Word Detective
Solve word mysteries with spelling, clues, sentences and word parts.
Word Detective turns English practice into a set of cases to crack. A first grader spells a word from a picture. A second grader reads three clues and works out who or what the mystery is. A third grader builds a sentence from tiles, adding the capital letter and end mark. Each level asks for a little more.
Older children crack code words from revealed letters, use context clues to choose a vocabulary word, and split words into parts such as prefixes, suffixes and Greek and Latin roots. Level 6 includes sentences with quotation marks and commas. A Hint button is there for stuck moments, and many cases can be heard aloud.
What children practice
- Spell common nouns by looking at a picture
- Use clues to work out an animal, food, place or object
- Build sentences with capital letters and ending marks
- Spell category words from a pattern of revealed letters
- Choose the right word using context clues in a sentence
- Use prefixes, suffixes and roots to find a word's meaning
Levels
- Spell the picture: 1st
- Who am I?: 1st to 2nd
- Build the sentence: 2nd to 3rd
- Crack the code word: 3rd to 5th
- Context clues: 5th to 6th
- Word parts: 7th to 8th
How it works
- Six levels run from spelling in grade 1 to word parts in grades 7 and 8.
- A Hint button gives help in small steps, such as a first letter or a starting tile, rather than the whole answer.
- Speaker buttons can read the word, the clues or the sentence aloud, using the device's built-in voice.
- A wrong answer lets the child try again, and levels open in order as the child answers correctly.
Best for: A good fit for grades 1 to 8 when a child likes puzzles and needs spelling, vocabulary and sentence practice that grows with them.
Tip for parents: When your child is stuck on a code word, ask what letters it could start with before pressing Hint. Talking through the possibilities is the habit that helps spelling and vocabulary last.
Questions parents ask
Which level fits which grade?
Level 1 is aimed at grade 1, level 2 at grades 1 to 2, level 3 at grades 2 to 3, level 4 at grades 3 to 5, level 5 at grades 5 to 6 and level 6 at grades 7 to 8. Levels open in order as a child answers correctly.
Does the Hint button give away the answer?
Not right away. In a spelling case it offers the first letter, then a rhyme or the last letter, and only later places one letter for the child. The child still does most of the thinking.
What words appear in the code word level?
Level 4 uses category words such as animals, ocean life, fruit, planets, body parts, sports, jobs and U.S. states. Revealed letters and vowel clues help the child spell each one.
Ready to try it?
Word Detective is free with a parent account. A parent adds a child profile, and the child's progress is saved.