In newspapers, crossword puzzles are tucked away in entertainment pages at the tail end. Just like sports. Newspapers inform, educate, and entertain. Crosswords do both educating and entertaining.
Hidden as they are, people who know the benefits look for the puzzles, pencils in hand, to try solving either simple, cryptic or other puzzles.
To the rest, the tiny black and white boxes or patterns mean little or nothing. Those who want to take quick notes, find that section suitable because it has no news to read.
However, this understanding may be wrong. Anyone may sharpen their language, thinking, improve health and be entertained solving the puzzles.
Dr. Henry Kibira, a communication lecturer at Laikipia University, points out that it is prudent for students to attempt solving and creating puzzles.
According to him, the practice may be challenging or boring but it is beneficial to learners and professionals across all fields.
“Everyone reasons, and to improve on reasoning, students should practice crossword solving,” he told A Plain.
While finding words for the boxes, some requiring two-letter combinations, one ought to engage the mind over the clue and script down word possibilities.
Dr Kibira says finding the right words depends on clarity of thought that also delivers readable writing. He is a crosswords fan of many years.
While starting, it will be challenging, but this improves and even becomes inviting, if not addictive, with practice.
New solvers may get struggle differentiating the word plays.
Although related, crossword puzzles aren’t scrabbles. Dr Kibira says the two are like geometry and algebra.
It is simpler to solve crossword puzzles than scrabble because it is guaranteed there is a solution for crosswords unlike scrabble.
He equates scrabble to algebra, which doesn’t have specific rules to find a solution and crosswords to geometry, which has rules.
There are at least six types of crossword puzzles, namely codeword, thematic, cryptic, barred grid, blocked grid, and word search.
However, as a communication lecturer, he has encountered a number of students who are unable to use English language efficiently. This is not a permanent problem, though.
The problem can be solved through practice. One way to improve on the language is by initiating crossword puzzles. The play is significant not only to students but it extends to other people.
Dealing with words, including getting spellings right or wrong, gives people of all cadres sleepless nights.
”I have encountered PhD candidates who spell words incorrectly in their theses,” Dr Kibira said.
For illustration, he said the word “accommodate” perplexes many people in writing.
Dr Kibira reiterated that students taking technical courses should be keener on spelling.
For instance, medicine students should be keen because they handle lives of people.
“No one is off the hook, no one can undermine the impact of crossword puzzle in understanding spellings,” he explained.
He added that as the world embraces new technologies, it is vital to master spelling to avoid miscommunicating.
Spelling boosts professionals’ advantage at the workplace, be it a formal employment or a gig.
According to him, spelling and literacy are twins that should work closely to deliver a decent and complete job. And it’s completeness, among other heavyweights, that determine promotions and salary raises.
According to the don, one’s resume or curriculum vitae should be error-free to improve one’s chances of securing a job.
Did you know that an insanely huge number of people get it wrong on their CVs from the first word when they misspell the word curriculum? They write ‘curicculum’, which is wrong.
People who attempt crossword puzzles have a long span of active mind, putting them on a firmer pedestal in analysis, logic and comprehensive thinking.
Solving crosswords are affordable form of leisure, the don says because all required are a newspaper puzzle page or and a pencil. Crosswords are also available online.
Some studies have said daily solving of crossword puzzles plays a big role in healing people with diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
This is because the crossword puzzles stimulate and change cognitive abilities.
For people wondering what to do with the unending time on their hands after work, when on leave, on school holidays, during weekends, quarantined, isolated or confined to a sick bed, crosswords are a beneficial companion.
Crosswords, like scrabble, improve vocabulary and can thus improve speech making.
Don’t take it for granted that some people get plaudits speaking without notes; they have a rich bank of words.
“Learning new words may seem tedious but it can be done in a simple play, crossword puzzle. This enables one to gain words for speeches, hence improving verbal skills.”
Stephen Sondheim asserts that the nice thing about doing a crossword puzzle is knowing there is a solution.
This, among other things, eggs one on until they get the right thing or something closer. During the journey of searching, the benefits accrued would be overflowing.
