Finish the Story: -elt, -ent, and -est Word Families

Recount a day at the zoo with this word family worksheet! Students are presented with 12 total words, all from the -elt, -ent, and -est word families. Learners will read each sentence and figure out which word would best complete it. Each blank includes a clue to help students narrow down the correct word. To finish the practice, young learners will write three sentences that include at least one word from each of the word families.

Designed for a second- and third-grade curriculum, this activity will help students recognize patterns in words. As learners become stronger readers, they can begin to identify more complex letter patterns. Young readers will also build their reading comprehension skills as they use context clues to determine what word best fills in the blank.