Vocabulary practice with a twist
A crossword makes children recall a word from its meaning and spell it exactly, letter by letter, to fit the squares.More puzzles
See the word search maker and, for pre-readers, the picture crossword in picture puzzles.Singapore curriculum links
- VocabularyVocabulary is one of six areas of language learning in the EL Syllabus 2020, from noticing words to using them for a purpose.
- Primary 3–4Spelling goals turn to often-misspelled and multisyllabic words, which a crossword makes children write exactly.
- ScienceScience starts in Primary 3, and a crossword is a quick way to review its new terms.
Crosswords are not named in the syllabus, but writing a clue is real vocabulary work: children have to explain a word’s meaning in a few words of their own. Try having pairs write clues for each other’s lists.
In lower primary, where the syllabus focuses on learning words through experience and enjoyment, keep the list short and take the words from a story the class has just read. For K2 and Primary 1, the picture crossword in picture puzzles is a gentler start.
Summarised in our own words from the MOE English Language Syllabus 2020 (Primary).
