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Quiet games

Word Ladder

Change one letter at a time to turn one word into another: CAT to COT to DOT to DOG. A puzzle that builds spelling and phonics skills.

  • πŸŽ“ Grades 3–8
  • ⏱ 5–15 min
  • πŸ‘₯ Individuals or pairs
  • πŸ“¦ No prep
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How to play Word Ladder

  1. Write a start word and an end word with the same number of letters (COLD and WARM).
  2. Students change one letter at a time to make a new real word each step.
  3. They write each step as a rung on the ladder.
  4. The shortest correct ladder wins.
  5. Share solutions on the board.

Variations

  • Younger students: give clues for each rung ("Change one letter to make an animal").

πŸ’‘ Teacher tips

  • One solution: COLD, CORD, CARD, WARD, WARM.
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