossword about plants and then complete the paragraph about how plants make food in their leaves.
Nouns and adjectives
Practise identifying common nouns, proper nouns, and adjectives and how they can be used together in sentences.
Measuring units
Sort these units to show what they measure and identify which units should be used in context.
2D and 3D Shapes
Identify and label these 2D and 3D shapes.
Fraction diagrams
Write the correct fraction next to each diagram and practise working out the fraction of a quantity.
Oxford First Thesaurus
Major new edition of the Oxford First Thesaurus in paperback updated to include more related words, synonyms and antonyms to develop children’s writing skills and support comprehension. The perfect resource for home and school to inspire children to use more creative and interesting vocabulary.
Metals and states of matter
Answer the five clues to find five metals and label the changes of state to complete this diagram.
Carbon and other materials
Match the material to the correct description and identify the different forms of the element carbon.
Food webs
Fill in the blanks in this food web for a grassy field using five statements about the animals and plants.
Diseases and viruses
Match the human diseases to their descriptions and fill in the blanks to complete these notes about foodstuffs and human digestion.
Light and reflection
Classify the transparent, translucent, and opaque objects, and practise reflection.
Human body
Fill in the blanks using the clues to identify parts of the human bod. Have a go at arranging the parts of the alimentary (digestive) canal.
Classification of living things
Name the group of living organisms that is described and have a go at finding examples for each of the classes of vertebrate.
Sorting: Plants and animals
Label the different plants and animals and sort them under the correct headings.
Oxford First Dictionary
Major new edition of the Oxford First Dictionary in paperback includes new words and more pages to improve spelling, extend vocabulary and support comprehension in the curriculum. Its accessible alphabetical layout and new supplement on spelling and grammar tips and activities, makes it the perfect first dictionary for home and for starting school!
Decimals and money
Practise rounding sums of moneys and converting measurements containing decimals.
Measures and time
Match imperial units to the situations, and record the time using digital and analogue clocks.
Verbs and tenses
Practise identifying the tense of a sentence and the types of verbs that indicate future tense.
Oxford Very First Dictionary
The Oxford Very First Dictionary, with its colourful clear layout and familiar first words, each with a simple definition and illustration, is a fun and easy way for young children to learn how to use a dictionary. Helps support early litearcy skills.
Angles in shapes
Label and measure obtuse, acute and right angles and identify the parallel and perpendicular objects.

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