CVC Word Ladders Short Vowel Word Chaining Worksheets | SoR

Elevate your phonics lessons and add fun to your phonemic awareness activities with these CVC word ladders and short vowel word chain worksheets!

A word ladder, also called a word chain, is a simple tool designed to build phonemic awareness and support decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) skills. Students use higher-level thinking as they substitute sounds to make the next word.

Ideal for interventions, word ladders strengthen letter-sound connections and are perfect for practicing sound substitution and using picture clues.

Included in this resource are 55 printable and projectable word ladders for students to master reading and spelling CVC short vowels and review them all year!

CVC Phonics patterns included:

• Short a
• Short e
• Short i
• Short o
• Short u
• Mixed review of all 5 short vowels

Easily differentiate with 3 flexible options for the CVC Word Ladders – Short Vowel Word Chaining :

✅ Printable word ladders with picture prompts – Guided teacher notes and a script are provided for you to walk students through sound/letter substitution.

✅ Projectable word ladders with picture prompts – Students climb down the ladder by substituting letters to spell the picture name. Then advance the slide to check their answers. Also, the projectable version is ideal for modeling sound substitution and how to use the printable versions!

✅ Projectable word ladders with a starting prompt – Students start with one picture prompt and then substitute letters to create new words.

When to use word ladders:

• Phonics practice
• Interventions
• Literacy centers
• Small groups & word building
• Whole group phonics lessons
• Short vowel review

PowerPoint, PDF, and Google Slides are included:

The projectable word ladders are included in PowerPoint, Google Slides, and PDF formats.

NOTE: The Google Slides version is included for teachers who do not have PowerPoint. The Google Slides are designed to be displayed on your whiteboard, as you would a PowerPoint, and are not intended to be used on student devices.

How to use word ladders:

First, print the black and white word ladders, that come 3 to a page, as instant phonics practice that is perfect for a center.

Print the colored PDF version to use as a phonics center or for small group word-building.

Project the PowerPoint or Google Slides on your whiteboard for an engaging addition to your lesson or to use as a center. Students write the answers in the ladders on the whiteboard.

**Please download the preview to see more details and everything included.

You may also like these phonics resources!

CVC Word Mapping Activities

CVC Short Vowel Phonics Unit & Centers

Happy teaching!

Linda Kamp

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