Word sort generator

Pick two or three patterns, print a cut and paste sort

Make a cut and paste word sort. Pick two or three word families or spelling patterns, such as -at and -an, or sh and ch. Your child cuts out the words, reads each one, and glues it in the right box.

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 the first and second word set. Add a third if you want three boxes.
  2. Choose how many words go in each box.
  3. Keep the answer key on if you want the sorted words on a last page.
  4. Print. Press “New version” for other words.

Start with two that sound different

A first sort is easiest with two patterns that are far apart, such as -at and -ig. Patterns that are close, such as short e and short i, are a harder sort for later.

Read first, then sort

Ask your child to read each word out loud before gluing it. The reading is the work; the sorting shows what was noticed.

Good questions

Can one word fit in two boxes?

No. A word that belongs to more than one of the sets you picked is left out.

Which patterns can I sort?

Short vowels, word families, blends, sh, ch, th, ng and nk, quiet e and the common long vowel teams.

Is there an answer key?

Yes. Keep “Answer key page” on.

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