Word Ladder Puzzle Game

Paper

Pencil

Write the start word at the top: CAT.

Write the end word at the bottom: DOG.

Explain: "Change ONE letter at a time. Every step must be a real word."

Model: CAT → COT (changed A to O).

Continue: COT → COG (changed T to G).

Finish: COG → DOG (changed C to D). Made it!

Try more: HOT to CUP, PIG to CAN, HAT to MOP.

Challenge: let your child make one for you.

Word ladders exercise phonemic manipulation — the ability to swap sounds in and out of words. This is one of the most advanced phonological awareness skills and directly predicts reading success.

Each step requires your child to consider: "If I change this letter, is it still a word?" That's trial-and-error thinking applied to spelling — powerful cognitive work.

Start with 3-letter words and short ladders (2-3 steps). Increase word length and ladder length as skills grow.

Have a dictionary handy for disputes. "Is 'cog' a real word?" becomes a dictionary moment, which is its own vocabulary lesson.

If a ladder seems impossible, it might be. Not every word pair has a valid path. That's actually a good lesson in problem-solving too.