Fun and Exciting Ways to Learn!
Fun Crosswords That Improve Students’ Vocabulary
Educational Crossword Puzzles for Learners of All Levels
For 30 years, Old School XWP has been providing students with interesting crosswords that they love to do. The free folder of 10 crosswords will show you the variety of crosswords available.
Our Founder
Old School XWP is the brainchild of Cliff Alexander, a seasoned high school teacher. He grew up on a ranch in Colorado, where he learned his work ethic and conservative values that are ingrained in the crosswords.
Our History
It all started in 1996 when Jeffrey Waters introduced Cliff on how to operate a crossword program that he still uses today. Little by little, Cliff began using them as fillers for the advanced students who easily got their work done and needed something to keep them busy. The first ones were crude but were still fun enough that the kids liked.
Old School XWP Improvement
When Cliff moved from teaching Math to English 11 more than three years ago, he started using crossword puzzles more earnestly. This motivated him to work at enhancing them, so the composition and the setup have since improved.
Ease of Use
Then, a couple of years ago, Ms. Tisi criticized why the puzzles didn’t include the answers to help the special education students. Considering her suggestion, Cliff added random answers to the puzzle's clues which solved the problem with follow-up keys so that the students can use the process of elimination to complete the puzzles.
Our Puzzles
Engaging Activity
Cliff utilizes various methods to give clues for each puzzle. Sometimes, he uses riddles, word usage, or straight-out definition. This creative approach is the key to bring out enthusiasm in students, (you'll get to see this when you do one of the sampler puzzles).
Cliff’s granddaughter used the puzzles when she was homeschooled and enjoyed them. These unique mind-stimulating exercises offer a change of pace in both vocabulary improvement and spelling.
Homeschool-Friendly
Our learning activities, such as our movie-themed crossword puzzles, are great boredom breakers. These can help homeschooled students reinforce the meaning and usage of their vocabulary. XYP's come two to a page for ease of copying.
The Levels
Our word puzzles are integrally designed according to different academic levels:
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Level Two and Three
Best for Grades 3 to 7
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Level Four
Recommended for Grades 8 to 12
Eleventh-grade students take about 20 to 30 minutes to complete one puzzle, making it a perfect bell-work exercise. It engages a lot of students because the ways the words are handled and organized are always unique in every puzzle.
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Level Five
Great for Grades 11 to 12
Giving the Gift of Learning
Try solving our crossword puzzles to see the enjoyment and challenge it brings. We’re pleased to note that the First Sampler folder of ten crossword puzzles is offered for FREE (enjoy)!