Using the PuzzleMaker Wizard

The PuzzleMaker Wizard will take you step by step through the puzzle creation process. Follow the steps shown below to create a puzzle using the PuzzleMaker Wizard.

To use the PuzzleMaker Wizard:

  1. Choose a puzzle type—Crossword, Word Search with Words, Word Search with Clues, or Jumble.

  2. Click the Next button to proceed to step 2 of the PuzzleMaker Wizard.

  3. Select the grid type—regular (30 x30) or small (12 x12). If you would like your students to view a list of all the words used in the puzzle, select the 'Include show Answers Option in puzzle' checkbox.

  4. Click the Next button to proceed to step 3 of the PuzzleMaker Wizard.

  5. Identify the sets that you want to include in your puzzle. You may select all the sets by clicking the Select All button, or you may select them individually by clicking the checkbox to the left of the set name.

  6. Choose the selection method—automatic or manual. You can choose to have the program automatically select the words for the puzzle, or you can manually select the words in step 4 of the PuzzleMaker Wizard.

  7. Click the Next button to proceed to step 4 of the PuzzleMaker Wizard.

  8. If you chose to have the program automatically select the words for you, they are listed in alphabetical order at the top of the word list. The word list only contains words that are part of the sets that were previously chosen. If you chose to manually select your words, you can select them by clicking the checkbox to the left of the word. You can change the selection of any word regardless of the selection method by clicking the checkbox to select/deselect any word.

    The minimum number of words required for a puzzle is five. The maximum number of words is twenty for crossword and word search puzzles, and ten for jumbles.

    If the vocabulary database that you are using contains multiple language clues, you will need to choose the clue language.

  9. Click the Finish button to display the puzzle.

    Depending on the words selected, the program may not be able to create a crossword or a word search puzzle. In such cases, a dialog box will appear displaying the word(s) that did not fit into the puzzle. In the dialog box, you can choose Yes to continue creating the puzzle without using the word(s); or you can choose No. If you chose No, you will be returned to the word selection screen, where there you may deselect the problem word(s) and choose replacement words.