Books in First Word Searches series

Puzzle fun for four- to six-year-olds! These word searches are designed to meet the needs and interests of the youngest readers. Look up, down, and diagonally too, to uncover a buried treasure of hidden words. Young puzzle lovers can show what sharp eyes they have with this huge collection of word searches. Each has a different theme—from “Things that Fly” (airplane, mosquito, flag) to “Sundaes” (caramel, cherry, yummy), and “School Time.”

Baby animals, sports, birthday parties, candy. Learning is fun with themes like these! Solving simple puzzles can feel like a game to a child, but even as they’re enjoying these searches, they’re building their word recognition and reading skills.Each small grid has only about eight to ten words to find, so kids won’t become frustrated and lose their concentration, and every page features adorable line drawings that fit the puzzle’s subject. As they go through the collection, young readers will happily find the very first words that they need to know—ones that relate to their everyday life and surroundings: the names for family members, different foods, holidays, common household items, and of course those special things they love, like the circus.

Phonics is one of the best paths to reading success—and these word searches, with their appealing design, are a great way to begin! The categories include Long A words, such as flake and halo; “BL” blends like blue and bloom; and “NG” combinations that include bang, gong, and song. Each one will help kids recognize the sound and letter combinations that form the building blocks of our language.

Say A! When children grasp phonics—the sounds created by letter combinations—they’re on their way to mastering reading. And the more fun they have as they learn, the faster their skills will grow and the more fully they’ll absorb the information. That’s why these word searches turn learning letters into a game. Each puzzle presents just one letter or sound, like "baby" and "plate" for LONG A; "city" and "dance" for SOFT C; and "jab," "jam," and "jelly" for J words. There’s only a small list of words to find so children can easily complete the puzzles without becoming bored or losing their concentration. Adorable line drawings, such as a cute alligator painting, a cow going up-up-up in a balloon, and a zebra in a zig-zaggy zippered coat, add to the kid-appeal.