2nd Grade Word Ladders
Four-letter words, 100 printable ladders
Second grade word ladders work in four-letter words from the first page to the last. Students change one letter at a time and follow a clue at every step: ship becomes shop, then stop, then step. Over four levels the words to write grow from two to five, so the routine stays familiar while the challenge builds.
What's in the 2nd grade pack
- 100 word ladders on 50 student pages, two to a page
- A clue under every step
- Four levels that ask students to write 2, 3, 4, then 5 words
- Standard and Assisted versions; the Assisted arrows point to the letter box that changes
- Teacher directions with a worked example
- An answer key for all 100 ladders
- Black and white pages that photocopy cleanly
Try a 2nd grade word ladder
This is ladder 31 from the 2nd grade pack. Read each clue, change one letter, and climb from cook to link. It prints free just below, and the free sampler has a page from every grade.
- cookStart here.
- a 4-letter wordTo use your eyes.
- a 4-letter wordYou need a key for it.
- a 4-letter wordWhat a puppy does to your hand.
- linkOne ring in a chain.
Show the answers
cook, look, lock, lick, link
Free printable
Free 2nd grade word ladders to print
Here's a real page from the 2nd grade pack to print free: the ladder above plus one more, tube to buns, in Standard and Assisted versions with the answer key. No sign-up, no account.
Prefer to keep it in your TpT library? Get it free on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Terms of use: Free to print and use with your own students. Please share a link to this page rather than the PDF files. Not for resale.
How the 2nd grade pack climbs
Every ladder in the pack uses four-letter words. What grows is the number of words students write.
| Level | Pages | Students write |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Pages 3 to 14 | 2 words |
| Level 2 | Pages 15 to 28 | 3 words |
| Level 3 | Pages 29 to 42 | 4 words |
| Level 4 | Pages 43 to 52 | 5 words, top word only |
The routine is the same from page 3 to page 52, so once students know it, it works for independent centers and for homework.
2nd grade Halloween word ladders
The Halloween and fall pack keeps the same routine with a seasonal theme: 50 ladders on 25 pages, the same four levels, Standard and Assisted versions, and an answer key. Its worked example climbs flow, glow, grow, crow. To try one first, the free Halloween sampler has a page from this grade.
2nd grade winter word ladders
For December through February, the winter pack keeps the same routine with a winter theme rather than a holiday one: 50 ladders on 25 pages, the same four levels, Standard and Assisted versions, and an answer key. Its worked example climbs hook, hood, hold, cold, with a coat hood and a frosty morning. More in Winter Word Ladders for Grades 1 to 5.
Teaching more than one grade, or want room to move up or down a level? The Grades 1 to 5 bundle has all five packs, 500 ladders in all, for less than the price of four. Want the seasonal sets too? The Word Ladders MEGA Bundle has all 19 word ladder packs, 1,100+ ladders in all.
Other grades: 1st grade · 3rd grade · 4th grade · 5th grade. Every set, including Halloween and winter, is on the word ladders page.