Close-up of complicated word-search worksheet filled with long terms terms, illustrating the viral homework challenge

Internet Left Speechless by 7th-Grader’s Word-Search Homework: ‘Nightmare’

Originally published on the www.newsweek.com website

Internet users have been left speechless after a frustrated parent shared an image of their seventh-grade son’s word-search homework, which they described as a “nightmare.”

Posted by Reddit user u/Lily_Thief in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, the image shows a complex word search based on Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver, with words hidden in every possible direction—forward, backward, diagonally and even reversed.

Newsweek reached out to u/Lily_Thief for comment via Reddit.

Image of a child’s word search. u/Lily_Thief

In the post, the parent wrote that their son, who has dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), struggles significantly with these assignments.

“They are easily the longest part of any of the homework that he has to do, and also likely the least educational,” the parent wrote. “Since he’s dyslexic and has ADHD, they are especially horrible, and have become a family chore.”

Despite having an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that should account for his learning needs, the parent shared that their attempts to communicate with the teacher about the issue have gone unanswered.

The parent expressed frustration with the lack of response, adding that they have reached out multiple times but never received a reply.

“He’d rather be writing essays, which also seems like it’d be a better use of his time,” the original poster wrote. “I never get a reply and at this point the school year is nearly done anyway. I’m hoping his next teacher isn’t like this. If they are I’m going to have to be more aggressive.”

Emily Levy, an expert learning specialist, told Newsweek she is strongly against using word searches in the classroom, especially when it comes to children with ADHD.

“Individuals with dyslexia often become overwhelmed by letters and words on a page,” Levy said. “The focus should be on teaching them to identify the names of letters and their corresponding sounds and how to blend those sounds together to form individual words—not searching for random words within the context of many other letters on a page.”

Levy, who is also the founder and Director of EBL Coaching (eblcoaching.com), said that word searches can make dyslexic children feel overwhelmed and frustrated and diminish their desire to learn how to read—a task that is typically already extremely challenging for them.

For the Reddit user, Levy said they should set up a meeting to discuss their child’s challenges face to face.

“They should express that word searches are known to be difficult for them and that they can lead to frustration and anxiety, and can minimize their child’s joy of reading,” Levy said.

At the time of writing, the post has been upvoted over 29,000 times on Reddit, with 3,500 comments from other users who stepped in to help.

“Counsel—bottom row, 12 letters from the right. Diagonal up towards the right,” one user said.

Another took it a step further and shared the completed version of the word search to help.

The poster said she was glad to have the internet’s help on the seemingly impossible assignment and wrote in their edit of the post: “Thank you all for all the help on solving the puzzle. I wasn’t expecting that, and my kid was delighted to be a small internet celebrity.”

Dear Dr. Levy, My son received an excellent report card. I can’t say enough good things about his EBL tutor. She has done a tremendous job helping him improve his reading and writing skills. Most importantly, she is wise and kind. She is always patient with him. Because of his tutor, my son writes with much more ease.

– Parent

Articles > Internet Left Speechless by 7th-Grader’s Word-Search Homework: ‘Nightmare’