The Advantages of Playing Scrabble

Spelling

• The first and foremost advantage to Scrabble is spelling. The entire game is based around spelling. Not only are you required to spell words yourself, but you view words that other players spell as well. This serves to increase your vocabulary and have a better grasp on the spelling of words. This can be extremely advantageous for young children who are at a stage where their vocabulary is expanding at a rapid rate.

Creativity and Strategy

• One aspect of the mind that Scrabble forces the player to use is creativity. When playing each word, the player must be able to creatively think of a word that will play off of a previously spelled word. This requires creative use of the letters that the player has. Some players even seek to play words in specific areas—as different spaces on the Scrabble board can garner more points than others.

Math

• Especially useful for children, playing Scrabble also requires basic math skills. Each letter in the game has a point value, and spaces on the board will often require the player to multiply that point value; so players use math after playing each word. As the game requires basic addition and multiplication, it can sharpen any player’s math skills, while not over-burdening him with complex mathematics.

Entertaining

• The aspect that keeps Scrabble a household name is not the learning or educational advantage that it provides, but rather the fact that it is entertaining. Scrabble includes competition with other players; if a player uses her creativity to out-spell another player, she can win against opponents. The game normally takes under an hour to finish.