Description
Phonics word ladders are a great tool for connecting phonemic awareness and phonics skills. Phonics word ladders engage students by having them think critically about spelling & phonics patterns. Students will manipulate the phonemes in words by using verbal clues and picture clues. This can strengthen letter-sound connections in a fun, easy, non-stressful way.
Looking to beef up your phonics lessons?
These phonics word ladders include over 60 phonics skills so you can use them to easily supplement your phonics instruction.
Looking for resources that are easy to prep?
These activities are no-prep! The ladders come two to a page, which saves on copies. Phonics ladders can also be laminated or used in a dry-erase pocket.
Not sure how to guide students through?
The optional teacher script can help you or a para support student understanding as they complete the phonics word ladders.
This resource is perfect for:
- Phonics skill practice
- Small group instruction
- Centers
- Phonics lesson
- Phonemic awareness
- Interventions
Components of each phonics ladder:
- Teacher directions page with an optional script to follow
- Ladder to model on the teacher page
- Half-page student ladders
- Student ladder with clipart clues for each word
- Students can work up or down the ladder
- Space to write each word next to the pictures
PHONICS LADDERS INCLUDED:
CVC & SHORT VOWELS
- Short A, Short E, Short I, Short O, Short U, Mixed CVC
CONSONANT BLENDS
- Beginning L Blends, Beginning R Blends, Beginning S Blends, Ending L Blends, Ending R Blends, Ending S Blends, Ending T Blends, Ending N/M Blends, Mixed Beginning Blends, Mixed Ending Blends
CONSONANT DIGRAPHS
- CH, SH, TH, PH, WH, QU, KN, NG, Mixed Digraphs
CVCE & SILENT E
- Long A, Long I, Long O, Long U, Long E, Mixed Silent E
CVVC & VOWEL TEAMS
- AI, AY, EA, EE, IE, OA, OE, Mixed Vowel Teams
R-CONTROLLED VOWELS
- AR, ER, IR, OR, UR, Mixed R-controlled
DIPHTHONGS
- AU, AW, OI, OY, Short OW (cow), Long OW (snow), Short OO (book), Long OO (moon), EW, Mixed Diphthongs
SILENT LETTERS
- B, C, D, G, H, K, L, T, W, Mixed Silent Letters
I can’t wait to hear how these phonics ladders help your students achieve success with phonics in a positive, encouraging, fun, stress-free way! Send me a message after you download and let me know how it’s going. Happy teaching!
Tiffany Q. –
This is a great small group resource. The kids enjoy it.
Jessica S. –
Super fun for students to practice by skill. Thank you!
Alex D. –
I really loved this resource, and found it to be super engaging!
Sarah M. –
Students thoroughly love the activity and I liked the focus on specific concepts.
Susan Siske –
My students loved using this resource. They were engaged the entire time and didn’t take them long to understand the concept. It didn’t take long to prepare this resource, so it didn’t take time for me to prep, which I loved. I was able to differentiate it a little, so I can meet all my learners. It is so incredibly hard to do in first grade, so this resource was able to do that with ease.
Jamie R. –
Love the teacher directions! I had my student teacher lead these and my kids did great.
Christie M. –
This is a very comprehensive and thorough resource!
Rosie’s Educational Closet –
Perfect for small group instruction with my low level students. Thank you!
Diane C. –
I use these during my workstation time to reinforce phonic skills.
EDFB –
These are fantastic! I love all of the resources you create!
Lauren F. –
These are so fun! My students really enjoyed this to practice our phonics pattern.
Michelle D –
My students love doing these activities and its help them so much with their spelling! thank you so much!
Lorraine W –
My students love doing these activities and its help them so much with their spelling! thank you so much!
Gina M. –
Excellent product that allows students to build vocabulary and work with words!!
Beth R. –
We love word ladders! Great use of sounds to build words.
Deanna L. –
My students really enjoy this and feel successful.
Tami G. –
Such a great resource for my beginning readers! They really enjoy doing word ladders for their phonics review.
LeAnne H. –
My students loved using this resource! They were all engaged! Thank you!
Lisa K. –
My students enjoyed doing these word ladders as part of their word work bins.
Leonard’s Lightning Bugs –
My students really enjoyed using this resource! Thank you!
Angela S. –
I LOVE using this resource with my distance learning K class. They love this for extra practice.
Lodato’s Loves –
Love using these for my reading groups. They really get the kids thinking!
Lisa G. –
My students and I have a great deal of fun with these. They are perfect to squeeze in anytime during the day.
Samantha G. –
This are great for me to use at small group and they really help the kids manipulate the sounds!
Andrea C. –
My students caught on quick and loved doing these. The pictures were easy to understand.
Debbie H. –
My students love these. They are perfect for independent work and/or centers. Thank you.
Sharon C. –
Cannot begin to describe how much I love this! Such a great resource to have for literacy instruction
Donna D. –
This is amazing for opening my small groups! Thank you!
Deborah S. –
These little ladders are inviting. The children enjoy figuring out the words.
emilly B. –
Great product! I’m very happy with this purchase.
Carolyn J. –
Although most teachers use the same words in phonics, each has their own. This sometimes becomes a problem when my students encounter these new words and I find myself having to give out extra vocabulary so they can complete an activity. Ok, nothing wrong with that, learning is always good, right? For things like ladders though, it can spoil a fun moment for kids, especially when they’re very young; but LLL came up with this resource which happens to use most of those more common words! I also loved that they used nice, big pictures instead of “hints” or clues to figure out the words. All in all, a great discovery!
Thank you for yet another great resource.
Geneva E. –
Another great resource from LLL! My students love doing these and I love that there are pictures to help and the phonics skill are reinforced.
Marissa K. –
My students used these in guided reading centers. They were super engaging and less of a power struggle for the teacher to get the students to do the work!
Kim P –
I love these activities. It shows me if my students can manipulate sounds and then read the new words. My students are pretty good at this. Thank.
Lisa M. –
My students love word ladders and this one is among their favorites! Very engaging and students were able to complete them independently. I also liked how it included a teacher page explaining how to introduce it to students.
Victoria O. –
I love using these as a choice activity for students to practice their phonics skills. Each week, we focus on a new skill and these are a great supplement.
Michelle T. –
My students really enjoyed this resource. We did the first few ladders together as a team and then we use it as warm up activity for language every day! Then even enjoy coming up with an extra rung or two at the bottom!
Nicole C. –
Obessed does not do this justice! I am obessed with the word ladders you created. I have never done word ladders before but this made it super simple! I love it and so do my students!
Katherine M. –
These picture word ladders are perfect for independent work and homework for my first graders. They can do this will very little support.
Janice B. –
Fun way to practice spelling and sounds! My students think of this as a game, not work! Thanks so much!