Spel 'n Tel is similar to a popular TV program in which contestants attempt to complete a word, a phrase or longer text letter by letter until the final letter is in place. Two Spel 'n Tel grids are provided: one with 22 spaces across and 20 down and another with larger spaces which may be held up for all within range to see‹perhaps placed on a clipboard or attached to a piece of cardboard.
The small grid has been devised expressly for those just learning to read and write so that they may practice writing down each letter as it comes upin capital or small letters, print or cursive An adequate number of grids is included to get you started, but be sure to save several as master copies for duplicating more.
For an informal setup with participants seated at tables and working at the same or different texts at each table, copies of the larger grid could be taped to a piece of cardboard and held up or propped up as the "Vanna White" assigned writes the letters in. If a chalkboard is available, a simple grid like the one below could be drawn on it.
No vertical or horizontal lines are actually necessary if the person writing the letters in the right places does so with — — — — showing the number of letters in reasonably straight lines. For longer phrases or sentences, the horizontal lines may be numbered. The old answer is erased, retaining the grid, or just the numbers, for the next problem.
The grids may be employed for words, phrases or sentences taken from a specific text or selected at random from a variety of sources. Key sheets and keys are numbered for easy identification. To avoid undue repetition, check them off as they are used. On each sheet the lines required by the keys is indicated ([1, [2, [3, etc.).
The objective is to practice reading, writing and spelling and at the same time acquire or practice useful words and expressions while engaged in an activity of a type that has been very popular on television for years. For advanced participants with no need to practice reading, writing and spelling skills, the fun is just as on TV, being the first to figure out all the words.
So, depending on the circumstances, each participant may have a grid and write in the letters accepted as correct by the person with the key or else one large grid may be used for all. In the first instance, in addition to the small individual grids, a larger grid should also be used for purposes of verification. Participants could take turns à la Vanna White writing the letters in the spaces designated by the person with the key: "Line 1, space 5," etc. (Please see below.) In the case of little children with individual grids, it may be necessary to check their work and help them with it either while the activity is in progress or afterward.
Two basic procedures may be employed. 1) To assure that all have an equal chance to participate, each in turn is invited by the person who has the key to propose one letter. After all the letters have been filled in for one key and a new one is commenced, the first guess falls to the next person in line.
2) When their turn comes up, participants are not limited to proposing one letter but may continue to suggest others until they guess wrong. Under the first procedure, even though the answer may be obvious to some, if it is not their turn, they will have to content themselves with the satisfaction of knowing that they were the first, or among the first, to come up with the solution. In the first approach, with only one letter per turn allowed, the winner (a person or a team) is the one to fill in the final letter; in the other, it's the first to figure out the total text. See below, however, for an alternative way to score points and declare winners.
Please notice that in the above example no punctuation is given. After the solution has been arrived at, the punctuation may be provided as an additional challenge. For words and short phrases none is required, but in longer quotations, commas, semicolons, colons, hyphens, dashes, apostro phes, parentheses, periods, question marks and exclamation marks may be necessary. These may be included in brackets as part of the key, as illus trated below.
Following the same order for taking turns, after all the letters have been filled in participants attempt to provide punctuation where needed, giving the coordinates of the letter after which a comma, etc. should be placed. (A comma after the letter D in line one, space 20, for example.) Blank spaces are not designated.
21.
A 1-5
D 1-20[,], 2-14[.]
E 1-3, 2-9
F 1-15
H 1-2, 2-8
I 1-17, 2-1, 2-4, 2-12
M 1-12
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N 1-6, 1-19, 2-5, 2-13
R 1-1-[,], 1-16
S 1-7, 2-2
T 1-1, 2-7
W 1-8, 2-11
Y 1-13
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A team approach may be employed to provide suspenseful competition. Just two of them is probably the optimum number and longer phrases and sentences (or quotations comprising more than one sentence) would work better for this. Team members should be selected in a way that is fair (composed of different individuals each time and constituting groups of more or less equal ability).
With reference to scoring (in a formal way) it probably should be optional, employed only for special events. As a general rule, the suspense, informal competition, and just the pleasure of having done one's best should be enough. However, it must be admitted that just about all of us enjoy not only putting forth our best effort but receiving in addition a little recognition beyond the intrinsic reward of inner satisfaction, so if desired on a given occasion or for variety, official score-keeping can be fine‹on either an individual or team basis.
1) The simplest scoring method would be to award one point for each final solution (when the text in toto has been deciphered) either to an individual or a team. Following the same procedure when punctuation is involved, one point would be awarded for the final solution; i.e., when all of the required punctuation has finally been added.
2) So that everyone can gain points, in imitation of Napoleon's custom of handing out lots of medals to encourage the troops, points could be given for every letter that finds a place on the grid. This would appear to reflect nothing but pure luck at first, though a certain degree of savvy and skill may be brought to bear.
With longer sentences, as in the example on page one, 50% or more of the total 26 OldSpel letters may be present, including, in this case, three of the five vowels, illustrating the fact that it is often easy to get many letters right by simply proposing the most common ones. So, should you want to make things somewhat harder, more of a challenge, something like this could be stipulated:
No points are to be given until after at least one letter has been supplied for a word and the word would have to be at least three or four letters long. Likewise, for punctuation, one point could be awarded for each mark that is correctly placed.
A decision regarding at what point to start awarding points could be based on the unfamiliarity and length of a particular word in a given sentence or quotation and the complexity of the punctuation. (SERENDIPITY After 4 letters?)
Yet, in this unpredictable world where chance and [apparent] luck can always play a part, much of the fun in Fun 'n Games (and Spel 'n Tel) is to try your luck. Happenstance is here to stay in life. Positive thinkers turn it into a happy chance to learn to make choices and win and be a good winner and lose and be a good loser, always gaining something through their positive stance no matter what. So put your best foot forward‹your best letter, that is. "With a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck..." (as in My Fair Lady).
In line with encouraging positivity, we should remember that for little children the words, phrases and sentences should be appropriately simple and short and a clue or a hint or two are in order. The two sample keys below, for a word and for a phrase, are taken from The Training Wheels Alphabet Book. Note that the number of letters present is also given, in parentheses. This could be helpful to younger learners. For clarity, use "Seaspeak" designations, as indicated below. (See the enclosed NuSpel chart.) With NuSpel, in dialects where no clear distinction is made between /1/ (far) and /7/ (ought) this is important.
2. Something to rest your head on. 18. Get to your feet.
L 3, 4 (Lima)
O 5 (Ocean)
P 1 (Papa
W 6 (Winter)
I 1-17, 2-1, 2-4, 2-12
M 1-12
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A 2 (Alpha)
D 5 (Delta)
N 4 (November)
P 8 (Papa)
S 1 (Sierra)
T 2 (Tango)
U 7 (Uniform)
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To download and print Spel 'n Tel grids (8-1/2 x 11" and 8-1/2 x 15") click
here.
To download and print lists of words and phrases with their coordinates, click
here.
In addition to the number of points awarded to individuals or teams, inexpensive prizes of some sort could be given. To winners, something as cheap as one jelly bean or a small carrot stick (for the health and fitness conscious) per point. Consolation prizes of about equal value ought to be given to the rest. Of course if the competition is a large one then more suitable academic-type prizes such as a book could be given to top winners.
Be sure to do Spel 'n Tel in NuSpel, too. You are invited, of course, to select texts and prepare keys of your own in both OldSpel and NuSpel. If any of the words, sayings or quotations used are unfamiliar to some (especially to the young), give them some help. In fact, defining or explaining the words and longer texts and giving examples of their use, could be a regular part of the "Tel" in Spel 'n Tel, scored and with points awarded as discussed above.
Ideas on how to hype up Spel 'n Tel events, confirming the correct letters and final solutions with a flourish and keeping everything lively, exciting and fun, can be gained by watching TV presentations that have something to do with words and their meanings or other challenges of various kinds. Please inform us of your activities and share your ideas, texts and keys with others through the NuSpel newsletter via info@nuspel.org.
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