Teaching Kids Vocabulary with WordTry: A Parent's Experience

When my 9-year-old daughter Emma started struggling with spelling tests at school, I was at a loss. We'd tried flashcards, writing words ten times each, and those online spelling games that somehow made learning feel even more like homework.

Then I had an idea. What if we played WordTry together?

Starting Small

I'll be honest - I wasn't sure Emma would be interested. WordTry seemed like it might be too challenging for a fourth-grader, and the last thing I wanted was to create another source of frustration around words and spelling.

So I started by just letting her watch me play. I'd do my daily puzzle while she was eating breakfast, thinking out loud about my guesses. "Hmm, I know there's an E somewhere, but not in the second position. Where else could it go?"

After about a week of this, she asked if she could help with my guesses. Then she wanted to try one herself.

The Magic of Pattern Recognition

What surprised me most was how quickly Emma picked up on letter patterns. Kids' brains are incredible at recognizing patterns, and WordTry makes these patterns visible in a way that traditional spelling exercises don't.

When we'd get an orange tile, I'd help her think through where that letter might go instead. "We know there's an R in the word, but not in position 3. Where else do you see R in words you know?" She started connecting it to words from her reading: "Like in HORSE or WRITE!"

This kind of pattern thinking was so much more engaging than memorizing individual word spellings.

Building Vocabulary Naturally

Emma started encountering words in WordTry that she'd never seen before. Instead of this being frustrating, it became exciting. When the answer was WITTY and she didn't know what it meant, we looked it up together. When it was FJORD, we ended up watching YouTube videos about Norwegian geography.

These weren't vocabulary lessons - they were discoveries. And because they came from our shared puzzle-solving experience, they stuck in her memory much better than random vocab words from workbooks.

The Confidence Factor

Here's something I didn't anticipate: WordTry started building Emma's confidence around words in general. In traditional spelling tests, you're either right or wrong. But in WordTry, every guess teaches you something, even if it's not the right answer.

Emma learned that it's okay to try words you're not sure about. She learned that smart guessing is actually a skill. And she learned that even when you don't get the word, you've still learned something valuable about letters and patterns.

Family Competition (The Good Kind)

Once Emma got comfortable with the game, we started doing a family challenge. Each morning, we'd all try to solve the puzzle independently, then compare our results at dinner.

This created such a fun dynamic. Sometimes Emma would solve it faster than me or her dad. Sometimes we'd all struggle with the same tricky word. It became this equalizing experience where age and education level mattered less than creative thinking.

Emma especially loved the days when she'd think of the answer before us adults did. "I know it! It's SUGAR!" And she'd be right. Those moments of triumph were worth everything.

Educational Benefits I Noticed

After a few months of playing WordTry together, I started noticing real improvements in Emma's word skills:

Her spelling test scores improved significantly. She was better at breaking down unfamiliar words into recognizable parts. She started using more varied vocabulary in her writing. Most importantly, she seemed less intimidated by new words.

The game was teaching her that words are puzzles to be solved, not obstacles to be feared.

Adapting for Different Ages

When Emma's 6-year-old brother wanted to join in, I had to get creative. He can't really play independently yet, but he loves being part of the guessing process. He'll suggest letters or help us sound out possibilities.

For him, WordTry is more about letter recognition and phonics. "What sound does C make? Where might we hear that sound in a word?" It's a different kind of learning, but still valuable.

I've heard from other parents who play with teenagers, and apparently the competitive element gets even more intense. One mom told me her high schooler started a WordTry group chat with friends, sharing strategies and results every day.

The Social-Emotional Benefits

Beyond the academic benefits, playing WordTry together has become this nice bonding ritual for our family. It's something we all do together that's challenging but not stressful, competitive but not mean-spirited.

Emma has started sharing her results with her teacher, who's also a WordTry player. They've bonded over particularly tricky puzzles. It's given her another way to connect with adults around something she's genuinely good at.

Making It Work for Learning

Here are some tips if you want to try this with your own kids:

Start by playing together, not making them play alone. Let them help with your guesses before expecting them to generate their own.

Focus on the process, not the outcome. Celebrate good guessing strategies, not just right answers.

Use new words as springboards for broader learning. Look up definitions, find the words in books, use them in conversation.

Don't make it feel like school. This works because it's fun first, educational second.

Be patient with the difficulty level. Some words will be too hard for kids, and that's okay. They're still learning from the experience.

The Long Game

I don't know if Emma will still be playing WordTry when she's in high school or college. But I know the skills she's developing - pattern recognition, strategic thinking, comfort with new vocabulary, persistence through challenges - will serve her well no matter what.

And honestly? These few minutes we spend together each morning, puzzling over five letters, have become some of my favorite moments of the day. We're learning together, and she gets to see that even adults sometimes struggle with tricky words.

In a world where educational technology often means kids staring at screens alone, WordTry has given us something we can genuinely enjoy together. It's screen time that brings us closer instead of pulling us apart.

Who knew that the path to better spelling would be paved with orange and blue tiles?