Word slider maker

Pull the strip and read a new word

Make a word slider for a word family. The card holds the ending, such as at. The strip holds the first letters. Thread the strip through two slits in the card and pull: c-at, h-at, m-at, s-at. One letter changes and a new word appears.

Pick a design

Now: . Hundreds of designs to choose from.

Choose each part yourself

To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. What you type stays on your device: it is not sent to us and not saved.

Your worksheet:

How to make your worksheet

  1. Pick a word family, or choose “Type your own words” and type words that end the same way.
  2. Print on thick paper if you can.
  3. Cut out the card and the strip. A grown-up cuts the two slits.
  4. Thread the strip through the slits and pull it to read each word.

The reading skill

A slider is practice in blending a first sound with an ending. The ending stays still, so a child only has to deal with one new sound each time, and soon reads the ending as one chunk.

One family at a time

Words you type are grouped by their ending, with one slider for each ending. Stay with one ending until it is easy.

Words a beginner can read

The ready families are short words from our checked word sets, where every letter says its usual sound.

Good questions

Can I use my own words?

Yes. Choose “Type your own words” at the top of the word list and type them. What you type stays on your device.

How do the words I type become a slider?

The part of each word from the first vowel to the end is the ending. Words with the same ending share a slider. A word with no partner is left out, and the page says so.

How many words fit on one slider?

Up to fourteen, on two strips.

What paper should I use?

Thick paper or card works best. Plain paper works too if you glue it to a cereal box first.

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up and no limit.

Make another kind of sheet

Free · 2 minutes

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