Word Ladders

A fun no prep activity

Draw a ladder. We like to make a big one on a large white board, but paper works just as well. If you only have a few minutes just make 6-7 rungs. If you have more time make it larger.

Write a word on the bottom rung.

Each player takes a turn making one change.

You can add a letter, remove a letter or change a letter to create a new word. Write the new word on the next rung.

Try to make it to the top of the ladder. When we are all done I have a student read the entire thing from bottom to top.

For example:

This is a great quick activity for individual tutoring or for a group. It requires no prep and just something to write with and a surface to write on.

If you find yourself with a few extra minutes, try a word ladder!

This game can work with whatever syllable type you are currently studying. This is a popular activity with all my students. It’s really tricky for some struggling readers!