Kids love word searches, but you can take it a step further to make learning spelling words easier and more fun.Give each student a piece of graph paper. I use paper with centimeter squares - the squres are big enough to write on, but it's small enough to fit lots on a sheet of paper.
Have the kids use a sharpie to box out a 20 x 20 set of squares on the graph paper. Or, the teacher could box out a 20 x 20 grid with a sharpie and Xerox it for each student in the class.
Have your students hide each of their spelling words in the grid. Tell them to place one letter in each box. Words can be hidden horizontally, diagonally, or vertically. They can even intersect.
When they're done, they can place random letters in the extra boxes. They have just created their own word search! Students then give the paper to a classmate to solve.
Two management tips:
- Be sure each child has a copy of the spelling list. Alternatively, you can make up sheets that have the spelling list on the bottom half and grid paper on the top half.
- When kids are solving the puzzle, have them use different colored crayons to highlight the words. This makes the answers easier to see. Otherwise, you have a pencil puzzle with a pencil solution - which can be hard to read.
My students love making word search for friends. It's an easy lesson and it forces kids to practice their words twice - once when making the puzzle and again when they solve a friend's puzzle.
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