I remember finding it hilarious to spell words on a calculator when I was younger. So when I recently showed six year old J how to make his calculator say hello or hi, I wasn't shocked when he found it hilarious as well.
But honestly, spelling words on a calculator seems to be the ultimate activity for kids with hyperlexia and hypernumeracy as it combines letters and numbers into one.
So, unsurprisingly, this free printable calculator word riddles for kids was right up his alley and has entertained him for hours!
This activity is also a great way to work on language skills such as WH questions and comprehension, an area that hyperlexic kids often need extra support with. I explain more below.
Fun Math & Literacy Activity for Kids: Calculator Word Riddles
For this activity, you will need:
- Free printable calculator word riddles pack (link to download below) - There are 80 riddles in all!
Print, cut, and laminate (optional) the calculator word riddle cards.
Encourage your child to read the question out loud and read the numbers before entering the "secret code" into the calculator. Or you can read the question out loud and have your child answer it by decoding the answer. Both offer the chance to practice comprehension.
Once the number has been entered, flip the calculator upside down to read the secret answer.
I purposely phrased all of the questions on these calculator word riddles as WH questions as a way to practice WH question words and comprehension with my hyperlexic and hypernumeric son.
Due to his hyperlexia, he finds WH questions tricky so these cards are a great way to take his interest in numbers to work on speech and language skills. You can find more resources for working on WH questions and comprehension here.
The questions on these cards also explore concepts like pronouns, opposites, and acronyms. It also gives definitions for specific words, which is a great way to expand my son's vocabulary. So it definitely has lots of speech and language applications!
Download the Free Printable Calculator Word Riddles
This printable is 8 pages long and has 10 cards per page. That's 80 cards total. To get a copy of this printable, click the link below:
>> Click here to download the free printable
