What age for simple crossword puzzles?

[sleepymommy]

Ds1's co-op teacher has put some crossword puzzles worksheets in his binder for his "homework", but he had a lot of trouble with it.

 

I tried to help him form some "strategies" to find the words, but he just was not getting it at all. FWIW, he'll be 6 in June.

 

So what age do you all think is appropriate for simple crossword puzzles?

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

My oldest enjoys crossword puzzles and she is 5yo.

[sleepymommy]

Lisa, does your daughter read well? Ds1 is only beginning reading and some of the words on his puzzle were pretty big and unfamiliar to him (ex. vivaparous). So he was trying to just find the matching letters and I believe it was a bit straining for his eyes.

 

I'm thinking maybe if the words were smaller and more familiar then it might be a little easier. He also often reads backwards (right to left) and flips his letters when he writes. This is probably also leading to some difficulty.

 

Any tips on how to help him? Or is this just one of those things that he has to grow into?

[sleepymommy]

Anyone?

[Aurelia]

Ariel does simple ones with words like tent and pail. There is no way I would expect a 6 year old to figure out a word that long. He will mature into them, but he needs more time.

Edited April 30, 2010 by Aurelia

[~Kirsten~]

Wow, my almost-6-year-old is a strong reader, and I know there's no way she'd handle a crossword with those words! Given that your son is just getting going with reading and has some issues with reversals, I think crosswords would naturally be beyond him, even if they were truly simple (and the one you mention doesn't even sound simple for me as an adult, you know? :D). My DD does the occasional, very simple crossword in her spelling workbook. At most, there are 4 across and 4 down, and all the words are 1st grade spelling level, so quite short and familiar.

 

If you mean word finds, like where you hunt for and circle the word, she struggles a LOT with those, too, even with simple, short words. She tends to get quite frustrated with all the extra letters, and it confuses her to look backwards and diagonally. So those are a no-go around here. I don't know which you mean for sure, but I thought I'd mention that.

 

Don't be discouraged! The exercise sounds quite beyond a 6-year-old to me. :grouphug: I'd probably talk with the teacher and see if it's a "stretching" activity for fun or something she truly expects him to be able to accomplish.

[sleepymommy]

 

If you mean word finds, like where you hunt for and circle the word, she struggles a LOT with those, too, even with simple, short words. She tends to get quite frustrated with all the extra letters, and it confuses her to look backwards and diagonally. So those are a no-go around here. I don't know which you mean for sure, but I thought I'd mention that.

 

 

Yes, these are the kind I mean.

 

Thanks, Kirsten and Aurelia!

[Momling]

I'd say 7 or 8 is about the age that most kids can understand and appreciate crossword puzzles. I'd be surprised if the average 5 yr old could really figure out crosswords without some serious parent help.

[*Jen*]

For word search puzzles it helps my son if I write the word down on an index card. He uses the card to go line by line looking for the starting letters. All the word search puzzles that he is capable of doing have the word either straight across or down, no backwards or diagonal words. I have taught him how to use the edge of the card to help him stay on the same line of letters either horizontally or vertically. It has really helped him to focus on a single line at a time. Then having the word written on the card helps so he doesn't have to go back to the word box to figure out what word he was searching for.