Why use puzzles to support learning? Puzzles are a fun and interactive activity that support brain health. They help to make connections between what kids see on the paper and what they know to be true. Kids have knowledge of spelling conventions and use that to determine strategies to solve puzzles. Puzzles also help consolidate spelling, vocabulary building and fine motor skill development. Here is a fun and interactive earth space scrambled letters word maze puzzle to activate problem solving strategies while helping to consolidate vocabulary. Suitable for students in grades 4,5,6, home schools. Puzzle supports distance, blended, independent and differentiated learning.
Access the two versions:
1. download puzzle to print
2. click on the Google apps link to copy the file to the computer for the Google apps version
Solve the Puzzle
Step 1: rearrange the scrambled letters to discover the words hidden in the grid. Record the correct spelling.
Step 2: locate the circled letter, which is the start of the word maze: |S|. Note that letter paths will travel up, down, right, and left but not diagonally. Letter paths do not cross.
Step 3: compare the surrounding letters with the list of unscrambled words and then trace the word path.
Step 4: At the end of the word path, compare the surrounding letters with the list of remaining words and then trace the next word path. This process requires the kids' brains to compare the list of words and the letter patterns it sees, with the pattern of letters it sees at any given point in the grid, and make a decision about the next word path to trace.
Step 5: repeat step 4 until the 19 word paths have created the maze within the grid. The word paths are all joined, from the beginning word to the last letter of the last word.
6. Remember to track progress by crossing out the words as they are located.
This word maze puzzle is suitable for students in grades 4,5,6, homeschooling and as a tutoring resource. Word search answers are included in the file download.
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