The Educational Value Of Crossword Puzzles

The education value of crossword puzzles is readily apparent when one considers
the multiple learning skills involved in both creating and solving a crossword p
uzzle. No longer just a fun diversion, crossword puzzles have reached the status
of a national pastime in the US and in other countries. Their popularity began
around the 1920s and continues to grow today.
Crossword puzzles, at a very basic level, can be a fun way to introduce word sk
ills to the youngest students, while older ones can add to their vocabulary set.
Adults meanwhile, enjoy crossword puzzles so much that they work on millions of
copies of crossword puzzles in magazines, newspapers and books every day. In to
day's technologically advanced world, there are even computer programs available
--such as Discovery Education's Puzzlemaker--that allows teachers to create cust
omizable crossword puzzles to support classroom instruction for all grades.
The education value of crossword puzzles reaches into many skill areas. Some of
the main areas in which solving and / or creating crossword puzzles can benefit
educational efforts include:
1- Vocabulary building
2- Spelling skills
3- Reading skills
4- Word comprehension skills
5- Dictionary skills
6- Reasoning skills
Part of the educational value of crossword puzzles is inherent within the very
words used to make up the puzzles. A person trying to solve a crossword puzzle m
ust first understand the clues that lead to the answers, and then use proper spe
lling to solve the puzzle. Memory and recall also come into play when solving th
emed crossword puzzles - a science teacher may create a puzzle that uses scienti
fic terms to coordinate with lessons, while a history-related puzzle might have
terms from one particular time period, with historical figures, key place names
and other relevant historical facts.
Additionally, crossword puzzles can provide great value to "English as a Second
Language" (ESL) teachers. The clues and answers can be an engaging way for stud
ents learn English--a comparatively complicated language--through the identifica
tion of different combinations of consonants and vowels to determine proper pron
unciation, classification of different parts of speech, and the investigation of
more complex concepts like homonyms, synonyms and antonyms in reading carefully
worded clues.
Older students may be interested in the actual construction of crossword puzzle
s, allowing them to enhance planning, spacing and basic math skills in developin
g the answer grid, and critical thinking in the creation of clues.
All types of learners can benefit from the educational value of crossword puzzl
es. Using crossword puzzles within education can be a huge plus - teachers have
great teaching tools at their disposal, while allowing students to learn while h
aving fun!