More About This Resource
These NO PREP, printable and digital word ladder activities are aligned to the science of reading and will help kindergarten, first and second grade students the master phonics skills and spelling patterns you teach. This resource includes 42 word chains / ladders that can be used all throughout the year. They make an engaging independent literacy center and a meaningful phonics activity for small group instruction. They make a great addition to any word study routine.
These word ladders require students to think critically to figure out the next word to build using the letter or picture clues. They change just one letter to build a new word. As they manipulate the phonemes, students receive immediate feedback using these self-checking phonics activities.
⭐SAVE TIME!! This NO PREP resource has been PRELOADED for you, with 1 click add them to your Seesaw library or Google Drive, then assign to your students!
This resource includes both printable and digital word ladders that will last you the entire year! The digital version has a slider for students to self-check their work. Also included are answer keys to print out and keep in a basket for students to be able to self-check while working on the printable worksheets (color & b/w included).
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42 color Word Ladders -laminate or put in sheet protector for instant literacy center
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42 black & white student printables
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42 Google Slides digital word ladders with self check
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42 preloaded Seesaw word ladders with self check
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short a
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short e
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short i
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short o
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short u
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mixed review short vowels
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l blends
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r blends
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s blends
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final blends
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ch, sh
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th
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ng, nk
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CVCe a_e, i_e
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CVCe o_e, i_e
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CVCe u_e
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ai, ay
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ee, ea
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oa, ow
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_y, igh
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ar
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er
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Ir
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or, ore
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short oo
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long oo
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ow
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ou
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oi, oy
See what other teachers are saying about these Word Ladders / Word Chains Phonics Activities:
“Fantastic resource. Multiple uses. Aligned with the science of reading. Excellent use with small groups and independent work. Definitely recommend.”
“I love using word ladders with my students as an intervention activity, a practice activity, or just for a fun workshop! They are great for students at all levels and are lots of fun!”
“My students loved these! I have found word chains to be very effective for struggling readers. I love the different levels of difficulty, which allows me to challenge the students who find word chaining easy.”
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Kirstin Widell –
This has been a great center for my students! I teach the routine and now we have this center all year long as I change out the skills.
Karla C. –
Great for use in my centers and the slides let me do a fun whole group as a warm up. My students loved and started to make connections from CKLA chaining. Easy to use and the pictures helped my ELs too. Thank you!
Shannon Chlouber –
These have been a great resource for my ELL students. Thank you for creating a wonderful resource.
Katie U. –
Very useful for my grade 2 classroom! Thanks so much!
Alex R. –
This was a great resource to use in my high school structured learning classroom!
Sara S. –
Fun way to practice skills in small groups! I used these for fast finishers as well.
Fiona B. –
My class love this set – so easy to just pull out for a little extra practise. It’s great they can self check too.
Jamie B. –
These word ladders are a great addition to any literacy lesson! The pictures are great, and there is a wide variety of consonant and vowel changes throughout.
Meghan J. –
What a great resource for my class! This was great!
Stephanie M. –
My students loved completing these! I enjoy that it gives them extra practice for the UFLI words of the week and that their is an answer key for some pictures that I was unsure of that always helps too 🙂
Melanie M. –
Helps us with out UFLI word ladders! Kids love this
Ms Scheckelhoff –
I use these in my leveled phonics bins for my students to complete independently! Great activity!
Allison K. –
My students need practice seeing how a word can change just by replacing one sound.
Holly M. –
This resource is just what I needed. I love the clip art AND the fact that you “climb” the ladder from the bottom to the top. Thank you!
Marykate Casaletto –
I loved using this resource in my first grade classroom. It was so helpful to the students.
Carolyn F S. –
A good way to practice encoding skills. Just the right amount of challenge.
Carla A. –
I laminated this so that we could use it again and again to help reinforce skills in small groups.
Melissa W. –
This is a fun and engaging activity for the kiddos!
Classroom Innovator Corner –
Great resource. Engaging, easy to prep, and fun for all!
Lynda M. –
My students loved these puzzles and are always engaged to try another one!