Develop Phonemic Awareness Through Word Chains

The ability to distinguish and manipulate the distinct sounds in words is a fundamental aspect of phonemic awareness.

This set of differentiated task cards provides students with the opportunity to manipulate the phonemes in CVC words to create a continuous word chain. Students fill in the missing sound/letter each time to generate a new word. This process continues, and a word chain is formed. 

This resource contains two sets of differentiated task cards, with ten cards in each set. An answer key is also included.

• Blue Background: Sound/letter boxes are provided showing all the letters/sounds in the new word (other than the phoneme that is changing).
• Purple Background: No scaffolding is provided. The students write the new word created each time on the line provided.

Why not start your students with cards 1-5 of the blue background and then transition to the purple background with no scaffolding for cards 6-10?

How to Use These Word Chain Task Cards

It is recommended that these task cards be printed, cut, and placed inside dry-erase sleeves for optimal, sustainable use. Students may use whiteboard markers to complete the word chains, then wipe clean and reuse. It makes a great reading center activity!

Alternatively, project the task cards onto your interactive whiteboard and complete the word chains as a whole-class activity or in your guided reading groups. Students could take turns naming the sound/letter missing from the chain each time.

Reading the word chain once completed is encouraged, allowing students to practice their emerging letter-sound correspondence knowledge.

Easily Download and Print

Use the dropdown menu next to the Download button to select from the PDF or editable Google Slides version of this resource.

Keep the task cards together in a large envelope (or similar) for easy access and safekeeping.

This resource was created by Alessandra Pastor, a teacher in Massachusetts and a Teach Starter collaborator.

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more phoneme resources your students will love!

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