A crossword a day...

December 21st marks Crossword Puzzle Day. Yes, that’s right, a day devoted to the celebration of crossword puzzles. It is a day when folks, or cruciverbalists if you will, around the world train and compete to finish a crossword in record time.

Arthur Wynne, a journalist from Liverpool, is credited for creating the first known published crossword puzzle. It appeared in the December 21, 1913 Sunday edition of the New York World newspaper. Solving crosswords quickly became a favorite pastime. Within a decade crossword puzzles appeared in almost all American newspapers.

Here at Excel Math we appreciate a day dedicated to sharpening our minds and improving our problem-solving skills. For grades 2-6, Excel Math lessons include brain teasers that we call Stretches. Stretches can include logic puzzles, word problems, or any creative puzzle that helps children really stretch their imaginations.

Excel Math Stretch for 3rd Grade

Similar to the way a crossword puzzle is a fun exercise to keep your brain sharp, Stretches can help keep your student's mind in tip-top shape!

Here's what teachers and administrators are saying about Excel Math:

"I love Excel Math...it has helped me become a stronger math teacher, and I KNOW it has increased my students' confidence in math (and their test scores!)."

— Anne Evans, Idaho Teacher

Students working on math problems

Try your hand at a daily crossword puzzle from dictionary.com or any other online puzzle source.

If your students have access to the internet, they can give it go. Another fun site is free-training-tutorial.com/crossword!

Join us on December 21st and let's sharpen our minds together! Try Excel Math for yourself and visit our online shop at excelmath.com

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