Are you explicitly teaching phonics in the classroom? Need an easy, no-prep activity to practice phonics skills? These 59 word chaining activities are the PERFECT phonics practice for your structured literacy classroom!

What is word chaining?

With a word chain, students start with a word. With each word, they must change a sound to create a new word.

Why word chaining?

Word chaining is a great activity to help promote orthographic mapping. Students must pay attention to every single phoneme (sound), as well as every letter combination (grapheme) that makes that sound. It’s a perfect addition to your classroom for reviewing spelling and practicing new phonics skills!

Included you will find:

•59 word chaining lists. Each list contains 10 words, where each word differs from the previous by 1 sound.

•4 templates to use with word chaining.

Word lists included:

1.Closed syllable a, closed syllable i, closed syllable o, closed syllable e

2.Closed syllable u, Mixed closed syllables 1, mixed closed syllables 2, mixed closed syllables 3

3.k vs. c, floss rule, sh, ch

4.th, wh, Mixed digraphs 1, Mixed digraphs 2

5.s blends 1, s blends 2, l blends 1, l blends 2

6.r blends 1, r blends 2, mixed blends 1, mixed blends 2

7.End blends: -st, -sp, -sk, End blends: -ft, -ct, -nt, Word families: -ang, -ing, -ong Triple blends: scr-, spr-, spl-, str-

8.Word families: ank and ink, Word families: onk and unk, Short to long a: silent e, short to long o: silent e

9.Short to long i: silent e, short to long u: silent e, silent e review 1, silent e review 2

10.k vs. ck, s represents /z/, ch vs. –tch, r-controlled vowels: ar

11.r-controlled vowels: or, r-controlled vowels: or or ore?, r-controlled vowels: er, vowel teams: ai

12.Vowel teams: ay, vowel teams: ee, vowel teams: oa, vowel teams: igh

13.Vowel team: oo, Diphthongs: oi and oy, Final y: y represents /i/, Gentle Cindy: C

14.Gentle Cindy: G, ge vs. –dge, Diphthongs: ou and ow, Vowel team/diphthongs: ow

15.Diphthongs: au and aw, closed syllable exceptions: -ind and –ild, closed syllable exceptions: -old, -ost, -olt

Looking for more phonics activities? Check out my phonics bundle here!