Exhilarating, exciting, electrifying - online or print?

Once there were word webs (opens in a new window) to explore synonyms with children.

Now there is a neat website called Visuwords (opens in a new window), an online thesaurus and dictionary. It’s fun to see words bounce and connect. There’s even color coding to identify the parts of speech. (Thanks to a Reading Rockets colleague for the link!)

But like the ongoing discussion about the use of physical books (or hardcopy or low-tech books — whatever best describes them), do these materials stand alone or are they best used with physical materials — especially for younger children?

I may sound old-fashioned, but it seems to me that when using a physical book, there’s a lot more serendipitous discovery possible for a range of children. Take for example, the 2008 Merriam-Webster Children’s Dictionary (opens in a new window). Childrenas young as 7 years old can check out a word in this attractive volume; they may find an additional word or a picture that intrigues them. And frankly it doesn’t need any other equipment except, of course, a light source by which to see.

There’s a lot of talk these days about replacing physical books with the digital variety. I for one don’t think that it’s a good idea to replace books entirely, especially for young children.

Rather, digital books and neat sites like Visuwords and other terrific sites (opens in a new window) intended for young users such as those recommended by the American Library Association, complement other experiences like dipping or delving into a book.