Blank Crossword Puzzle Template

New speakers of English enjoy the hand-made puzzles in Elizabeth Claire’s new book, “Easy English Crossword Puzzles.”

Illustrations by Dave Nicholson

Virginia Beach, VA (PRWEB) June 28, 2011

“The puzzles are ‘hand made,’” says Claire, “as opposed to computer-generated. Computer programs use random words that English language learners are not likely to know, and generally don’t have the number of crossings needed to make a puzzle interesting.”

When Claire first started Easy English NEWS, she hired a Canadian scrabble champion to create the crossword puzzles for her. She gave him a list of words from the upcoming issue of Easy English NEWS, and restricted additional words to those that would be in a second year language student’s vocabulary. The expert was able to produce a puzzle in a half hour. Eventually, Claire got the hang of it, too, though it took her much longer than it did him. “I love to play with words; I found it challenging and fun to make the puzzles myself,” says Claire.

Each puzzle has a theme, such as a holiday, season, or historic event. What makes these selected puzzles suitable for students learning English, says Claire, is that she carefully chooses high-frequency words,–those most likely to be known by a second year language student. Rather than tricky, cute, or ambiguous definitions or plays on words, so common in standard puzzles, Claire wrote straightforward, helpful definitions with the intention of improving the puzzle doer’s rate of success.

In her surveys of readers and teachers using Easy English NEWS, Claire noted a strong request for more crossword puzzles. She selected the best of the puzzles over the past 15 years, refined them, and created a book of 38 ESL-friendly puzzles, with an appendix of common words used in the puzzles: state abbreviations; common two-letter words; common abbreviations, U.S. presidents, and holidays and events in the U.S.

All the puzzles were tested on new speakers of English before publication. Easy English NEWS’s art consultant, Dave Nicholson created amusing illustrations, which are half the fun. Easy English Crossword Puzzles is available at Elizabethclaire.com.

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Related Crossword Puzzles Vocabulary Press Releases

Technorati Tags: Book, Claire's, crossword, Easy, Elizabeth, english, Enjoy, handmade, Puzzles, speakers

by monkey sidekick

Question by T M: Crossword puzzles specifically designed to increase vocabulary?
I’m looking for crossword puzzles that are specifically designed to increase vocabulary. Obviously crosswords do that in general, but I’m looking for ones that are more specific to vocabulary words.

Here’s what I’m trying to avoid:
Clue: football, most places
Answer: soccer
&
Clue: Dutch name of the Hague
Answer: Haag

Preferably somebody could point out something that I can do on-line, but print publications would be helpful too.

Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by Fuzzy
Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle (Definitions – Includes List of Words) … Geography Vocabulary (Grades 5 and up) Crossword Puzzles Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle

http://edhelper.com/Geographical_Terms.htm

What do you think? Answer below!

Technorati Tags: crossword, designed, increase, Puzzles, specifically, vocabulary

by monkey sidekick

Crossword puzzles are a healthful activity for all ages! They help to keep the mind alert and active, improve thinking skills, memory skills, math skills, expand vocabulary, spelling and more! They can be, educational, fun games for kids and adults. Free crosswords consist of a variety of puzzles with different categories. Each category has its own puzzle topics.

Crosswords for Kids consist of puzzles suitable for children of different ages. Some puzzles may be more difficult than others. Depending on the age of the child, adult supervision or guidance may be needed to solve the puzzles. There can be a variety of topics included in this category. For instance, topics may include colors, pets, small crafts, fun kids events and more. Kids can learn solving crosswords puzzles. They can play them with family, friends or by themselves. These convenient crossword puzzles for print can be played anytime!

Easy Crosswords consist of puzzles suitable and, fairly, easy for adults. Find a variety of topics: benefits of vitamins, homemade skin care, science terms, soap making information, soap recipes, goats milk soap, pet care information, natural news and more. Natural bath and body products information may also be topics: homemade shampoo, homemade lip balm, best body lotion, homemade lotion, homemade bath salts, foot scrubs, and more! There is an abundance of health care, skin care, pet care and “how to” information!

A Daily Crossword is unique, to free crosswords. These daily puzzles have a day of the week. Monday through Saturday, located inside each puzzle. They also ask a secret question that you’ll need to answer. If you don’t solve this puzzle, you can’t answer the question correctly.

Math Crossword Puzzles are fun for all ages! They consist of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division functions. A simple statement is given and it’s up to you to figure and solve an equation to find the correct answer. To benefit the most from math puzzles, use your thinking skills by solving on paper first, without the help of a calculator. Although, some prefer to use a calculator for assistance, when needed.

Sunday Crossword Puzzles all contain the word “Sunday” located somewhere within the puzzle. There could be a variety of topics in this category for kids and adults. Find: pet care, skin care, current events, small crafts, fun trivia questions and more!

Printable Crossword Puzzles can be downloaded for print. They’re convenient to use. Use them at parties, events, or group gatherings. Use them as teaching tools at: classes, workshops or demonstrations. Use them at home or take them on the go! Play with family, friends, or by yourselves. Print them out and solve them at your leisure. They’re convenient, educational, fun and FREE!

There is a crossword helper key that contains ALL of the crossword answers, to free crosswords games! Use this key to check your answers, make corrections or for assistance, if needed. For maximum benefit, first try solving these puzzles without the help of the key. Use the crossword helper key, only when needed. This key, showing all of the crossword answers, can be downloaded for print or just viewed online.

Crosswords are educational, healthful and fun activities for kids and adults! Which category will you decide to play? If you’re ready for a challenge! Try FREE crosswords today!

Technorati Tags: Activities, Adults, crosswords, free, Kids

by monkey sidekick

Puzzling is a type of activity to our brains. People do puzzle for fun and to get fast thinking. Puzzling will become a boost to our brain. If you do puzzling everyday we can see the difference how the brain starts thinking faster and faster. There are many puzzle websites where we can solve it in the website itself, or buy puzzle books online or outside shops. You would get more benefits if you do puzzling with more than one person and you would experience joy and fun by doing puzzling.

Many types of puzzles are there. Here I am listing some standard puzzles which are Word Search, Crosswords, Jigsaw Puzzle, Hangman, Philippine, Sliding Puzzle, Maze, Cryptogram, Clues in Square, Fill-In. Word search and Crosswords puzzles will improve our vocabulary and spelling.

Benefits of doing Crossword puzzle everyday:

Get pure fun: We will get fun of doing Crossword puzzle and participate in competitions to get more fun.
It improves Vocabulary: Crosswords are excellent source of new words. It is also a quick way to learn new language or improve our own language.
Great Spelling: To improve our spelling performance, this is useful for kids and adults as well. If you go wrong with spelling, it would not fit in it so definitely we will think of right one.
It reduces tension: After completing a crossword puzzle we would get peaceful mind, there is no time restriction to complete it.
Improve performance at work: To complete a puzzle, brain has to think fast and concentrate on one thing. Obviously our brain performance will improve, well at work.
Improves of thinking pattern solution: A puzzle has different patterns to complete it. It would let our brain to think different ways of solution in less time.

It has many other benefits scientifically to exercise our brain and to think fast. So if you are not doing any puzzling and want to get above benefits start doing it by now. Then you will see the difference your brain performance was and now.

7 Ideas To Improve Your Langauge Vocabulary EXLsite.com Read And Listen A Lot •Pick Up New Vocabulary •See How Words Are Used In Context •Understand How They Are Used Write New Words Down •Flashcards •Phrase Book •Software Make Sentences With Them •Write Out A Sentence •Practice It •Use It When Talking To Others Connect The Dots •Word Itself •Context •Differences & Similarities Associate The Words •Susbstitute Sounds •Visualize Them •Associate Review Words Learned •Look For Them In Context •Use An SRS •Recycle Play Word Games •Memory Game •Search-A-Word •Crossword Puzzle 7 Ideas To Improve Your Langauge Vocabulary EXLsite.com
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Technorati Tags: Benefit, Gives, Puzzling