Printable Activities
Knoword packs are a great way to create custom vocabulary exercises about any subject. But learning doesn’t always need a screen.
We know that digital devices (computers, laptops, tablets) aren’t always available, and it’s just as important to practice writing skills and incorporate pen-and-paper activities into the classroom. That’s why you can turn any Knoword pack into a printable worksheet or set of flashcards.
This guide will walk you through how to turn your packs into printables and customize them to fit your classroom needs.
Contents
Getting started
To create a printable version of a pack, start by finding the pack you want to print. Click the three dots in the top-right corner of the pack card to open the pack actions menu, then select “Print.”
This will open a full-screen dialog, with document settings on the left and a live preview on the right. If your document has multiple pages, you can use the arrow buttons at the bottom of the preview to flip through the pages.
Worksheets
By default, the print tool will open in worksheet mode. Worksheets are laid out in a two-column grid: the clue appears on the left, and the right column has space for students to write their answer.
You can customize the worksheet using the following settings:
- Show word bank: Adds a list of all the terms used in the worksheet at the top of the first page. This gives students a helpful reference for possible answers, and lowers the pressure of having to remember exact spellings.
- Show first letter hint: Displays the first letter of each answer in the response area, following the same format as the classic Knoword game. It gives students a familiar hint to help them recall the correct term.
- Worksheet style: Choose between Standard or Compact. Standard has larger text and more spacing, ideal for younger learners. Compact fits more questions per page with tighter spacing and smaller text—great for larger packs, and saves paper too!
- Paper size: Choose between Letter (8.5 x 11 inches, US standard) and A4 (210 x 297 mm, common internationally). Pick the size that matches your region’s standard printer paper.
👀 Check it out: Below is an example of a worksheet for a pack about Canada’s provincial captial cities, with the word bank shown and first letter hint disabled.
Flashcards
To create DIY flashcards based on a pack, use the Document type dropdown at the top of the document settings panel and select Flashcards.
Flashcards are designed for double-sided printing, so that the clue appears on one side of the paper and the answer appears on the back. The PDF is formatted to line everything up correctly when double-sided printing (A.K.A. duplex mode) is enabled. Here’s a guide on how to print double-sided.
You can configure your flashcards with the following settings:
- Flashcard size: Choose how many flashcards you want to print per page. Fewer cards per page result in larger cards, which can be easier to handle or read.
- Paper size: Same options as worksheets—Letter or A4.
When you’re happy with your settings, download and print your PDF. Once printed, cut along the black lines to separate the cards, and voilà! You now have a set of flashcards. 👏
🌟 Try this: Print your flashcards on cardstock or thicker paper for best results.
Want to see flashcards in action? Check out the short video below.
Word Searches
To generate a printable word search, select Word search from the Document type dropdown at the top of the settings panel.
We’ll shuffle the words in your pack and place as many as possible within the word search. Depending on the number of words in the pack, or the length of the words, we may not be able to fit them all within the word search. However, you can customize the puzzle to achieve different results using the following settings:
- Allow backwards words: Normally, all words move left-to-right or top-to-bottom across the grid. Enable this to include words that travel right-to-left and bottom-to-top.
- Allow diagonal words: Keep this enabled to allow words to move along diagonal paths, or disable it to force words to follow horizontal or vertical paths only.
- Size: Choose between three grid sizes that impact the number of words that can fit in a puzzle, as well as the length of words that the puzzle can support.
- Puzzle ID: Changing this number will impact the randomized layout of the puzzle. You can use it to try a different layout with the same words, or to come back later to print more copies of the same puzzle.
🔍 Tip: You can find the Puzzle ID for any word search in the bottom right corner of the puzzle. It’ll say something like “PID: 123”.
Once you’ve configured your word search to your liking, download the PDF and print out as many copies as you need. Our word searches also feature a handy field at the top of the page for students to fill in their name.