OWED TO SPELLING

I have a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marquis four my revue
Miss steaks eye cannot sea.
Each thyme when eye have stuck the quays
I weight four it two say
If watt eye rote is wrong or rite shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two late
And eye can put the error rite
No, I shall fined it grate.
I've run this poem threw it
I'm shore yore policed two no
It's letter perfect in it's weigh
My chequer tolled me sew

MY GOD�S VOICE

A song written by Sarah Swanepoel, age 10.

 The wind is roaring and the rain is pouring

And You cry out do you love me?

 The wind is fading and the rain is dripping

And I cry back I love You...

 There is now silence as I close my eyes

And I dream of you, my God

 You are my heavenly God

My blessing God, that I love.

Crossword Puzzles

 The first Crossword Puzzle was designed by Arthur   Wynne and published in the New York World in 1913. Since then this art form has steadily increased in popularity and has become an integral part of virtually every newspaper, magazine and periodical published today.   

 Arthur Wynne�s original puzzle had a grid in which the blacked out squares formed a symmetrical pattern and this tradition is still adhered to by some authors. Others have moved away from this and some grids today are not symmetrical at all. Different types of puzzles - such as the �Blockword�, �Blockbuster� etc. - have also evolved. They have their clues incorporated in the body of the puzzle and often use picture inserts as clues as well.

 The traditional puzzle is either a reasonably quickly solved �10 Minute� type, where clues and answers are often synonyms of each other, or a �Cryptic� type where clues are compiled by �playing with� the vocabulary and grammar and the language itself. There are virtually �no holds barred� in Cryptic puzzles and they therefore present a tremendous challenge to both compiler and solver since they invariably also require a considerable amount of �lateral thinking�.

 Crossword Puzzles are educational as well and this will, I believe, be of particular interest to Home Educators. Vocabulary, spelling, grammar etc. immediately spring to mind but puzzles can also be made using clues and answers based on specific subjects. James� Crossword Puzzles has compiled puzzles ranging from one advertising a Golf Tournament and the sponsor�s product to raising funds for, and publicizing, an old age center. Puzzles have been compiled for Scientific Journals on specific subjects and for a Navy Newsletter on matters nautical.

 But the �stars of the show� in the educational field, and the ones which will undoubtedly interest Home Educators, are the Family Series � monthly puzzles for children aged from about seven to about fourteen years old � and the Biology Series � for students of Biology from high school grades up. Since the raison d��tre for a Crossword Puzzle is to provide amusement and enjoyment I make sure that these do amuse and are enjoyed by those who do them.

 I look forward to you joining my �puzzling world� soon,

James

The winner of the puzzle from the December edition was Edmund Oettle! He wins a microscience kit from Somerset Education. Congratulations Edmund, and thank you to Somerset for the prize!!