The Winter Olympics are comprised of events that are unique to the season. Not only are the events specialized, but the language used to refer to them is, too. This brain teaser challenges your child to unscramble words the Winter Olympics jargon that describes the competitions taking place in Vancouver, Canada this month. This quick-thinking activity puts his critical thinking and research skills to the test!
What You Need:
- List of words provided below
- Access to information about the Winter Olympic events
- Pencil
What You Do:
- Have your child try to unscramble these words without any assistance. He can use resources such as the Internet to help him find the answers.
- Ask your child to sound out prospective words, using his decoding and phonics skills to experiment. For example, he can test out different blends and digraphs—two letters combined to produce a single sound, such as "sh." Look for consonant blends consisting of two or more consonants grouped together with each retaining a sound, as in "st," "sk," and "cr." Or, check for digraphs consisting of two or more consonants or vowels grouped together that produce a single sound, as in "sh," "th," and "ee." Also, have your child employ rules of thumb that he knows, such as:
- A vowel followed by a consonant and an “e” is long, as in “write,” and “bake.”
- A vowel followed by a consonant is short, as in “hug” and “tap.”
- When you add a suffix to a word that ends with a vowel and a consonant, double the consonant before adding the suffix. For instance, “run” becomes “running” and “swim” becomes “swimming.”
- After he has gone through the entire list, show him the answer key and let him correct his work. For fun, go to the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010 site together to see photos and read more about each of these events.
- smallo = slalom
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streyfeel = freestyle
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onowbrads = snowboard
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deesp taskngi = speed skating
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willodnh = downhill
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bloniath = biathlon
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glue = luge
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rucling = curling
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socrs-yuntroc = cross-country
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kis ginpumj = ski jumping
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cie yeohck – ice hockey
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diorcN denibcom = Nordic combined
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sleobbigh = bobsleigh
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thros cratk = short track
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snekelot = skeleton
Fun facts about Vancouver and Whistler, Canada:
- Vancouver is the biggest city in British Columbia. It is home to the Canucks of the National Hockey League, as well as the B.C. Lions Canadian football team, and a new Major League soccer franchise: the Whitecaps.
- Whistler was the first designated resort municipality in Canada in 1975. It was created in that hopes that Vancouver would be selected to host the 1968 Olympics. Vancouver lost this honor to Grenoble, France, but Whistler became a resort destination where tourism is the number one industry today.
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