The educational value of crosswords is evident when considering the multiple learning skills involved in both creating and solving these puzzles. Not just fun anymore, crossword puzzles have achieved national pastime status in the US and other countries. Its popularity began around the 1920s and continues to grow today.

Crosswords, at a very basic level, can be a fun way to introduce word skills to younger students, while older students can add to their vocabulary pool. Meanwhile, adults enjoy these puzzles so much that they work on millions of copies of puzzles in magazines, newspapers, and books every day. In today’s technologically advanced world, there are even computer programs available, such as Discovery Education’s Puzzlemaker, that allow teachers to create customizable puzzles to support classroom instruction for all grade levels.

The educational value of these puzzles spans many skill areas. Some of the main areas in which solving and / or creating puzzles can benefit educational efforts include:

1- Construction of vocabulary

2- Spelling skills

3- Reading skills

4- Word comprehension skills

5- Dictionary skills

6- reasoning skills

Part of the educational value of crosswords is inherent in the very words that are used to compose the puzzles. A person trying to solve a puzzle must first understand the clues leading to the answers and then use the proper spelling to solve the puzzle. Memory and recall also come into play when solving thematic crosswords: a science teacher can create a puzzle that uses scientific terms to coordinate with lessons, while a story-related puzzle can have terms of a period of time in particular, with historical figures, key place Names and other relevant historical facts.

All types of students can benefit from the educational value of puzzles. Using crossword puzzles within education can be a huge plus – teachers have great teaching tools at their disposal, while allowing students to learn while having fun!