Below is a link to a PDF for the solution to “9-Square”. This is a nine-piece puzzle that looks easy to solve, but is actually very difficult.
Repetition fosters fluency, but can be boring. With this puzzle, the student needs to read the word segments over and over again in order to find the solution to the puzzle. But they will not get tired of it because they will be too engaged with trying the solve the puzzle to notice that they are doing a reading practice drill!
It’s a great puzzle to give to a student who has finished an assigned in-class task sooner than the other students. (It really is challenging. They are very unlikely to solve it before the other students are done with the assigned task!)
Simply cut the larger square up into its nine component squares. To make durable, easy-to-handle puzzle pieces, see the post, “How to Make Puzzles.”
Better yet, just use the configuration in the PDF to fashion your own 9-Square puzzles. This puzzle design can be made easier by removing the ‘orphan’ word segments along the outside edges of the solved puzzle. You could also make a similar “4 Square” puzzle.
Here’s the PDF: 9-Square PDF