Great Word Puzzles for Tiger Moms and Their Cubs: Verbal Extraction Puzzle and Solution #1 & #2
Verbal Extractions word puzzles are scrambled-letter word grids. Many times, they are made up of 6x6 grids, but the example for kids given here is made up of a 5x5 grid. Each square in the grid contains three letters, one belonging to a five-letter word that reads across the row; one belonging to a five-letter word that reads down the vertical column; and one letter left over in each space.
The accompanying clues indicate whether the word reads across or down, but the clues are not in the same order as the words that answer the clues. The solver's task is to figure out and find the five-letter words that read down and those that read across. When those words have been found and their letters have been eliminated or hidden, the remaining letters will form a quotation that reads across, left to right, from the top row to the bottom.
Sometimes in solving a Verbal Extraction puzzle, it is just as easy to first locate the word in the grid and then associate it with the correct clue as it is to solve the clue first and then to locate the word. But be careful! There may be some hidden words that do not answer any clues. Don't let those words throw you off-track!
More Scrambled Word Fun
Suggestion for Solving
Suggestions for solving: Read the clues and write down every five-letter word that you can think of that could answer each clue. If no idea comes to mind, skip to the next clue. After you have answered as many clues as you can, start looking through the columns and the rows and see if you can find some of the words you have brainstormed. When you find a correct answer, draw a circle around the letters used for it or X them out. The word you find may be different from your first guess, but you should be able to recognize that it is correct when you compare it with the clues. Even if you don't find every hidden word, you will probably be able to locate the hidden quotation. Notice that the words in the quote are not limited to five-letter words, and so some of those words may be split between two rows.
Happy Puzzling!
As a bonus for the youngest literate, puzzle-loving cubs, there is a smaller Verbal Extraction puzzle (with a hidden message, not a quote) and its solution, following the 5x5 Verbal Extraction puzzle.
