Hink Pinks – Episode 1

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Challenge your rhyme time thinking!

Welcome! K5 Gifted is here to assist you in nurturing your gifted child’s growth and advancement. As an introduction to K5 Gifted, we offer these fun wordplay puzzles called ‘Hink Pinks’ to encourage your child to think about words, sounds, and vocabulary.

We update our resources regularly, so we encourage you to visit us often to discover new challenges for your Pre-K through Fifth Grade gifted child. Please keep in mind that our free resources change often and are only available for a limited time.

Rhyme Thinking

Are you searching for ways to enhance your child’s vocabulary and critical thinking skills? You’ve come to the right place. Our collection of Hink Pinks goes beyond the typical grade-level curriculum, specifically designed to challenge gifted learners. Gifted students typically perform one to two grade levels ahead of their peers. That being said, our Hink Pinks, Academy, resources, and products can benefit all children, regardless of their starting challenge level. Even if your child begins with a lower level of difficulty, they can still make meaningful progress.

Productive Struggle

To truly benefit from these resources, your child should experience productive struggle as they develop their thinking skills. The ‘guess and go’ method isn’t an effective learning strategy. If your child doesn’t actively work through the problem, they’re unlikely to stretch themselves and make meaningful learning progress. Having worked with gifted students for many years, I understand the importance of providing daily opportunities for them to develop and utilize advanced vocabulary. Often, both parents and students may initially think, ‘That’s too hard.’ Embracing this challenge is an essential part of the productive struggle. Remember, achieving a perfect score or completing tasks quickly isn’t the primary goal. What matters most is perseverance.

Gifted Vocabulary

Young gifted children often possess an advanced vocabulary at an early age. They take delight in listening to stories, narrating their tales, reading, and writing stories. Here are a few methods to nurture their passion for words:

Reading Aloud: Encourage them to read books out loud, which not only enhances their vocabulary but also strengthens their reading skills.
Hink Pinks: These wordplay puzzles can be a fun and challenging way to expand their language abilities while having a great time.
Crossword Puzzles: Engaging in crossword puzzles can be an enjoyable way to learn new words and enhance their problem-solving skills.
Puns: Encourage them to explore the world of puns, which not only introduces wordplay but also fosters creativity with language.

Reading Out Loud

You already understand the importance of reading, but have you considered the benefits of reading out loud? Whether your child is just beginning to read or already reading independently, reading aloud holds value. If your child is not yet reading on their own, read to them. Engage in discussions about the text, its characters, and the vocabulary. Encourage them to think about the problems presented in the story and explore various solutions. Predictions can spark lively conversations. Even if your child is a proficient reader, it’s crucial to keep discussing the text and its vocabulary with them. Some children focus solely on reading quickly and may overlook the deeper understanding of what they’re reading. Encourage your child to read aloud. This not only helps build reading fluency but also enhances comprehension. Your child might pick up an advanced text and claim they are ‘reading,’ but it’s crucial that they delve into the meaning and vocabulary to truly grasp the material.

What Are Hink Pinks

Hink Pinks are riddles with answers that consist of a pair of rhyming words, each having the same number of syllables. Solving Hink Pinks requires a solid grasp of vocabulary to identify these rhyming word pairs.

For instance:

Question: What do you call an unmotivated flower?
Answer: Lazy Daisy

In this example, your child must not only think creatively but also understand the vocabulary to arrive at the correct rhyming word answers.

Why Crossword Puzzles

Crossword Puzzles are interactive word puzzles composed of a grid of squares and blank spaces, where words intersect both horizontally and vertically based on provided clues.

This engaging activity serves as an enjoyable method to expand one’s vocabulary. Children participating in crossword puzzles must search for words within a given context and utilize contextual cues. When context alone doesn’t suffice, they are encouraged to refer to a dictionary for assistance.

A broader vocabulary equips your child with the ability to comprehend and read more swiftly, as they can readily grasp and apply a wider range of words in their reading adventures.

Really... Puns?

Puns are humorously clever jokes that play on the various meanings of a word or exploit the fact that some words sound alike but carry different meanings. Puns encourage thinking beyond the obvious, fostering linguistic creativity.

In a classroom setting, it’s common for gifted children to grasp puns quickly and even begin using them themselves. Interacting with other advanced word enthusiasts is invaluable for enhancing your gifted child’s communication skills.

Here’s an example:

Question: What is black and white and red (read) all over?
Answer: A newspaper.

This example illustrates how puns ingeniously blend wordplay and humor.

Ready, Set, Go! - Take The Quiz

Hink Pink Quiz - Episode 1

Below is the quiz. To begin, click the ‘Start’ button and follow the prompts. Afterward, please select your current grade level. This quiz consists of fill-in-the-blank questions, where correct spelling is crucial. It’s important to note that the quiz expects an exact match in the correct order. To add an extra layer of challenge, you’ll need to input your two-word answer into a single field. To do this, enter your first word, followed by a space, and then your second word. Please pay close attention to these instructions, as not only is your answer important, but also reading and following these directions accurately. You’ll have the opportunity to tackle all three levels of gifted questions, so give each one your best effort.

Hink Pink Quiz Story

Review of The Three Bears

Note: Please read this story carefully in order to answer your Hink Pink quiz. This brief recap is part of our Three Bears Unit, and we won’t reveal how it ends!

Once upon a time, in a cottage on the edge of a vast forest, there resided a young girl named Goldilocks. She shared her home in the great woods with her beloved Gran.

Meanwhile, in another cottage, lived three bears. Upon realizing that their soup needed time to cool, they decided to take a leisurely stroll. They hoped that by the time they returned, it might still be warm enough to eat.

One day, fueled by courage, Goldilocks ventured into the woods. She arrived at the bears’ cabin and noticed that the door was open. She proceeded to experiment with the three chairs and found that the smallest one suited her perfectly, though it broke when she sat down.

Next, she tasted the soup and explored the beds upstairs before drifting off to sleep. Unbeknownst to her, the three bears returned home, leading to an unexpected encounter.

— You are now prepared to take the Hink Pink quiz. —