Christmas Crossword (A1+)

Objective & content

A Christmas crossword of 12 words, with a real photo next to every clue. Each clue is one short sentence ("It makes a ding-ding sound."), so pupils read, look at the photo and spell the word in the grid. TREE is already written in grey as the example. Page 1 is the pupil page: the grid and the 12 clue cards. Page 2 is for the teacher: the solved grid, the word list and short notes. About 15 minutes.

Pedagogical guide

The photo makes every clue easy to start, and the sentence checks that pupils can read it. The grid then makes them spell the word letter by letter, and the crossing words correct their mistakes. Most words are everyday A1 words (star, bell, candle, present, snowman, gloves). A few name Christmas itself (stocking, cracker, reindeer, sleigh): they are above the level on purpose, and the photo and the clue give them away, so pupils are never tested on them cold. One clue says Santa has eight reindeer: this is the number in the poem "The Night Before Christmas" (1823); Rudolph came later, so some families count nine.

Suggested procedure

1. (2 min) Hand out page 1. Read the instruction and look at the example, TREE, together.
2. (10 min) Pupils solve alone or in pairs. Tell them to count the boxes before they write.
3. (3 min) Check with the solved grid on page 2. Pupils spell three or four words aloud.

Adaptations

[S] Write the 12 words on the board in a mixed order as a word bank before pupils start.

[A] Pupils cover the photos and solve from the sentences only, or write a new clue for one word and swap it with a partner.

Materials & prerequisites

One copy of page 1 per pupil, in colour or in the low-ink version; keep page 2 for yourself. Pupils should know basic colours, "it's" and "he's", and simple Christmas words. It works well after the word search or as a quiet task for fast finishers.