Free resources

Free Word Ladders Sampler

Grades 1 to 5, ten printable ladders, Standard and Assisted PDFs

Try two clue-based spelling and vocabulary ladders per grade, first through fifth, from my free printable word ladder worksheets. Both PDFs hold the same ten puzzles, with teacher directions and an answer key. No sign-up, no account.

Download the Assisted PDFArrows point to the letter that changes.
Download the Standard PDFCentered arrows between the steps.

Each PDF has eight pages, including five student activity pages, one per grade. Prefer to keep it in your TpT library? Get the free sampler on Teachers Pay Teachers. Want a fall one? There are five fall ladders to try, one from each grade, in the fall word ladders post.

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.

Cover of the free word ladders sampler: grades 1 to 5 word ladder challenges, ten unique ladders, two per grade

Ready to continue with your grade?

Each full grade pack has 100 ladders on 50 student activity pages, four progressive levels, Standard and Assisted versions, and answer keys. The links open on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Grade 1Grade 2Grade 3Grade 4Grade 5

Teaching across grades? The Grades 1 to 5 bundle collects all five packs, 500 unique 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.

What's inside

  • Ten unique word ladders across five grade-specific student activity pages
  • Two separate PDFs, Standard and Assisted, with the same ten ladders in both
  • Assisted arrows that point to the letter box that changes
  • Two Level 2 ladders per grade, with three missing words to write in each ladder
  • A clue for each step, with the starting and ending words provided
  • Teacher directions, a worked example, and an answer key for all ten ladders

Try one from each grade

Here's one ladder from each grade's page in the sampler, ready to solve right here. Read each clue, change one letter, and climb to the bottom word.

Grade 1: from tar to hot
  1. Start here.
  2. A long way away.
  3. Not thin at all.
  4. You wear it on your head.
  5. Very, very warm.
Show the answers

tar, far, fat, hat, hot

Grade 2: from tube to buns
  1. Start here.
  2. Big round containers.
  3. Pulls sharply.
  4. Small crawling insects.
  5. Soft round bread rolls.
Show the answers

tube, tubs, tugs, bugs, buns

Grade 3: from show to crow
  1. Start here.
  2. Not fast.
  3. To shine with a soft light.
  4. To get bigger.
  5. A big black bird.
Show the answers

show, slow, glow, grow, crow

Grade 4: from stock to small
  1. Start here.
  2. A neat tower of pancakes.
  3. The tall stem of a corn plant.
  4. One horse's room in a barn.
  5. Little in size.
Show the answers

stock, stack, stalk, stall, small

Grade 5: from story to slope
  1. Start here.
  2. To put away for later, or a shop.
  3. Twenty of something, or the game's points.
  4. The full reach of a project, or a viewing tube.
  5. A surface that tilts downhill.
Show the answers

story, store, score, scope, slope

Standard or Assisted?

The ladders are identical in both PDFs. The Assisted version points each arrow at the exact letter box that changes, a small visual scaffold that lets students who need one work the same puzzles as everyone else. Here is the same sampler page in both versions.

A student page from the free sampler in the Standard version, with centered arrows between the steps
Standard: the classic puzzle
The same student page from the free sampler in the Assisted version, where each arrow points at the letter box that changes
Assisted: each arrow marks the changing letter

How teachers use it

Use the sampler to introduce a literacy-center routine, try small-group word work, or give early finishers a short spelling and vocabulary challenge. Students read each clue and change one letter at a time to make a new word. Model the example first, and read the clues aloud for younger students. For how to introduce the routine and choose the right support for your students, read The Word Ladder Routine on the blog.

The full grade packs

Each grade has its own page with a full sample page, a ladder to try, and how the four levels climb. The bundle row opens on Teachers Pay Teachers. The Halloween and fall line is on the word ladders collection page.

Questions teachers ask

Is the word ladders sampler really free?

Yes. Both PDFs download straight from this page with no sign-up and no account. The same sampler is also free on Teachers Pay Teachers if you'd rather keep it in your TpT library.

Which grades does the sampler cover?

Grades 1 to 5, with one student activity page per grade and two ladders on each page. All ten are Level 2 ladders with three missing words to write, a clue for each step, and the starting and ending words provided.

What is the difference between the Standard and Assisted versions?

The ten ladders are identical in both PDFs. The Assisted version adds an arrow at each step that points to the letter box that changes, a small scaffold for students who need one. Print whichever version matches your students, or both.

Do I need a Teachers Pay Teachers account?

Not for the downloads on this page. If you'd rather keep the sampler in your TpT library, the listing there is free too; you'll log in to download it.

The full grade packs live on the word ladders collection page, the other free products are on the free resources page, and the rest of the shop lives on the main shop page.