Blog Name: The Gemini Geek
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Post: What Is A Crossword?
What Is A Crossword?
Someone searching for the soil in which the amazing crossword puzzle grew would have to travel to Liverpool, England. At least that’s what most game and puzzle histories state. However, the history of the crossword is not very long, in relative terms.
A crossword puzzle has a layout of squares, most of which are blank so that the player can insert letters to try and solve the puzzle. These words are read both horizontally (across) and vertically (down). This specific layout was first published in a New York newspaper in 1913, thanks to Arthur Wynne, who hailed from Liverpool. Crossword puzzles as we know them today have roots in the game called word square or magic square.
History shows that word squares of some sort date back hundreds of years. Some records show crossword puzzles were in use in the 1800s. But Wynne is credited with creating the first puzzle that appeared in a newspaper for public distribution. Wynne’s puzzle is said to have a slightly different appearance than the one most people enjoy in newspapers and crossword collections. In fact, it was originally supposed to be called a word cross, but a typesetter’s error is said to have reversed the words.
The commonly played crossword game or puzzle is solved by reading clues provided alongside the blank grid. These clues are organized by the starting number for the word and the direction that the word will read when the letters are filled in.
For example, 35 down would have a clue for a particular word and the first letter would be placed in square number 35. These letters must be exactly as the puzzle creator intended because other letters in the word might be included in another word that reads across. Filling in the squares completely means the puzzle is solved.
Wynne continued to create crossword puzzles because the public demanded it. History shows that when the publisher thought about discontinuing the feature, readers raised enough of a cry that the feature was continued on a regular basis.
About 10 years after the first crossword puzzle or word square appeared in the New York newspaper, companies began publishing collections or magazine-style books of what then became known as “crosswords.”
A few years later other newspapers in major cities began offering crosswords, which contributed to a “crosswords craze” in the Roaring ‘20s.
The enthusiasm for crossword puzzles, as well as for other word games, has hardly died down. In fact, readers can open almost any daily newspaper today and find a crossword puzzle. Many of these are offered by syndicates, which contract with a puzzle creator and distributes the same puzzle to various papers. Crosswords challenge millions of residents of the United States each day. Millions more attempt to solve the enjoyable and educational puzzles around the world. The latest development in crosswords is the availability of crossword puzzles and other word games online.
These can be purchased individually or as part of a software purchase. Fans can download software and receive new puzzles on a regular basis.
The word cross, which became crosswords, has grown from a humble beginning to become a mania in print and on the Web.
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Post: Improving Vocabulary / March 12, 2009
Improving Vocabulary
Since we have been discussing vocabulary for the past couple of days, I decided to go out and find ways in which we can improve ours and our students vocabulary skills. On this website, http://www.christian-mommies.com/ageless/school-and-homeschooling/12-ideas-for-improving-vocabulary/, the author, Rachel Lower has twelve suggestions in which we can improve volcabulary.
Improving Vocabulary Idea #1 Use Vocabulary SoftwareOne of the most effective ways to improve your vocabulary is to use vocabulary building software such as Ultimate Vocabulary. Software has many advantages over older methods, such as books and audio courses. For example, software can use many different learning strategies, rather than being limited to reading or listening. Also, software is great for keeping track of which words you want to learn. When you come across a word you don’t know, I recommend adding it to a list in your vocabulary software. C'Moms has tested and recommends this Vocabulary Building Software.
Improving Vocabulary Idea #2Crossword PuzzlesYou can find crossword puzzles for a variety of ages. For older children I would suggest the basic daily crossword puzzle in the newspaper, with the help of mom, dad or an older sibling. Or all three! They will pick up on many words, some of which crossword puzzles tend to use often. It also provides for a good memory and possibility a habit or hobby that keeps them sharp when their hairs turn grey and they need false teeth. When there are missing words no one can pin point they could search for the answer online or off line, or just wait until the answers come the next morning. If you don?t get a newspaper, there are many good crossword books. Just make sure to look through them first and see that the questions are not to hard and the answers not to obscure. http://www.dictionary.com/fun/crossword/For older children and adults:The New York Times Daily Crossword PuzzlesThe New York Times Easy Crossword PuzzlesEspecially for younger children:Children's Word Games and Crossword Puzzles, for Ages Seven to NineMore Outrageous Crossword Puzzles and Word Games for KidsBible Crossword Challenge, Big Print Bible Puzzles: 23 Crosswords Uses a Good Mix of Scripture Clues and General Knowledge CluesMy First Crossword Puzzle BookFor when you get stuck:Webster's New World (TM) Crossword Puzzle DictionaryThe New York Times Crossword Puzzle Dictionary
Improving Vocabulary Idea #3 Word SearchWord search puzzles are a great way to increase vocabulary. Since the words presented in each puzzle have a common bond, they will be chained together in your memory. The definitions will be learned in that way. Next time you think of chrysanthemum, you'll think of dandelion and rose and remember it is a flower. You can find word searched for all ages. Preschoolers can look for 'dog' or individual letters. You can easily make your own. You could present a spelling list or vocabulary list in this way. This, like crosswords, may also become a habit that will keep the mind sharp in old age. My own grandmother does this. I remember her word searches when I was a little girl and last time I visited her she pulled her booklet out and started one. Good habits these are. You can find specialized word search books, i.e. presidents, animals to go along with your lesson plan.http://www.dictionary.com/fun/wordsearch/The New Mammoth Book of Seek-A-WordThe 2nd New Mammoth Book of Seek-A-WordThe Original Mammoth Book of Seek-a-WordThe Jumbo Bible Wordsearch CollectionEspecially for younger children:Great Word Search Puzzles for KidsEasy Search-A-Word Puzzles (Dover Little Activity Books)
Improving Vocabulary Idea #4Online Word Games http://www.wgbh.org/radio/saysyou/http://games.yahoo.com/games/login?page=lthttp://games.yahoo.com/games/login?page=wwhttp://www.billsgames.com/wordscram/http://www.vocabulary.com/ (Many cool puzzles)http://www.wolinskyweb.net/word.htm
Improving Vocabulary Idea #5Note padYour child may find it handy to have a pen/pencil and pad of paper next to her when she reads. This way, she can write down any word (w/page number) that she does not know. When she is done reading she can define them, go back and read them in the context the book gave them and hopefully have some or all of them stick in her head. She could make it a point to include them in any projects surrounding the novel.
Improving Vocabulary Idea #6Off line Word GamesEnglish Teachers Book of Instant Word GamesMensa for Kids: 75 Word Puzzles
Improving Vocabulary Idea #7Board and Card GamesThere are many brilliant board games that focus on vocabulary. The most popular would be Scrabble. TIP: If the cost is daunting, perhaps you and a few other home schooling moms can work together to form a game library OR you could try making your own versions. Just look for directions to these games on the net and you can come up with your own ideas. Balderdash, for instance, you can picks words out and make fake definitions just as in balderdash. Then reading the word and the definitions -- the player must pick out the real definition. With some cardboard and markers you could make a scrabble game. Here is a fun filled list of vocabulary building board games:Scrabble * Scrabble Jr. * Balderdash * Wheel of fortune * Finish Lines * Scatt * Upwords * Bethump * Outburst * Boogle * Smart Mouth * Guesstures * Comotion * Mad Gab * Bible Outburst * A to Z * Outburst Jr. * Quiddler * Password * Boogle Jr. * Concentration * Malarky * Hangman (Great way to teach the word Aardvark -- that's how I learned it!) * A to Z Jr.
Improving Vocabulary Idea #8TalkingDon't forget that the first words your child ever said were from hearing YOU say them. That principle with keep on throughout life. When we hear someone saying a word again and again, it sticks. So don't forget to work on your own vocabulary -- and talk to your child! Have conversations. Get them talking. They will be listening. Ah! And don't forget to watch your language. Kids pick up on bad words just as easily.
Improving Vocabulary Idea #9ReadingReading does increase vocabulary. Don't forget to enrich your children's lives with a love for reading. Also reading newspapers and magazine articles can help improve vocabulary.
Improving Vocabulary Idea #10Latin and Greek RootsThe idea is to learn Latin and Greek root words. In this way, many words your child will run into can be "figured out". "Evince", they will recall evidently and evidence, "evi" seems to be a connection. What do those words have in common? Proof. Having some knowledge of how words are built and Latin roots can increase vocabulary and the ability to figure out what a word could mean when they don't have a dictionary handy. This is definitely more for older children, but when you start teaching vocabulary it can be introduced to their own level in small doses. http://www.wordfocus.com/Examples:graph (Greek) to write graphic, photography audi (Latin) to hear audible, auditoriumVocab-AbilityEnglish Words from Latin and Greek ElementsNtc's Dictionary of Latin and Greek Origins: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classical Origins of English Words Dictionary of Word OriginsThe Merriam-Webster New Book of Word HistoriesChambers Dictionary of Etymology
Improving Vocabulary Idea #11"What's that?"A young child will often ask, "What's that?!". Besides your answers, books like LeapStart Vocabulary Book: Richard Scarry Things To Know or videos like Bee Smart Baby, Vocabulary Builder 1 would certainly be of interest. Before they start asking, you can come out and tell them yourself, explain what they are doing ("you're eating cheerios"), sing to them, talk to them, makes all sorts of noises with them to help them develop the ability to speak certain syllables. For the older kids Vocabulary Cartoons: Building an Educated Vocabulary With Visual Mnemonics provides the same kind of visual aids. The library would have many. Later on, "What's that?!" still applies though the child may be less likely to ask. The idea is to provide opportunities for them to ask or simply be told. Something as simple as a field trip to the zoo. You can tell them, or have them read the signs, which animals are which. They will learn reading about the animals, words like "habitat", "diet", etc. They can learn names of animals, along with basic zoology. Museums also increase vocabulary. When you read the labels you'll find many tidbits. If you haven't painted much with your child yet and trip to the art gallery can have them learn words like "oils" "acryllics" "impressionism". Historical museums will introduce old tools and their names along with history. Exposing children to new places full of new things will kick of the "What's that?!" in them. My husband even asked me at the zoo, "What are those rabbit like animals over there?" Even we adults have this innate curiosity. Last year I learned many tree and plant names, and can identify many of them still, just by browsing the local garden centers.
Improving Vocabulary Idea #12Text Books and QuizzesYou can find a whole range of vocabulary work books to learn from, such as Vocabulary Workshop: Level A. These would be best used for the soon to be college bound teenagers. They are not as much 'fun', but short and productive word lists and quizzes. The word quiz in Readers Digest is a good example of a text book - like quiz. You can make your own 'fill in the blank' and 'match the word to the definition' quizzes. You could have your child make them, in fact, and then a week later have them answer them to see if they remember. The process of making the quiz is how they learn the word. Makes your work easier! I actually learned my Latin prefixes and suffixes from a work book. If I recall correctly it had twenty words in each lesson. I had to define them and then fill in the blanks into sentences. I enjoyed them. I was fifteen then.
Improving Vocabulary EXTRA TIP:Word of the DayWord of the Day is a handy FREE tool from Dictionary.com. If you sign up you get a word of the day in your email, every day as the name implies. The word, how to pronounce it, definition, examples and origins are included in each email. The archives can be found at http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/archive/. The words ranging from more common words such as 'aggressive' to left often used words like 'tocsin'. The general age range would be around twelve and up. As an adult, I have enjoyed improving my vocabulary with these emails. I recently caught myself using a word I had memorized from the Word of the Day in my everyday conversation. Other online words of the day can be found at:http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl Merriam-Webster and http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/ Wordsmith.org.http://www.mywordaday.com/.If you want to pick out your own word of the day I would suggest browsing through the archive, the dictionary or finding words in the Thesaurus to use. A good book to take words from is Word Smart: Building an Educated Vocabulary.It only takes two or three minutes to absorb the information. You and yours will find yourselves using some of the words. Remember, they will probably only "stick" if they are used.
I personally love all these ideas, and I think they will definately work with your students because they are fun ideas. All these ideas appeal to different students. Also you can also have a word of the day in your class, it can be in any class, it doesn't just have to be a reading class or an english. With the word of the day you can give your students incentives to use it. For example, you can give out homework passes to the first student in each class to properly use it in a sentence. I also found another website that would be really helpful for teachers on the elementary school level, http://www.time4learning.com/readingpyramid/vocabulary.htm.
LIST OF ONLINE
CROSSWORD WEBSITES
Please find below online crossword puzzle websites for which you don't need to register
- USA Today Crossword
- Classic New York Times Crossword Puzzle
- Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword
- http://www.webcrosswords.com/
- http://thinks.com/daily_crossword.htm
- The washingtonpost.com Daily Crossword
- The Heritage Newspapers
- http://www.macnamarasband.com/
- THEMELESS CrosSynergy
- Globe and Mail
- The Herald
- Daily Coded Puzzle
- Boatload of Crosswords
- BestCrosswords.com
- OnlineCrosswords.net
- WordLords
- Instant Online Crossword Puzzle Maker
Blog Name: Printable Thanksgiving Games
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Post: Printable Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle Challenge / 21.08.08
Printable Thanksgiving Crossword
Puzzle Challenge
Of all the Thanksgiving printable games, one of the tougher to explain to children is a crossword puzzle. This is not because the child lacks the capacity to understand what a printable Thanksgiving crossword puzzle entails.
It is just that the game is a lot less self-explanatory than most others. This, however, is not much of a problem. All that is required is a clear presentation of how the game is played. So, here is a simple way of explaining the rules of a printable Thanksgiving crossword puzzle to a younger audience.
The concept of a crossword puzzle is fairly simple. A person simply must answer a variety of questions in a manner that corresponds to the number of letters available on the crossword. That is, if the crossword puzzle reflects the correct answer to be 16 letters then the person playing the game is required to provide an answer with sixteen letters.
Here is an example of how a printable Thanksgiving crossword puzzle will work:
2 Across: What do people usually eat for Thanksgiving?
When you look at the corresponding blocks for ?2 across? there is space for six letters. So, the answer turkey would be a safe bet. However, the answer must also correspond with the ?down questions? that can be formed by the answers to the across questions. For example, let?s look at the following:
4 Down: What do most people eat as a trimming with their turkey?
4 down begins with the last letter of 2 across and it is a four letter word. (Don?t worry, it is not a bad four letter word) The end letter of 2 across is ?Y? so this would be the first letter of 4 down. As such, it would be a reasonable guess to conclude that the answer to 4 down is ?yams?.
It would also be somewhat helpful to explain to a young one that these games come with a host of values. Namely, it will increase their ability to think, write, and read. Obviously, these are all great skills that anyone ? young or old ? would find most beneficial. Granted, most young ones may not recognize the value of this.
However, as they grow older the value will eventually manifest. If you can get them hooked on crossword puzzles when younger, they will benefit dramatically from it. They might not appreciate this at first but they will discover the great benefits as time marches on!
Related Post of Scrabble in Blogosphere:
- Thanksgiving Word Games
Expanding Vocabulary the Play Way
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Post: Expanding Vocabulary the Play Way / 10 November 2008
Expanding Vocabulary the Play Way
Lately my game fever is back. It is that phase carrying on in which I feel like getting hooked to playing word games – my favourite brain booster.
I think they are a brilliant change from the usual learning tips to improve our vocabulary. Word games such as crosswords, quizzes, puzzles, or text twist are interesting, different and enjoyable. Not only do these games provide entertainment, they help us apply what we have learnt thus far. And playing these games is not restricted to computer or Internet.
Reader’s Digest’s Word Power section is one of the best vocabulary builder exercises I have read so far. It is a monthly bite. For each answer they provide detailed meaning, origin, and explanation, and that’s their unique style. In fact now there are millions of books and ways in which you can access such games. On Internet, my favourite is East of the Web website’s Eight Letter word game. Wanna play? Visit: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/games/Eight1.html
The Eight Letter game helps you build as many words as you can out of a set of letters, precisely out of eight letters. The sets keep changing as you proceed through different levels. This is exciting! Scrabble just goes a little further by helping you form words by connecting them with each other. If you play it with ‘only dictionary words allowed’ rule, it is a great brain booster.
Another fascinating game is the Text Twister, which makes you race against time, play with a set of letters, shuffle them, and guess more, more, and more.
Some of my friends agree that word games are vocabulary builders. “Of course word games help, how could they not? Crossword puzzles are a favorite of mine. Try easy ones first,” advises Bob, a friend in an online forum of English language, adding, “Read a lot and you’ll eventually pick it up. More important are vocabulary, grammar, and idioms. Read, read, read. Listen, listen, listen. And talk to native speakers as much as you can.”
Another member of the forum says, “Scrabble would probably be most helpful when played with others with a similar command of the language (and skill level). In cryptic crosswords the answers are usually pretty commonplace, obscurity being confined to the clues, but a solver without large knowledge of idioms and phrases will be rather handicapped.”
That is right. But that’s what adds to your knowledge when you try and find out more about what you don’t know. Solving crosswords, puzzles and quizzes with people who have better vocabulary than yours is especially helpful because that is when you get to learn the most. Next time using the newly learnt words in their correct places helps in remembering them forever.
Considering this, social networking websites such as Facebook and Orkut are popular platforms for people from all over the globe to play word games together and learn together. And having played many such, I can say – it is really helpful and loads of fun.
Try some and gain score – in life and in game.
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Post: Word Games (Sunday Scribblings) / March 7, 2008
Word Games (Sunday Scribblings)
MULTIPLICATIONS
I’ll admit it. I’m a word junkie. My favorite games are Scrabble and Boggle. I work and even create crossword puzzles. Beyond that, I love to play with individual words, twist them, slap them into new forms, wring them out for new meanings.
Whereas others may put themselves to sleep by counting sheep, I do so by counting the number of words that I can make from the letters of a single word chosen at random. I do mean at random. Sometimes I choose it by focusing on the spine of a book in my bookcase. Sometimes it just pops into my head. Sometimes I am frustrated, as when the word that popped into my head was Mississippi. Try as I might, I could only come up with the following words: sip, pips, pip, miss, sips, piss, pimp, pimps, imps, imp, simp (slang) and simps. When, as I sometimes do when I run out of other possibilities, I tried to compose something from these, it turned out to be indecent.
Last night the word for courting slumber was multiplications. I should explain my self-imposed rules. I only use letters to the extent that they occur in the original word. Therefore, from the word above, I could make action but not inaction, since the latter has two ns and multiplication has only one.
It put me to sleep last night, but not before the richness of its harvest imprinted itself on my mind to the extent that I expanded my word search into today. Then I tried to use the new words to compose a piece. What is it? Poem? Lecture? Diatribe? You decide.
Call up an atoll,
a tall atomic mist,
as small mutations cast a pall on millions.
Mull on impact , on implications
as an oil scion claims soil to tap for oil,
as compliant oilist toils to plant
panic imputations,
put out an illicit call-up to all,
to a son to sail into action
to implant on locals an unlocal plan,
to still complaints --
son lost at an action station
in pain to taint a soul,
slain in oil silt,
lain so still!
So still!
Oust a scamp!
Opt to call a recall poll!
A plain stipulation:
Stamp out atomic multiplication,
its toll on trust!
Cast out oil pacts!
Split past oil until
sun, not oil, can act!
Stop oil action,
its oil spill, oil spoil.
And to think that all this was found in that one word multiplications!
Yes, as you might guess from this, I have other obsessions: peace on earth, protection of the environment, world health and others. I’m sorry I couldn’t show my support of women by including a daughter as well as a son in this little piece. But she was not to be found in multiplications. Could it be that she prefers mathematics? If so, perhaps it’s because it has team items as its meat.
Yes, words can say things about themselves! I don’t know what this might mean in the case of Mississippi. I’ll skip New Orleans and the possible miss with a pimp. But I do remember a night in a motel on the Mississippi River when my husband and I bought bottled water so that, given the color of the water that flowed from our faucet, we didn’t have to sip piss from upstream!
DOWNLOADABLE WORD GAMES No.2
DOWNLOADABLE CROSSWORD GAMES
Griddlers Deluxe
Requirements:
32Mb Ram , Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP
Logic puzzle. Turn on your brain and use logics playing Griddlers Deluxe. With the help of the given numbers you are to paint the grid in such a way that the hidden picture becomes visible. You may create your own puzzle with your own image on the background. You can save your game for others to try it. Special hints help to play the game. You mustn't know any definite language for the game.
Source for download and further information.
Word Mojo Gold
Requirements:
CPU 400 MHz, 64 Mb RAM, 4 MB Video , Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP
Word Mojo Gold is a simple, crossword-style word game that is both challenging and fun! Word Mojo Gold's unique play style engages the player with unlimited word variations played against the clock or with no time limit. Score BIG by placing letters strategically to create a MEGA MOJO word! Think you've got WORD? Let Word Mojo Gold rate your MOJO, and you'll see if you've got WORD!
Source for download and further information.
Word Emperor
Requirements:
Memory: 32MB CPU: 200Mhz , Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Me
Whether or not you're a fan of crossword games, you will love Word Emperor! Not only does it have unique game play and an unlimited variety of different crosswords, but it also has beautiful Roman inspired graphics and music. There are 100 levels and 3 different gaming modes waiting for you to conquer!
Source for download and further information.
Mega Flexicon
Requirements:
Memory: 32MB CPU: 500Mhz , Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows NT
Mega Flexicon is a unique word game that plays much faster than a standard crossword, and has several twists that make for great game play. Answers are only 4, 5 and 6 letters long so the action is fast, and you can play a single puzzle against the clock, or play the progressive Mega game that adds a "bomb" timer for each answer that gets shorter with each successive puzzle. Can you solve all 6 puzzles in a row?!
Source for download and further information.
