Compound Words Teaching Resources
If you’re digging into compound words with your primary students, dig into printables, worksheets and more to bring the study of these fun words to life! This teaching resource collection was created by teachers to save your lesson planning time so you can spend more time doing what you love — actually teaching!
Haven’t taught this part of the English curriculum before or in a few years? Our teacher team has put together a quick refresher to get you started! Feel free to skip ahead to the resources if you have all this covered, and you’re just looking to save time on your lesson plans!
What Is a Compound Word?
A compound word merges two or more root words into a new and different word. There are three kinds of compound words:
- Open compound words — These have a space between the words, such as school bus or living room.
- Closed compound words — These have no spaces between them, such as classroom or homework.
- Hyphenated compound words — These have — you guessed it — hyphens between the words, such as dry-erase or forty-four.
Compound Words for Kids
Compound words are a pretty simple concept to teach, but it’s all too common for teachers to skip over the types of compound words. Take it from our English teachers: Break down each type for your students!
Open, closed, and hyphenated compound words all have different features, and we’ve put together a collection to help you teach them all!
Take a walk through our compound word collection, and you’ll find a host of resources for teaching open and closed compound words, along with other types.
Compound Words for Year 2 and Up
Our collection is home to hundreds of compound word worksheets, open and closed compound word PDF files, instructional slides for compound words, and more. Here are a few of our favorites!
- Compound words anchor chart
- Compound words list
- Combining Words Cut and Paste Activity
- Compound Words Game
- and more!
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Compound Words - Word Search Pack
Search, find, and spell compound words with a fun set of Compound Word Word Search Puzzles!
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Compound Words - Worksheet Pack
Practise using compound words in sentences with. a pair of printable compound word worksheets for older students.
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Compound Word Worksheets - Upper Years
Boost your students' vocabulary knowledge with printable Compound Word Worksheets for upper years.
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Compound Words Read and Draw Worksheets
Blend vocabulary and art with an engaging set of Read and Draw Compound Words Worksheets!
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Compound Words Crossword Puzzle Pack
Boost vocabulary skills with a pack of printable Compound Word Crossword Puzzles!
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Compound Word Games for Partners
Boost vocabulary skills and help your students learn to read and write compound words with engaging Compound Word Partner Games!
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Compound Word Search and Find Worksheets
Search, find, and spell compound words with a pack of printable compound word worksheets for Year 2
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Daily Vocabulary Dive - Compound Word Spiral Review
Give your students a daily dose of compound word review with a 5-day vocabulary warm-up worksheet.
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Compound Word Quiz
Assess your student’s abilities to read, spell, and use compound words with a Compound Word Quiz.
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Compound Word List Bundle
Introduce your students to different levels and types of compound words with a pack of printable compound word lists.
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Compound Words Go Fish Game
Practise building compound words with an engaging game of Compound Word Go Fish!
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Compound Words I Have, Who Has? Game
Play a whole-class game to review common compound words and their meanings.
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Compound Words Chatterbox Template
Make a compound word chatterbox to engage your students and have fun learning how to combine two words into one!
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Spelling Compound Words Worksheets
See and spell compound words with a pack of printable compound word spelling worksheets.
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Compound Words A to Z Challenge
Challenge your students' quick thinking skills and knowledge of compound words with a Compound Words A to Z Challenge activity.
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Compound Words Vocabulary Foldable
Create a fun Compound Word foldable with a printable template for your students’ interactive notebooks.
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Write the Room - Compound Word Literacy Centre
Read, write, spell, and use compound words with a printable Compound Word - Write the Room Literacy Centre.
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Compound Words - Read, Spell, & Write Interactive
Build skills in reading and writing compound words with a Google Slides Digital Learning resource.
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Compound Words With Pictures - Word Wall
Combine words to make compound words and boost vocabulary skills with a printable combining words word wall.s.
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Read and Write Compound Words Worksheet
Explore compound words with these differentiated worksheets for early learners.
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Building Compound Words - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Cut, paste, and write to form open and closed compound words with a word-building worksheet.
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Compound Words Bump Game
Help your students discover new compound words with a printable Compound Word BUMP! Game.
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Compound Words Roll and Read Game
Roll and read compound words with a pair of printable Compound Words Roll and Read Partner Games!
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Writing with Compound Words Worksheet Pack
Practise using compound words in context with a pack of printable Writing With Compound Words Worksheets.
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Compound Words Seek and Find Interactive
Seek and find examples of compound words with an engaging Google Slides Interactive activity.
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Compound Words Teaching Slides
Teach your students to identify, combine, and read compound words with an interactive Compound Words teaching presentation.
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Compound Words Four in a Row Game
Practise identifying and reading compound words with a printable Four-in-a-Row game for small-group reading instruction.
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Compound Words Game Show Interactive
Turn your compound word lessons into a fun game with an interactive Compound Word Game Show activity!
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Compound Words Folding Task Cards
Build vocabulary skills and help your students practise forming compound words with a pack of compound word shutter-fold task cards.
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Smash It! Compound Word Game
Practise compound words with this set of 8 combining words game boards and picture cards.
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Compound Word Colouring Worksheets
Colour the compound words and boost your students' vocabulary with a pack of printable Compound word colouring worksheets.
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Compound Words - Noun Puzzle Pops Match-Up
‘Pop’ in a bit of extra practise with compound words with a fun set of Compound Word Puzzle Pops!