Wowgb EASY LITERACY
FUN, PUZZLES and GAMES
from SPURGES(R)

HandyGram
Square cards with characters bases to outside so they can be read when held in the hand, use as in new card games. If characters are in each left hand corner typical words can be printed between the corners.

AppItYourself
Code printout online for user to write into AppInventor excluding word lists.

MakeItYourself
Blank tiles and ideas for how to choose which letters to put on each tile, particularly if wanting to make tiles for use in a foreign language.

Quadagrams Glossary
fun rating ?
A book for use with a standard set of tiles. It contains word answers in THE numerical order and also in alphabetical order, including the word NUMBER. The codes relating to the words are given in separate sections, in numeric order by codes but including the word number. It can be used for solitary play or as a reference for other games.

Charades a Gram
fun rating ?
One person leads the game by thinking of a word that can be made with six of the tiles. He tells the players the numbers on those tiles needed to make the word and they put those tiles in a line and manipulate them to try to make a word. If the leader's word is discovered within 1 minute points are awarded (to each participant except the leader) according to the length of the word, otherwise the leftmost letter is given and after another minute a score is awarded or the next leftmost letter is given until the complete word is revealed. The party may be divided into teams if there are dufficient anamats to allow one set for each team. A different leader is chosen for each game until everyone has had a chance to lead and set the word.

Magic Crossword App
fun rating ?
3rd August after 10 mins thought - the screen starts with a blank canvas (lines of grid only) and the area for one word of the solution is highlighted. The clue for the word is given and an entry field. If the correct word is entered that word is transferred to its position on the grid and the next area is highlighted and its clue given. Each time a correct answer is entered your score increments, an incorrect entry and it decrements. The highlighted area to be filled next is chosen at random by the app. or the user can click on different areas to see each clue before attempting its solution. I think writing each crossword will take about 2 days, writing the app framework 4 days and entering the data into the app about 1 hour. The crossword I'm compiling currently will be themed on animals for a general age range. Future themes and complexities to suit different age ranges.

TV Gameshows
fun rating 4.9
Alternative to Countdown, Lingo etc. Viewers of MemTele have more opportunities to participate using MemWord tiles. Much of the success of the game is due to the personality of the host and contestants. They must be extrovert and likeable. Stages to eliminate competitors, leaving Prizes for runner-up and winner. Each stage is to make the most/longest words from 6, 8 and 9 tiles in 1 min, 2 min, 3 min. using the tiles in the order given. Words of the complete length must start with a letter from the first tile, shorter words can begin with a letter from either the first, second or third etc tiles. Various strategies for dealing with ties. Up to 10 viewers can register and can text their results in too for finding a 'public' winner and entry in a draw for runners-up. For foreign language TV shows also.

Early Learning
fun rating 4.6
For 1 on 1 learning - eg parent and child. English year 1. one MemWord Junior set. The set of 12 tiles includes 4 letters on each tile. The most used letters are repeated on different tiles. The set may be in cpitals or lower case letters, or they may have capitals on one side and lower case letters on the other. The learner is encouraged to familiarise with letters by being prompted to pick up a tile with a particular character on it and to place it in position for makig a word. The names of each letter is learnt plus its sound (phonetics). Familiar words are spelled out and spoken. The words can then be copied into an exercise book and made into phrases and simple sentences. Finally printed text can be read and writing can be in joined-up writing.

All Join In
Any number can join in. Pencil and paper alternative to arguments, one MemWord set. Someone takes six tiles and puts them on the table, face down. One of the tiles is chosen as the first tile of words, the first letter of the word being selected as one which is in a suitable list (a first letter of level 1 likely to yield the most words, lvel 4 the least): Level 1: S, A, P, T, C, B Level 2: M, G, D, F, L Level 3: R, E, H, K, N, O, W, V, U Level 4: Y, Q, Z, X Scoring - 6 letter word 100; 5 letter word 25; 4 letter word 6; 3 letter word 2. If you play the game with any tile, any order - 4 letter word 1; 5 letter word 3; 6 letter word 25.

Mind Reading
fun rating 4.2
For 2 persons, pencil and paper, one MemWord set. The lead person secretly constructs a word using 4 tiles, (longer words according to the skill level) and writes down the word and the tile numbers in order. The first letter is then given and the other three are placed in random positions (a simplified game results if the tiles are placed in the correct order but they still need to be twisted to make the word). As each word is made it is written down for scoring: a score of 5 points can be given for each word that can be made with the 4 tiles, plus a bonus of 10 points if the secret word is made. If the secret word is found in the allotted time than further points at 2 points per word can be earned by using the tiles with different first letters. Time allowed probably 5 minutes. It's then the other person's turn to think of the next word to be found in the same way. After each pair of games the scores are accumulated - the first to reach 144 points is the winner.

Twisteaz Game On
fun rating 4.2
For 2 players or 2 teams, ages 12+, one MemWord set.. Shuffle the 12 tiles Deal them 6 to each player's position, face down.
Start the timer part one, the players turn their tiles over and put them in number order
the players head their score sheet with the tile numbers the players rotate and move the tiles in order to make words (letters aligned facing the player.) words are written on the score sheet until the timer rings Each player shuffles his tiles and gives them to the other player.
Start the timer part two, the players turn their tiles over and put them in number order
the players head their score sheet with the tile numbers the players rotate and move the tiles in order to make words (letters aligned facing the player.) words are written on the score sheet until the timer rings Scoring 3 letter words = 2 points 4 letter words = 4 points 5 letter words = 6 points 6 letter words = 10 points. End of first round, prize awards ceremony! Please write you feedback/comments/ on the back.

X-Ray Vision
fun rating 4.2
For 2 or more players. You need at least 6 MemWord tiles per person. They can be from any sets and mixed provided that they have not been marked. No other equipment. Mix the tiles face down on the table. Each player takes 4 tiles. Play is in turns. When it is your turn you can 'put down' a three-letter word. You then pick-up a card and put down a card. When a three-letter word has been put down you can re-use the tiles to make a 4 letter word with the tile in your hand before picking up, otherwise you exchange the tile for another face-down one, thus having just one tile until the next turn. The game finishes when there are no tiles left to be picked up.

Coded Puzzles
fun rating 3.5
For one or more puzzlers. The puzzles may be supplied in the puzzle pages of newspapers and magazines. The puzzles may illustrate the MemWord tiles but it is more enjoyable if you have the tiles themselves. The object is to complete a crossword puzzle except that the first letter of each word is filled in already and clues are in the form of the numbers of each tile in the word (in correct order or (for the most difficult) in a random order. An example is given below. The words are from my list of holiday words which I encoded using an app that I've coded. The crossword has + signs instead of blacked out squares. The clues Across are in the order left to right, line 1, 2, 3 etc and Down from column 1, 2, 3 etc. Since the first characters are given it should be straightforward. Sice the small print numbers are not required in each square the puzzle can be done by visually impaired persons. (please excuse this amateur prototype.)

MemWord Challenge One
fun rating 4.8
For two or more players around a table. Each player has a scoresheet and a MemWord pen. Five MemWord tiles are taken at random and put in the middle of the table. Play is taken in turns starting with the player to the left of the leader and then continueing in a clockwise direction to each player on the left. The object is for each player to make/write as many different 3, 4, or 5 letter words that can be made using only one letter from any tile. When it is your turn you can declare one word that has not been declared before, you tick that word and add it to your score. The other players cross through that word if it is in their list. Each player has three challenges to ask the declarer to make the word using the MemWord tiles. In the case of a successful challenge the declarer loses five points. If the challenge is not upheld the declare retains the points of the word and has a bonus of 5 points. If a player cannot produce a new word within 1 minute the turn is missed. After three missed turns that player becomes a spectator, who may however help another player. The game ends when there are no new words to declare and the winner is the participant with the most points. A second game is played using five of the remaining tiles. Further games can be played with any five tiles tken at random from the set. The winner is entitled to hug any of the other participants for ten seconds (subject to any social distancing regulations in force!). Or some other 'prize' decided by vote?

MemWord Challenge Two
fun rating 3.5
For two or more players around a table. Each player has an exercise book and a MemWord pen and five MemWord tiles are taken at random, put in the middle of the table. (This is even more therapeutic/educational).
The leader/teacher/nurse/carer takes one of the MemWord Dictexts (from the author's writings) and reads it out twice, once in a normal interesting way and then, after a break for the others to take notes and discuss it, the text is read at dictation speed for the others to write down leaving spaces between each line.
Each of the participants then examines each word to see whether it can be made using the five tiles: if so the tile numbers are writen under the letters of that word. The leader goes around each participant to help and to encourage, also talking to the group.