Three Unique Ways to Use Crossword Puzzles in the Classroom

Times are tough! And today's kids can be a tough crowd to entertain and teach! How can we hold their attention in this world of overstimulation? With these fun crossword alternatives!

1. ORAL crossword! Only give your students the puzzle with no clues whatsoever. You give the clues orally. In a foreign language class, this can be an excellent listening activity. Tell students to fill in what they can and then repeat the clues once more at the end.

2. PICTURE crossword! Again, only give your students the puzzle with no clues. For each clue, hold up a picture. This works especially well with a unit that involves a lot of new vocabulary. As you finish, tape the pictures (labeled with clue number) to the board so that students can go back and fillin missed words.

3. OBJECT crossword! Once again, only give students the blank puzzle with no clues. Place your items around the room, each labeled with their clue number. Have students rotate around the room to different stations, allow them to pick up the objects as they complete the puzzle. This tactile version of the puzzle is great for those students who are hands-on learners. This type of puzzle works well for units with a lot of vocabulary - in a Spanish class, you might do this with foods, personal care items, clothing, office items, anything small enough for you to bring in to class without too much inconvenience.

Think outside the box and you'll come up with all sorts of fun alternatives to our traditional and somewhat tired classroom activities!