21 Free Word Family Printables to Help Beginning Readers
Storytime Standouts features 21 free word family printables for kindergarten, grade one and homeschool
Whether supporting my own children as they learned to read, tutoring kindergarten and/or grade one children who are struggling with reading or presenting my Beginning to Read program, I have always been a great fan of teaching Word Families.
Introducing the concept of Word Families helps kindergarten and first grade students understand that elements of words are the same. Three words may have different parts but they may also be very alike. Once a child learns to decode the word “RING,” he can be encouraged to substitute the beginning sound and read, “SING,” “KING,” or “BRING” with word family materials.
The idea of substituting a beginning sound (or an ending sound) can be introduced long before a child is learning to read. Phonemic Awareness activities will encourage preschool and kindergarten children to play with sounds. A young child with good phonemic awareness skills will grasp the idea of decoding Word Families very quickly.
If you are working with a child who is not reading at the expected level, we think that phonemic awareness should be one of the very first things that is assessed.
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Step 3 – Choose from any of our 250 free downloads, including these free word family printables.
10 Printable Word Family Flip Books for Kindergarten and First Grade –
An easy way for children to learn and practice the an, at, ed, ell, ick, ing, op, ot, ug and uck word families
I use these Word Family flip books in my Beginning to Read program. I find they are terrific for encouraging young children to see the relationship between BAT, CAT, FAT, MAT, PAT, RAT and SAT.
For good readers, it is very obvious that bed, fed, led, red and Ted are related. They all end the with “ED.” For a beginning reader, the relationship between these words may not be understood. When children create and use a Word Family flip book, they will notice the relationship between the letters and the words and they quickly learn to substitute the beginning sounds. Before long, they discover that they can read several words quite easily.
Word family flip books are easy to make* and can be tucked into a pocket or a backpack for extra practice at home or on the road.
We really recommend that children make the flip books themselves.
10 Word Family Flip Books
10 printable Word family flipbooks, great learning resources for children in kindergarten and first grade.
Printable PDFs for the an, at, ed, ell, ick, ing, op, ot, ug and uck word families
How to Make a Word Family Flip Book
Instructions for assembling a word family flip book for beginning readers. Great for kindergarten and first grade.
Free Word Family Printables – Words with Pictures for Kindergarten and Grade One
I also use these Word Family printables in my Beginning to Read program. For children who are not quite ready to decode words, the picture clues provide additional support.
Short A Word Family Printables for Beginning Readers
The «All» Word Family
Free — all word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «An» Word Family
Free -an word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Ap» Word Family
Free -ap word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «At» Word Family
Free -at word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Am» Word Family
Free -am word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
Short E Word Family Printables for Beginning Readers
The «Ed» Word Family
Free -ed word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Ell» Word Family
Free -ell word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «En» Word Family
Free -en word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Et» Word Family
Free -et word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Est» Word Family
Free -est word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
Short I Word Family Printables for Beginning Readers
The «Ig» Word Family
Free — ig word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Ip» Word Family
Free -ip word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «It» Word Family
Free -it word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Ill» Word Family
Free -ill word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
Short O Word Family Printables for Beginning Readers
The «Og» Word Family
Free -og word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Op» Word Family
Free -op word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Ot» Word Family
Free -ot word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Ock» Word Family
Free -ock word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
Short U Word Family Printables for Beginning Readers
The «Ub» Word Family
Free -ub word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
The «Ug» Word Family
Free -ug word family printable for young readers in kindergarten and grade one.
You will find our selection of free writing paper for kids here , our free printable picture dictionaries here and all of our homeschool, preschool and kindergarten printables together with parent/teacher resources here.
We invite you to follow Storytime Standouts’ Word Family Board on Pinterest
Worksheets
Print this page, then cut and staple it together. This mini-book features words that end with -all: ball, small, and tall.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
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This worksheet has 4 different activities for students to complete to learn about words that end with -all.
1st Grade
Color in the ovals with -all words and then write the -all words on the primary-ruled lines associated with the images provided. On the bottom, circle the pictures that end with -all.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Cut out the -all words at the bottom of this page and glue it under the picture that matches it.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Cut out these word cards and build sentences using at least one «all» word in each. Then practice your printing skills by writing the sentences on the lined paper provided.
Kindergarten to 2nd Grade
Figure out the missing letter to each word by looking at the pictures.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Look at the images provided and determine what the missing initial letters to each word are and then rewrite the word on the lines below it.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Color in the circles with the right letters to make a word that matches the picture and then write that word on the lines next to it.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
For each picture, find the word in each horizontal word hunt and circle it.
1st Grade
Have your students think of words that end with -all and write them down. For some, there are picture hints to help them figure it out.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Color, trace, and write each word on this printable worksheet.
1st Grade
Students can think of as many -all words as they can and write them down on the lines.
1st Grade
Use letter stampers and an ink pad to make the following words: hall, call, stall, fall, and small.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Word Games
Print and cut out the flash cards. Flip the cards face-down and have a pair of students alternate turning over cards to make a match.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
A pencil and a paperclip is needed to create this word spinner. With the spinner you can have students take turns spinning it and writing the words the spinner lands on.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Word Slider, Flashcards, and Word Wheel
Print and cut out the airplane-shaped word slider. Insert the strip into the middle and move the strip along to read each word. ALT button below has a full-color version available.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
These printable flashcards are a great learning tool to practice reading words that end with -all.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Print the word wheel onto card stock paper. Use a brass fastener to attach the two paper circles together. Spin the wheel to practice reading the words in the -all family.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
See Also:
Word Family Units (Index)
Try out some of our many other word family units: -ad, -am, -ail, -ake, -at,
-aw, -eal, -ear, -eel, -eet, -end, -est,
-ight, -ime, -ink, -op, -ow, -ug, and -ut.
Sample Worksheet Images
If you want to teach your children how to read then word families are a good place to start. I have designed a large set of word family worksheets, flashcards, and even a free workbook for you to download.
The word family materials included can be used as worksheets or as flashcards by laminating them and cutting them out. I have also designed some simple sentences using the CVC words which means after children can read the word families, they can practice reading them in sentences!
Word Families Workbook
DOWNLOAD
I have made a printable workbook that can be used as a structured way to improve your child’s reading. The workbook contains word family CVC sentences that are easy to read. The word family workbook is a great resource to use at home or at your kindergarten!
To make the word family book even more useful in the classroom, I have included the CVC word family sentences as a separate download. The idea is to print out the CVC sentences and practice reading them as a group.
After reading the CVC sentences, children can practice writing them too by copying the sentences in the workbook. Each time you do a new sentence, you can use the book to review the word family sentences! Once children finish the book, they can enjoy reading it to their parents!
CVC Sentences PDF DOWNLOAD HERE!
If the workbook is too difficult, I recommend practicing the word family sheets below. you can use the sheets for practicing reading each of the word families.
-ad, -ag, -am, -an, -ap, -at, -ack word family worksheets PDF
Before using this set of ‘a’ word families, make sure your child can already recognize and sound out the individual letter phonemes. If your child is still having trouble, go back to practicing basic phonics.
I have various flashcard sets available for FREE including colorful Aa-Zz cards, A- Z animal cards, and also simple letter flashcards. You’ll also find various phonics sheets on the site too! Learning how to read can take a while, so be sure not to rush : )
I have organized these CVC words in alphabetical order, so reference the downloadable word family workbook if you want to see exactly where you should start in terms of teaching order. I would avoid teaching ‘-ack’ until all 3 letter words are finished.
| ad | ag | am | an | ap | at | ack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bad | bag | am | ban | bap | bat | back |
| dad | rag | bam | can | cap | cat | hack |
| had | tag | dam | fan | gap | fat | lack |
| lad | wag | ham | man | lap | hat | pack |
| mad | jam | nan | map | mat | rack | |
| pad | Sam | pan | nap | pat | sack | |
| rad | Pam | ran | rap | rat | tack | |
| sad | ram | tan | tap | sat | ||
| tad | yam | van | zap | vat |
-ed, -en, -et, -eck, -ell, -est word family worksheets PDF
Here are all the CVC word family worksheets containing ‘e’. Just like the previous word family, try to avoid teaching the 4 letter words until later. You will notice that names like ‘Ben’ are capitalized. I recommend laminating the worksheets so that they can be traced and reused.
| ed | en | et | eck | ell | est |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bed | Ben | bet | deck | bell | best |
| fed | den | get | neck | dell | jest |
| led | hen | jet | fell | nest | |
| red | Ken | let | hell | pest | |
| Ted | men | met | sell | rest | |
| Pen | net | tell | test | ||
| Ten | pet | well | vest | ||
| yen | vet | yell | west | ||
| wet | zest |
-ig, -ip, -it, -in, – ip, -it word family worksheets PDF
With the ‘i’ word family worksheets, I have not included any 4 letter words. Please let me know if you would like some and I can add to this collection as time goes on. Remember that children don’t have to know all of the words, they just need to learn the skill of decoding.
| ig | in | ip | it |
|---|---|---|---|
| big | in | dip | bit |
| dig | bin | hip | fit |
| fig | kin | kip | hit |
| pig | pin | lip | kit |
| rig | sin | pip | lit |
| wig | tin | rip | pit |
| win | sip | sit | |
| tip | wit | ||
| zip | zit |
-ob, -og, -ot word family worksheets PDF
Here are the ‘o’ CVC words. Feel free to teach only the easier words from the word family. If I was to teach this word family to younger students, I would probably choose Bob, dog, and pot. When discussing the meaning of words, its always easier to use nouns.
| ob | og | ot |
|---|---|---|
| bob | bog | cot |
| cob | cog | dot |
| fob | dog | got |
| hob | fog | hot |
| job | hog | jot |
| lob | jog | lot |
| mob | log | not |
| rob | pot | |
| yob | rot |
-ub, -ug, -un, -ut, -uck, -ump word family worksheets PDF
Finally, we have the ‘u’ word families. Remember with all of these flashcards and materials, you don’t have to do them all in order for your child to read. If a student can read at a reasonable speed, on around 70 percent of the 3 letter CVC word, then you can start using the word family workbook!
| ub | ug | un | ut | uck | ump |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cub | bug | bun | but | buck | bump |
| dub | dug | fun | cut | duck | dump |
| hub | hug | gun | gut | luck | hump |
| pub | jug | hun | hut | muck | jump |
| rub | mug | nun | put | puck | lump |
| sub | pug | pun | suck | pump | |
| tub | rug | run | tuck | rump | |
| tug | yuck |
Easy reading word family sheets PDF
If it feels like there are too many sheets to print out, I also prepared some more sheets that are designed specifically for reading. These flashcards will work well if you have many students and not enough materials : )
Download all six reading sheets as a zip file here.
If you need any help downloading the flashcards, or would like to see a step by step guide of how to print the flashcards, click here!
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Word families are groups of words that have a common feature, pattern or meaning. They usually share a common base or root word, to which different prefixes and suffixes are added.
Word families are a great way to begin seeing and hearing letter patterns in words. The more we practice word families, the stronger reader our Kindergartener will become.
Grouping words into word families helps to improve the predictability of letter sounds. The sounds that letters make vary depending on the other letters around them. For example, think of the many different ways to pronounce ‘a’ depending on the word (eg map, cake, boat, head, said, salt, eat). Letters grouped together in a rime within a word family form a stable unit, which sounds the same in the majority of the words it appears in. This increases the probability that your child will read the letters correctly.
Teaching word families to your child can form a useful part of helping your child learn to read. A knowledge of word families helps your child to recognise unfamiliar words quickly and so builds their confidence during the difficult early reading stages. Teaching word families is an integral part of teaching reading using analytic phonics.
English Created Resources prides itself on providing everything a learner needs to improve the level of English. Our website aims to provide all the required materials for English Language Teachers and Learners to help them master and improve their English, help their pupils master all the required skills.
Such materials are provided for free download to be available always for learners around the world. You can find English ESL worksheets for home learning, online practice, distance learning and English classes.
Through our website, teachers will be able to help their children improve both their written and spoken English. We provide materials related to all the different skills. Our reading Comprehension Worksheets help students to master reading and writing skills. There are also questions to measure pupils’ understanding and help teachers evaluate their pupils easily.
Samples From the Book
Samples From the Activities
Our Website helps you to give your child a boost using our free, printable worksheets. You will be able to help your child with his grammar skills with our printable worksheets that focus on using and punctual tion, Reading & writing.
The PDF
The Activities PDF
Such Worksheets are a useful learning tool for kids who are trying to write or want to practice their language skills at home.
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I have designed 154 printable flashcards featuring word families. Originally I created a small bunch of such cards with most common word families to teach my little son to read in English. My son has been learning English as a foreign language since childhood so, when he was a toddler, I started to design printable reading cards incorporating lists of words with a common ending (up to 12 words on each flashcard) and up to 9 pictures representing some of the words. The rhyming words made it easier for my son to start reading in English while observing and getting used to the spelling patterns of English words. The bright pictures helped me draw his attention to the cards and let him memorize some useful words thus expanding his vocabulary.
Later I decided to use the word family flashcards for my English classes with young students. The kids seemed to love the picture cards, and over time I made even more flashcards for my EFL teaching practice. At the moment my printable word family set counts 154 cards. There are more than 870 words illustrated with child-appealing pictures incorporated on the flashcards.
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| ab word family flashcard |
The whole collection of cards features the following word families: -ab, -able, -ace, -ack, -ad, -ade, -aid, -ail, -ain, -air, -ag, -age, -ake, -ale, -alk, -all, -am, -ame, -amp, -an, -ance, -and, -ane, -ank, -ant, -ap, -ape, -ar, -ard, -ar, -ark, -arm, -arp, -art, -ase, -ash, -ass, -at, -ate, -atch, -ave, -aw, -ay, -ea, -each, -eak, -eal, -eam, -eck, -eek, -eel, -een, -eep, -eet, -ed, -eg, -ell, -en, -end, -est, -et, -ib, -ice, -ick, -ickle, -id, -ide, -ife, -ig, -iff, -ike, -ile, -ill, -im, -ime, -in, -ine, -ing, -ink, -ip, -ipe, -ire, -ish, -iss, -ist, -it, -ite, -ive, -ix, -oad, -oat, -ob, -obe, -ock, -ocket, -od, -ode, -oe, -oil, -oin, -og, -oke, -old, -ole, -oll, -ome, -one, -ong, -oo, -oom, -op, -ope, -ore, -ood, -ook, -ool, -oop, -oot, -ose, -oss, -ot, -ote, -oth, -oulder, -ound, -ouse, -ove, -ow, -ox, -oy, -ub, -uck, -ud, -ude, -ue, -ug, -uff, -un, -ull, -une, -ule, -um, -ume, -ump, -unk, -up, -us, -use, -uss, -ut, -ute. I’d like to show my fellow EFL and ESL teachers some of the flashcards here on this blog. The rest can be seen in the preview. If you like the idea of teaching kids to read English words with visually enhanced printable word family cards, you are welcome to purchase all of them in a high resolution printer-friendly PDF file.
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| ad word family flashcard |
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| ag word family flashcard |
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| ake word family flashcard |
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| am word family flashcard |
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| an word family flashcard |
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| at word family flashcard |
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| ed word family flashcard |
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| eep word family flashcard |
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| en word family flashcard |
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| ice word family flashcard |
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| op word family flashcard |
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| ot word family flashcard |
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| un word family flashcard |
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Word families worksheets. At words.