As you know, Word searches are fun puzzles for kids. But do you really know how it can positively impact your child in his /her formative years?
Studies have shown there are some definite benefits that Word searches bring to the table. Not only the benefits, but your child can also develop some essential skills that help your kid in the long run.
Parenting can be challenging if the kids are mischievous and want to engage them with a certain activity that entertains them and educates them. Well, word search offers something more than that.
Solving Word Searches has excellent benefits for mental and physical health. These puzzles are inexpensive, portable, and develop language learning skills—a much better option than to hand the cellphone to your kid.
We know Word Search is a puzzle where you need to find words from a jumbled up word box/grid. And, such learning is an effective way to occupy your child’s time with tremendous development benefits. Also, they develop vital skills that we will discuss now.
What skills do word searches develop?
Learning great life skills that all parents will always want their child to imbibe. Some of the significant skills that Word Searches help your kid develop are:
- Cognitive
- Reasoning
- Deduction and Observation
- Language
- Memory and Retrieval
- Visual Skills
Let’s dig deep into them.
1) Cognitive:
Cognitive skills are the fundamental skill of your brain. It is used when you read, learn, remember, think, and concentrate. We use these skills in our day to day life. Every Brain Teaser trains your cognitive skills.
Word Search develops these skills, which eventually results in better information processing. It develops skills like perception, attention, memory, language, visual processing, and executive functions. Improving cognitive skills helps a child focus on things, remember information, and think critically. It also enhances grasping power.
2) Reasoning:
The thought process that evaluates a situation to conclude is reasoning. It’s an essential skill in critical thinking activities. Word Search creates a logical approach that improves reasoning skills.
The reasoning is usually developed mentally by thinking about the possible outcome of a situation. Solving a word search also does the same. The solver mentally thinks of an approach and tries to find the possible ways. Reasoning skills are a must to develop because they enforce pattern learning too.
3) Deduction & Observation:
Deduction skill is to think about a situation logically and applying critical thinking. Observation is another skill that is developed because of the word search.
When a person solves word search, his deductive thinking comes into play. Thinking like a child, where the mind isn’t limited to rational thinking, is developed. We have seen the benefits of Deduction and observation skills in character like Sherlock Holmes.
While solving word searches, a child needs to observe the entire jumbled up word box, find a word, and figure out the next possible word. Observation is ultimately developed, and the solver masters logical assumptions and conclusions.
4) Language:
Do you know a child in kindergarten can learn up to 6000 words? Word Search enhances problem-solving capabilities resulting in better spelling processing. It improves language skills and is a great way to increase Vocabulary. There are many ways to improve language skills, like watching movies in English, news, or having a conversation. But for a child, making learning fun is the best way.
The more words he comes across, the more he understands and broadens his Vocabulary. And, focusing on one game provides a word retention drill for your little brain. Word search reinforces spellings in your child’s brain. You can also make word searches on your child’s academic books. So that when he reads those words in school, the thought process gets stimulated.
5) Memory & Retrieval:
Memory power and retrieval is an essential quality required in today’s world. Today, it has become challenging for everyone due to digital distractions. Today, with conditions like autism and ADHD on the grow, we need to protect our kids from such distractions. Games like Word Searches can definitely help.
How much and fast can an individual retrieve information. Grinding and developing this art is important because it is used from kindergarten to the rest of life. Examination, Projects, Presentation, everywhere, memory retrieval is warranted. It’s a primary and core function of the human brain. Word Search initiates this function effectively.
6) Visual Skills
Solving Word Search evolves your visual skills. A solver can improve his searching capabilities by solving word searches. When a person cracks word search, he develops scanning skills.
When such a person needs to find a word in a book, he will do it quickly. No one wants to go through the entire paragraph if your target is one word. Developing visual skills makes work easier. Even Students can benefit from word search because they usually solve reading comprehension.
15 Noted Benefits Of Word Searches
So, what does that actually mean? Unless the benefits are tangible, you can’t quite assess the benefits of Word Searches. So, as a suggestion, begin testing them with word search puzzles and keep a tab on their development.
We layout the 15 noted Benefits your Child can draw from Word Searches:
1) Builds Vocabulary:
Word Searches come with different levels, themes. They are age-specific as well. Each puzzle might have words your child might know (familiar with) and many new ones.
When the little one encounters a new word, he searches it and may ask you its meaning. The more words your child encounters, the better his/her Vocabulary gets.
Word searches develop core skills like memorizing, grasping, pattern recognition, etc. However, try encouraging them with a dictionary and finding the meaning of words they have just uncovered.
2) Improves Spelling:
Solving word search needs knowledge of the exact word. And, even finding new words enables them to recognize sounds. The more they solve, the more they can spell words correctly.
Slowly and gradually, a child can create words. Give them a test by spelling a word, and he would be able to write the exact spelling. It assists in learning context clues and word recognition.
3) Progression:
By solving Word Search, the progress of specific skills mentioned previously is tremendous. You can raise levels of the puzzle by giving them a word search without a word bank.
Word Bank is simply a column of words that are jumbled up in the grid. Encourage your child to find as many words as possible. It gives you an idea of his/her progress in Vocabulary. Word Search also makes them capable of creating a grid by evaluating text.
4) Educational Entertainment:
Educational Entertainment, a two combination form where a child is educated through entertainment. Word Search is an educational game that fulfills various educational purposes. The main advantage of such education is, they quickly get involved in the activity by choice.
You don’t need to force them or emphasize them. Once they like it, they will solve it. Such learning can also be termed as “Edutainment.”
5) Dopamine – The Feel-Good Hormone!
When humans were apes, they didn’t have dopamine release now and then because there weren’t many things to make them happy. Hunting was a thing that made that dopamine release. But now, we have so many things around us to make us excited. Our dopamine release can be frequent.
Completing a certain level of mobile game makes a child excited, and dopamine shoots up. The fallacy is they get depressed soon when their dopamine boost isn’t there.
But, when a child solves puzzles, he gets a healthy and smooth dopamine dose. That’s the difference! Brain Teasers challenges the brain to think critically, and when the problem is tackled, the aspect of success is lovely. That is when the healthy dose gets released.
6) Improves mindset “The Staying Power!”/ Builds Work Ethic:
Word Search can inject mindset and patience. While solving the puzzle, a child might get stuck in a situation where he cannot find words. But still, if he plays the game, this builds patience and perseverance.
In real life, a child needs to have consistency and perseverance because that’s the key to success. Kids who solve word search develop the never give up attitude. Even when they face challenging puzzles, they will try a way to figure out the solution. Thus, it builds confidence, hard work, and a sick work ethic.
7) Stress depressant:
Word Search has a great health benefit, “Stress Relief,” especially for a game addicted person. A child who is addicted to games might feel angry or sad when he loses. Psychologically, they hate to lose, even if it’s just a virtual game that doesn’t have any effect on real life.
Unplugging them from mobile games and encouraging them to play word searches or any other word puzzles releases their stress. Yeah, there’s no specific scientific study supporting the statement. But, when they solve these puzzles, they can do so, which makes them feel good and confident.
Once they enjoy the brain teaser puzzles, slowly, they might minimize virtual gaming. Added with a prize, your child would love word searches.
8) Memory and pace:
As we discussed earlier, our human brain has a long-term and short-term memory, which works together. Solving word puzzles, your child has to access Vocabulary and its definition from different memory sources.
This practice of recognizing and retrieving data improves memory power and pace. This is termed as the “Knock-On” Effect.
9) Portable:
By the word portable, it’s quite simple to understand. Word Searches aren’t something big or heavy to carry.
They are handy and pocket-friendly. So whether you are traveling with your child, you can keep him busy for a while. Or else download the word searches game online and play it on your mobile phone.
10) Inexpensive:
Word Search is portable as well as cost-friendly. It’s an old way to keep your child amused at an affordable price. Whether you are on a long journey or at a reception, you can keep your child busy with just a few pieces of paper.
You can buy word search at a decent price, and they won’t even require EMI’s (like iPhone’s without a charger, Just Kidding).
11) Competitive instincts:
If a child has nothing to do, no doubt he/she will face boredom. A child needs to have competitive instincts to reach his peak. Word Search indirectly develops this instinct. Suppose a kid solves a puzzle in two minutes; next time, he will try to do it in less time.
This habit of trying to break your record makes him/her competitive. However, there’s a difference between competition and comparison. Competition may grow you, but comparison just increases anxiety. So competition is healthy, the comparison isn’t.
12) Problem Solving:
Word Search enriches problem-solving, which is a skill required throughout the school career. Verbal reasoning, spelling, grammar, Vocabulary, and memory are a few things that improved automatically.
13) Improves mood and Self-Esteem:
Word search requires not only useful Vocabulary but also the ability to think strategically and logically. It makes your child think about how words are placed in a pattern on the grid. Often kids think they might not be able to complete the puzzle.
But when a child completes/accomplishes/tackles the puzzle, the feeling of accomplishment is incredible. It makes them feel good and uplifts their confidence and self-esteem. So please encourage your child to solve such puzzles and make him/her think outside the box.
14) Anytime, Anywhere:
Word Search is handy and pocket friendly, no need to carry a charger or worry about a plug. Simply take your book, go anywhere and solve anytime. Keep your child amused anywhere, anytime with no side effects.
15) Pattern Recognition:
Yeah, I got it! Let’s see the next word. The next word is “ANSWER.” I have searched every A, and every A is preceded by S or T horizontally. And, S often has T. What is the pattern? Hurrah! I got it, and the ANSWER was in a cross direction. I had to observe in all eight directions on the grid to find this word.
This is what a kid experiences when he starts to recognize patterns. Pattern Recognition is tested mostly in examinations. The reasoning skills test is directly related to pattern recognition.
Final Words :
So, by now, you must have got enough of the advantages of the word search puzzles. Also, it would be best if you chose word searches according to age. If you want an active learning session for your child, maybe word search is the best choice.
Puzzles have proven to be a value for money brain teasers. So, if you were thinking about the benefits of word searches, now you are aware.