Since the good ol’ days of graph paper (and probably well before that) teachers have gone to meticulous lengths to create crossword puzzles for their students. Crosswords can be great to review vocabulary or reinforce themes in readings.
A quick search of “crossword puzzle maker” or “how to make your own crossword” has traditionally left teachers spending too much time trying to figure out exactly what they’re supposed to do, or worse, going to the effort of creating a crossword only to find they have to pay to make it a printable version.
While there have been some noble and useful efforts (Discovery’s Puzzlemaker and The Teachers Corner to name a few), I’ve always found that something was missing.
Crossword Maker for Cruciverbalists is the first crossword puzzle creator that really seems to understand what a crossword is and isn’t just for linking letters in words together. Admittedly, it would be very difficult to create a true crossword around a set of preselected vocabulary words for your class, but I like the idea of working with an app that understands the meticulous ins and outs of a real crossword and works to help you achieve one (if that’s what you want).
Still, most teachers are just hoping to get the words together, and CMFC can help with that as well, offering some bonuses that will help you fill in the gaps.
Because of the robust nature of the app, today’s tutorial is a little longer than most, so grab an iced tea and take note of any questions if you have any – I’ll be happy to answer them in the questions below.
Even though we know our simple homework assignments may never be published, there are those of us who take a lot of pride in the presentation of our work. If the simple crossword creation tools like those mentioned above just aren’t cutting it for you, Crossword Maker for Cruciverbalists may just be your answer.
$4.99 on the app store:
Does this work for spanish words?
I haven’t tried it for a long time, but in theory, yes! However, I followed the link and it seems this app has not been updated in some time. You may need to search for another solution, unfortunately.