CROSSWORD PUZZLES This listening exercise has been produced to support you as you learn to listen with your new cochlear implant. We have given you a pack of different exercises and you should aim to work on these every day for at least 15 to 30 minutes. These exercises are part of the listening rehabilitation programme you have agreed with your speech and language therapist. How to do it  Practise with a family member or friend in a quiet room. They should sit next to you on your implanted side (it will be easier if you sit close to each other).  Your practise partner should keep the crosswords so you can’t read the text.  Your practise partner should tell you what the crossword theme is and check you have understood (face each other if you need to).  When you know the topic make sure you aren’t looking at your practise partner.  Your practise partner should tell you the clue. Repeat what you think you have heard so they know they have got it right.  Then your practise partner should tell you how many letters there are.  Your practise partner can give you hints if they need to. How this helps with active listening  This is a challenge for an advanced listener.  You have to understand the clue to and the number of letters too.  Your practise partner might try giving you hints.  If the hint is the first letter this will be a challenge because a lot of letters and numbers sound very similar e.g.  B might sound the same as V  Eleven might sound the same as seven  There are tips for listening for letters and numbers in this pack 2 Listening for Numbers When you do a crossword it helps to know how many letters a clue has If you ask your listening partner how many letters they will say the number but numbers can sound very similar to each other. Problem: That number sounded like it could have been two or ten! Try:  Asking your partner ‘did you say ten’? They should just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’  Ask them to say the number again. You might get it the second time now you know it’s definitely not ‘ten’. Still can’t get it?   Ask your partner to count out loud and stop when they’ve said the target number. You’ll get the practise of hearing all the numbers again. Or just look at your partner if you’re really struggling. You just need an extra clue. Listening for Letters Knowing what letters are in a word can really help in a crossword. Just like numbers a lot of letters sound very similar. With these practise crosswords just ask for the first letter in a word (it will get confusing if your partner tries to tell the first, third and fifth letter etc.). Problem: That first letter could be ‘s’ or ‘f’ Try:  Same strategy as numbers; ask your partner ‘did you say ‘s’? They should just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and repeat. You might get it when you’ve ruled one out. Still can’t get it?  Ask your partner to use the Aviation Code. ‘It’s ‘f’ for ‘foxtrot’.  Or just look at your partner if you’re really struggling. One or two of these strategies might help you understand numbers and letters in a phone call one day! 3 ANIMALS Across 1. A large animal with a trunk (8) 2. A domestic bird kept for its eggs (7) 3. A member of the horse family (6) Down 1. A small animal with a prickly coat (8) 2. A flying mammal (3) 3. The king of the jungle (4) 4 FRUIT Across 1. A small, round, black berry (12) 2. A large tropical fruit (9) 3. A berry growing in clusters (5) Down 1. A soft red fruit with seeds on the outside (10) 2. A pale yellow citrus fruit (5) 3. A round fruit with a stone and yellow flesh (5 4. A round red fruit eaten in salads (6) 5. A fruit with sweet, gritty flesh (4) 5 TV AND FILM HEROINES AND HEROES Across 1. A highschool girl who battles monsters (5,3,7,6) Down 1. The man of steel (8) 2. An Amazon princess who is good in a fight (6,5) 3. The caped crusader who lives in Gotham (6) 4. His powers come from a radioactive spider bite (6 3) 6 SEASIDE RESORTS Across 1. An Essex resort. It has the world’s longest pier (8,2,3) Down 1. A Yorkshire resort. The inspiration for Dracula (6) 2. A seaside resort in Sussex. It has the Royal Pavilion (8) 3. A Lancashire resort famous for its pleasure beach (9) 4. A Dorset resort popular with fossil hunters (9) 5. A resort in Kent with a famous Art Gallery. (The Turner Contemporary) (7) 6. A Lincolnshire resort. It’s so bracing! (8) 7 GENERAL This is another harder one. It doesn’t have a theme to help you. The clues are shorter too. It’s often hard