CONNECTIONS
Simple Word Chains
Phonics
Skill Sequence 1 To create word chains, students begin with a single word, and
then substitute or manipulate letters in order to form subsequent
• Letter Matching words. Through this sound manipulation, students strengthen the
connection between letters and sound sequences.
• Letter Names
• Consonant Sounds Classroom Ideas
• Matching Sounds & Letters
Teach or Review
• Short Vowel Sounds As necessary, teach or review initial consonant sounds. Then,
display letter tiles for a word without the initial sound (e.g., _at) as
• Medial Vowels well as two consonant letter tiles that can complete the word (e.g.,
h, m). Say one word and have students hold up the letter tile that
• SIMPLE WORD CHAINS completes the word. Then, have students substitute the other letter
tile and tell you the new word that is created with this substitution.
• Reading CVC Words
Listening Lab
• Consonant Digraphs
Have students create a target word (e.g., pet) with letter tiles. Then,
present a new word that differs by one sound (e.g., Change pet
• Building Words
to net). Have students identify where the words differ (beginning
or end) and identify the consonant sound that must be changed.
• Long Vowel Sounds
Continue with additional changes to the initial or final sound.
• Reversible Letters
Make a Match
• ords with Blends
W Create a deck of cards that contains pairs of CVC words that differ
& Digraphs by one letter (e.g., pop/mop, cat/cut, run/rug). Arrange cards face
down and have students work with a partner to turn over two cards
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• Word Families at a time, looking for a word chain pair. Students should identify the
letter that changes in each pair.
• Contractions
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Art Studio
• Silent E Recognition
© 2022 Lexia Learning LLC, a Cambium Learning® Group company
Dictate word chains for students that start and end with the
same word (e.g., bit/big/pig/pin/pit/bit). Students can write the
word chains on interlocking loops of paper to create a “necklace”
of words. As a challenge, have students generate their own word
Curriculum Connection chains to turn into necklaces.
Present a classroom
Pair Share
topic to students (e.g., Practice sound changes to medial vowels. Present student
Winter Vacation; Plant pairs with a set of vowel letter tiles and a deck of cards with an
Lifecycles). Spell out incomplete CVC word written on each (e.g., m__p). Have students
this word or phrase for take turns drawing a word card and inserting each short vowel,
one at a time, to create words (e.g., map, mep, mip, mop, mup).
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students using letter
tiles. Then, have students When a real word is formed, students can write it and earn a point.
move and manipulate
the letter tiles to form
smaller words.
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CONNECTIONS Simple Word Chains–continued
Initial Consonant Final Consonant Initial and Final
Substitution Substitution Consonant Substitution
cap ➜ map ➜ tap ➜ nap ➜ lap tag ➜ tab ➜ tan ➜ tap sat ➜ sad ➜ bad ➜ bag ➜ rag
log ➜ fog ➜ dog ➜ jog ➜ hog bun ➜ bus ➜ bug ➜ bud bed ➜ beg ➜ leg ➜ let ➜ met
hen ➜ ten ➜ pen ➜ men ➜ den cab ➜ cat ➜ cap ➜ can him ➜ hit ➜ sit ➜ sip ➜ lip
hug ➜ bug ➜ dug ➜ rug ➜ jug bit ➜ bib ➜ big ➜ bin nod ➜ not ➜ dot ➜ dog ➜ fog
Advanced Sample Word Chains
(Words differ by one sound at a time)
rot ➜ cot ➜ dot ➜ got ➜ get ➜ bet ➜ beg ➜ leg ➜ log ➜ dog
map ➜ cap ➜ tap ➜ top ➜ tip ➜ hip ➜ hit ➜ bit ➜ bat ➜ bag
fit ➜ bit ➜ big ➜ bug ➜ tug ➜ tub ➜ rub ➜ rob ➜ rib ➜ rip
jet ➜ wet ➜ bet ➜ beg ➜ leg ➜ log ➜ hog ➜ hug ➜ bug ➜ big
red ➜ bed ➜ bad ➜ mad ➜ map ➜ tap ➜ top ➜ tip ➜ sip ➜ sap
Reproduction rights for Family Literacy Centers, Inc. for use until September 30, 2023.
This material is a component of Lexia Reading® www.lexialearning.com
© 2022 Lexia Learning LLC, a Cambium Learning® Group company
Printed by Linh Vo.
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