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Spelling Words for 1st Graders

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30 weekly spelling lists in phonics order, from short a to -ed and -ing, each with six practice pages, a test and a one-click weekly packet.

Download the spelling words for 1st graders worksheets

All 30 spelling lists and a blank test

The whole year on three pages, and a blank test page at 1st grade size for any list.

Week 1: Short a

cat, bat, hat, map, cap, nap, can, ran, plus the tricky words the and of.

Week 2: Short i

pig, big, dig, sit, hit, kit, fin, win, plus the tricky words to and do.

Week 3: Short o

dog, log, hot, pot, dot, top, mop, hop, plus the tricky words said and you.

Week 4: Short u

bug, rug, hug, sun, run, fun, nut, cut, plus the tricky words was and are.

Week 5: Short e

bed, red, fed, hen, ten, pen, pet, wet, plus the tricky words they and have.

Week 6: Words with ck

back, pack, kick, sick, rock, sock, duck, luck, plus the tricky words come and some.

Week 7: Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz

puff, off, bell, hill, doll, kiss, mess, buzz, plus the tricky words what and there.

  • Preview of the printable “Spelling Words: week 7 (Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz)” worksheet: learning this week's spelling words: ff, ll, ss and zz at the end, as in bellView larger

    Spelling Words: week 7 (Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz)

    Learning this week's spelling words: ff, ll, ss and zz at the end, as in bell

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page47 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Rainbow Write: week 7 (Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz)” worksheet: tracing and writing spelling words with ff, ll, ss and zz at the end, as in bellView larger

    Rainbow Write: week 7 (Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz)

    Tracing and writing spelling words with ff, ll, ss and zz at the end, as in bell

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page43 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Missing Letters: week 7 (Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz)” worksheet: writing the missing pattern letters in spelling words with ff, ll, ss and zz at the end, as in bellView all 2 pages

    Missing Letters: week 7 (Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz)

    Writing the missing pattern letters in spelling words with ff, ll, ss and zz at the end, as in bell

    Answer key on page 2

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    2 pages53 KB

  • Preview of the printable “ABC Order: week 7 (Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz)” worksheet: putting spelling words in ABC order by the first letterView all 2 pages

    ABC Order: week 7 (Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz)

    Putting spelling words in ABC order by the first letter

    Answer key on page 2

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    2 pages44 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Spelling Test: week 7 (Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz)” worksheet: spelling ten words and a sentence from dictationView all 2 pages

    Spelling Test: week 7 (Double letters ff, ll, ss, zz)

    Spelling ten words and a sentence from dictation

    Answer key on page 2

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    2 pages41 KB

Week 8: Words with sh

ship, shop, shed, shut, fish, dish, wish, cash, plus the tricky words where and one.

Week 9: Words with ch and tch

chin, chip, chop, much, rich, itch, catch, match, plus the tricky words once and from.

  • Preview of the printable “Spelling Words: week 9 (Words with ch and tch)” worksheet: learning this week's spelling words: ch and tch, as in chin and catchView larger

    Spelling Words: week 9 (Words with ch and tch)

    Learning this week's spelling words: ch and tch, as in chin and catch

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page46 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Rainbow Write: week 9 (Words with ch and tch)” worksheet: tracing and writing spelling words with ch and tch, as in chin and catchView larger

    Rainbow Write: week 9 (Words with ch and tch)

    Tracing and writing spelling words with ch and tch, as in chin and catch

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page41 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Word Sort: week 9 (Words with ch and tch)” worksheet: sorting spelling words by pattern: ch at the start, ch at the end, tchView all 2 pages

    Word Sort: week 9 (Words with ch and tch)

    Sorting spelling words by pattern: ch at the start, ch at the end, tch

    Answer key on page 2

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    2 pages36 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Missing Letters: week 9 (Words with ch and tch)” worksheet: writing the missing pattern letters in spelling words with ch and tch, as in chin and catchView all 2 pages

    Missing Letters: week 9 (Words with ch and tch)

    Writing the missing pattern letters in spelling words with ch and tch, as in chin and catch

    Answer key on page 2

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    2 pages52 KB

Week 10: Words with th and wh

thin, thick, that, bath, moth, path, when, which, plus the tricky words could and would.

  • Preview of the printable “Spelling Words: week 10 (Words with th and wh)” worksheet: learning this week's spelling words: th and wh, as in bath and whenView larger

    Spelling Words: week 10 (Words with th and wh)

    Learning this week's spelling words: th and wh, as in bath and when

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page46 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Rainbow Write: week 10 (Words with th and wh)” worksheet: tracing and writing spelling words with th and wh, as in bath and whenView larger

    Rainbow Write: week 10 (Words with th and wh)

    Tracing and writing spelling words with th and wh, as in bath and when

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page42 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Word Sort: week 10 (Words with th and wh)” worksheet: sorting spelling words by pattern: th at the start, th at the end, whView all 2 pages

    Word Sort: week 10 (Words with th and wh)

    Sorting spelling words by pattern: th at the start, th at the end, wh

    Answer key on page 2

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    2 pages36 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Missing Letters: week 10 (Words with th and wh)” worksheet: writing the missing pattern letters in spelling words with th and wh, as in bath and whenView all 2 pages

    Missing Letters: week 10 (Words with th and wh)

    Writing the missing pattern letters in spelling words with th and wh, as in bath and when

    Answer key on page 2

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    2 pages52 KB

Week 11: l-blends

black, clap, flag, clip, slip, flip, plum, club, plus the tricky words again and any.

Week 12: r-blends

crab, grab, trap, trip, brick, grin, drum, truck, plus the tricky words many and who.

Week 13: s-blends

stop, step, stack, spot, spin, snap, skip, swim, plus the tricky words your and put.

Week 14: Ending blends

hand, sand, pond, nest, best, fast, jump, lamp, plus the tricky words pull and give.

Week 15: Words with ng and nk

ring, king, sing, long, bank, pink, sink, trunk, plus the tricky words live and walk.

Week 16: Silent e: a_e

cake, make, lake, bake, game, name, same, came, plus the tricky words talk and very.

Week 17: Silent e: i_e

bike, like, hide, ride, kite, bite, five, dive, plus the tricky words been and does.

Week 18: Silent e: o_e and u_e

bone, rope, home, nose, cute, cube, mule, tube, plus the tricky words love and move.

  • Preview of the printable “Spelling Words: week 18 (Silent e: o_e and u_e)” worksheet: learning this week's spelling words: o and u with a silent e, as in bone and cubeView larger

    Spelling Words: week 18 (Silent e: o_e and u_e)

    Learning this week's spelling words: o and u with a silent e, as in bone and cube

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page46 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Rainbow Write: week 18 (Silent e: o_e and u_e)” worksheet: tracing and writing spelling words with o and u with a silent e, as in bone and cubeView larger

    Rainbow Write: week 18 (Silent e: o_e and u_e)

    Tracing and writing spelling words with o and u with a silent e, as in bone and cube

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page42 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Missing Letters: week 18 (Silent e: o_e and u_e)” worksheet: writing the missing pattern letters in spelling words with o and u with a silent e, as in bone and cubeView all 2 pages

    Missing Letters: week 18 (Silent e: o_e and u_e)

    Writing the missing pattern letters in spelling words with o and u with a silent e, as in bone and cube

    Answer key on page 2

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    2 pages52 KB

Week 19: Long a: ai and ay

rain, tail, wait, paint, day, play, say, way, plus the tricky words laugh and great.

Week 20: Long e: ee and ea

tree, feet, need, sleep, eat, seat, read, team, plus the tricky words friend and people.

Week 21: Long o: oa and ow

boat, coat, road, soap, snow, grow, slow, show, plus the tricky words school and only.

Week 22: Long i: igh and y

high, night, light, right, my, fly, cry, try, plus the tricky words buy and eye.

Week 23: oo as in moon

moon, soon, spoon, pool, cool, tool, room, broom, plus the tricky words two and blue.

Week 24: oo as in book

book, look, cook, took, good, wood, hood, stood, plus the tricky words should and push.

Week 25: ar words

car, star, jar, far, farm, park, card, shark, plus the tricky words heart and warm.

Week 26: or words

corn, horn, born, torn, fort, short, sport, sort, plus the tricky words four and word.

Week 27: er, ir and ur

her, fern, bird, girl, first, turn, burn, hurt, plus the tricky words were and work.

Week 28: ou and ow

out, loud, cloud, shout, cow, now, down, town, plus the tricky words water and pretty.

Week 29: oi and oy

oil, coin, boil, soil, boy, toy, joy, enjoy, plus the tricky words mother and father.

Week 30: Endings -ed and -ing

jumped, played, looked, helped, jumping, playing, looking, helping, plus the tricky words every and write.

  • Preview of the printable “Spelling Words: week 30 (Endings -ed and -ing)” worksheet: learning this week's spelling words: -ed and -ing, as in jumped and jumpingView larger

    Spelling Words: week 30 (Endings -ed and -ing)

    Learning this week's spelling words: -ed and -ing, as in jumped and jumping

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page46 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Rainbow Write: week 30 (Endings -ed and -ing)” worksheet: tracing and writing spelling words with -ed and -ing, as in jumped and jumpingView larger

    Rainbow Write: week 30 (Endings -ed and -ing)

    Tracing and writing spelling words with -ed and -ing, as in jumped and jumping

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page44 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Missing Letters: week 30 (Endings -ed and -ing)” worksheet: writing the missing pattern letters in spelling words with -ed and -ing, as in jumped and jumpingView all 2 pages

    Missing Letters: week 30 (Endings -ed and -ing)

    Writing the missing pattern letters in spelling words with -ed and -ing, as in jumped and jumping

    Answer key on page 2

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    2 pages53 KB

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About these spelling words for 1st graders worksheets

These spelling words for 1st graders come as 30 weekly lists, one for each week of a school year. Each list has 10 words: 8 that share one spelling pattern and 2 tricky words that don't follow the rules and have to be learned by heart (the, said, was, they, could, friend). The patterns build in the order most 1st grade classrooms teach phonics: short vowels first, then ck and double letters, the digraphs sh, ch, th and wh, blends, silent e, vowel teams like ai, ee and oa, r-controlled vowels like ar and or, and finally the endings -ed and -ing.

Every week has the same seven pages, so children always know what to do: the list itself with a home practice plan, rainbow write, a word sort, missing letters, ABC order, fill-in sentences and a test with a sentence to write from dictation. Download them one at a time, or grab the weekly packet, which has all seven pages and the answer keys in one PDF.

Writing lines are 1st grade size, a 5/8 inch line with a dashed middle, and every page prints in black and white on US Letter or A4. Need the whole year at a glance? The master list shows all 300 words on three pages.

Standards

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.2.DUse conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.2.ESpell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.BDecode regularly spelled one-syllable words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.CKnow final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.GRecognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2.DSegment spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes).

How to use them

  1. Monday: send home the list page. It has the 10 words, a short spelling tip for the week's pattern and a checklist of what to practice each night.
  2. Tuesday to Thursday: use one or two practice pages a day. Rainbow write and missing letters build the spelling; the word sort and ABC order make children look closely at the letters; the sentences page checks they know what each word means.
  3. Friday: give the test. Read each word, use it in a short sentence, then read it again. The teacher page has the words in a mixed order and a sentence to read aloud for the last line.
  4. Keep a list of words a child missed and add one or two to the next week's practice. Missed tricky words come back often, because they show up in so much of what children read.

Teaching tips

  • Teach the pattern before the words. Show how all eight pattern words share the same letters (cake, make, lake), then let children find the pattern in each word.
  • For tricky words, point out the part that breaks the rules and the part that doesn't. In said, the s and d are regular; only the ai is tricky.
  • Say each word slowly and have your child tap one finger per sound before writing it. A child who writes jumpt for jumped has heard the sounds correctly and now needs the -ed spelling.
  • If 10 words is too many, use the 8 pattern words only. If it is too few, add the two tricky words from the week before.
  • Use the blank spelling test template for your own lists, retakes and dictation practice.

Questions teachers and parents ask

What spelling words should a 1st grader know?

By the end of 1st grade, most children can spell short vowel words (cat, bed, pig), words with digraphs and blends (ship, frog, hand), silent e words (cake, bike), common vowel teams (rain, tree, boat) and r-controlled words (car, corn, bird), plus frequent tricky words like the, said, was, they, have and could. These 30 lists cover all of them in that order.

How many spelling words should a 1st grader have each week?

Most 1st grade classrooms use 8 to 12 words a week. These lists have 10: 8 words that follow the week's pattern and 2 tricky words. Start the year with only the 8 pattern words if 10 feels like too many.

Why are the words grouped by pattern?

Children remember spellings better when they understand why a word is spelled that way. Learning cake, make, lake and bake together teaches the a_e pattern once, and the child can then spell words that were never on a list, like snake or shade.

What are tricky words?

Tricky words are common words with a part that doesn't match its sounds, such as the a in was or the ai in said. Children see them so often in books that they need to know them early, so each week adds two.

Do the practice pages have answer keys?

Yes. The word sort, missing letters, ABC order and sentences pages each have an answer key on page 2, and the test has a teacher page with the words in test order and a sentence to read aloud.

What is in the weekly spelling packet?

The packet is one PDF with all seven pages for the week (list, rainbow write, word sort, missing letters, ABC order, sentences and test) followed by the answer keys, so you can print the whole week at once.

Are these spelling worksheets free?

Yes. Every list and practice page is a free PDF to print at home or school, with no sign-up.