Word finds are puzzles that consist of a large number of letters that are positioned vertically and horizontally with the main focus being to hide specific words within them. A word find puzzle can help students improve their memory and focus. The key element of these puzzles is that they can grossly help you increase your ability to recognize patterns in words. Once the brain has time to soak in a word, you should be able to break it apart and find key elements. The educational component of a word find is substantial, but the activity itself is fun and engaging for students.
Word finds have a poor reputation in the educational community and is often passed off as having little to no value. Some administrators refer to them as a form of busywork, but the benefits are many. The evident value is in word recognition, especially when a word bank is not provided. They help you build your context clue library and increase student recognition within semantics. An undeniable truth is that they can improve your ability to spell.
