Skip to content
PlayOwl
Word Workshop cover art, a reading and English game for Kindergarten to Grade 3 20 free levels

English · Story Woods

Word Workshop

Build the word for each picture, one sound at a time.

Grades
K–3
Levels
48 in 2 tracks
Free
20 levels
Session
4–10 minutes

What it is

A cozy workbench of letter tiles. Children build the word that names a picture: short-vowel words like cat and mop, then blends and digraphs (frog, ship), long-vowel patterns (cake, rain, boat), and finally prefixes and suffixes (unlock, helpful). Spare tiles make every word a real choice about sounds.

What children learn

Practices phonics for spelling (encoding): hearing each sound in a word and choosing the letters that make it. Progresses from short vowels to blends, digraphs, silent e and vowel teams, then uses prefixes and suffixes to build and understand longer words.

What it teaches

  • Blends and digraphs
  • Long-vowel patterns
  • Prefixes and suffixes
  • Build and read words

How to play

Tap a tile to add it to the word mat, or drag it into place. Tap a placed tile to send it back. Keyboard: Tab to a tile and press Enter; on the mat, arrow keys move between tiles, Shift+arrow moves a tile, Backspace sends it back. Turn on Say tiles to hear each tile.

Plays with: Touch Mouse Keyboard

Accessibility

  • Read-aloud on request
  • Fully playable with a keyboard
  • Calm mode with reduced motion
  • No timers or time pressure
  • Never relies on color alone
  • Quiet mode turns off sound effects

Level maps

Tracks and levels

Each track is made for a grade range. Start anywhere that fits — you don't have to play the younger tracks first. As a guest, your stars are saved on this device.

Sound Builders

Short-vowel words, then blends and digraphs.
K–1 24 levels · 10 free

Sound Builders

Short-vowel words, then blends and digraphs. · K–1

Levels 1–10 free
  1. 1 Letter Bench 1 ☆☆☆
  2. 2 Letter Bench 2 ☆☆☆
  3. 3 Letter Bench 3 ☆☆☆
  4. 4 Letter Bench 4 ☆☆☆
  5. 5 Letter Bench 5 ☆☆☆
  6. 6 Letter Bench Challenge ☆☆☆
  7. 7 Sound Shop 1 ☆☆☆
  8. 8 Sound Shop 2 ☆☆☆
  9. 9 Sound Shop 3 ☆☆☆
  10. 10 Sound Shop 4 ☆☆☆
  11. 11 Sound Shop 5 Plan level
  12. 12 Sound Shop Challenge Plan level
  13. 13 Blend Barn 1 Plan level
  14. 14 Blend Barn 2 Plan level
  15. 15 Blend Barn 3 Plan level
  16. 16 Blend Barn 4 Plan level
  17. 17 Blend Barn 5 Plan level
  18. 18 Blend Barn Challenge Plan level
  19. 19 Digraph Den 1 Plan level
  20. 20 Digraph Den 2 Plan level
  21. 21 Digraph Den 3 Plan level
  22. 22 Digraph Den 4 Plan level
  23. 23 Digraph Den 5 Plan level
  24. 24 Digraph Den Challenge Plan level

Levels after 10 are part of a PlayOwl plan. Free levels, saving and basic reports stay free.

Start Sound Builders

Word Crafters

Silent e and vowel teams, then prefixes and suffixes.
2–3 24 levels · 10 free

Word Crafters

Silent e and vowel teams, then prefixes and suffixes. · 2–3

Levels 1–10 free
  1. 1 Silent-E Station 1 ☆☆☆
  2. 2 Silent-E Station 2 ☆☆☆
  3. 3 Silent-E Station 3 ☆☆☆
  4. 4 Silent-E Station 4 ☆☆☆
  5. 5 Silent-E Station 5 ☆☆☆
  6. 6 Silent-E Station Challenge ☆☆☆
  7. 7 Vowel Team Yard 1 ☆☆☆
  8. 8 Vowel Team Yard 2 ☆☆☆
  9. 9 Vowel Team Yard 3 ☆☆☆
  10. 10 Vowel Team Yard 4 ☆☆☆
  11. 11 Vowel Team Yard 5 Plan level
  12. 12 Vowel Team Yard Challenge Plan level
  13. 13 Prefix Forge 1 Plan level
  14. 14 Prefix Forge 2 Plan level
  15. 15 Prefix Forge 3 Plan level
  16. 16 Prefix Forge 4 Plan level
  17. 17 Prefix Forge 5 Plan level
  18. 18 Prefix Forge Challenge Plan level
  19. 19 Suffix Studio 1 Plan level
  20. 20 Suffix Studio 2 Plan level
  21. 21 Suffix Studio 3 Plan level
  22. 22 Suffix Studio 4 Plan level
  23. 23 Suffix Studio 5 Plan level
  24. 24 Suffix Studio Challenge Plan level

Levels after 10 are part of a PlayOwl plan. Free levels, saving and basic reports stay free.

Start Word Crafters

Off screen

Print & play

Paper activities that go with this game.

All printables
Trace capital letters A to I English · Preschool · Tracing · 2 pages Medium Free Trace capital letters J to R English · Preschool · Tracing · 2 pages Medium Free Trace capital letters S to Z English · Preschool · Tracing · 1 page Medium Free Trace big and small letter pairs: stretch English · Pre-K · Tracing · 2 pages Hard Free Trace capital letters A–M English · Pre-K–K · Tracing · 2 pages Easy Free Trace capital letters J to R: stretch English · Pre-K · Tracing · 2 pages Hard Free Trace capital letters N–Z English · Pre-K–K · Tracing · 2 pages Easy Free Trace small letters a–m English · Pre-K–1 · Tracing · 2 pages Medium Free Trace small letters n–z English · Pre-K–1 · Tracing · 2 pages Medium Free Trace tall letters and tail letters English · Pre-K · Tracing · 2 pages Medium Free A hen and her chicks: warm-up English · Kindergarten · Reading · 1 page Easy Free Answer key Pip and the red ball English · Kindergarten · Reading · 1 page Medium Free Answer key Trace short words English · K–1 · Tracing · 2 pages Medium Free Trace tall letters and tail letters English · Kindergarten · Tracing · 2 pages Medium Free Digraphs comic strip: 4 panels English · Grade 1 · Worksheet · 1 page Hard Free Grade 1 sight words word search English · Grade 1 · Puzzle · 1 page Medium Free Answer key Number code: compound words English · Grade 1 · Puzzle · 1 page Hard Free Answer key Tariq's windy hat: warm-up English · Grade 1 · Reading · 1 page Easy Free Answer key How bees make honey: warm-up English · Grade 2 · Reading · 1 page Easy Free Answer key Trace magic e: long vowels English · Grade 2 · Tracing · 1 page Medium Free

More from Story Woods

Other english games, each with its own free levels.