Build Words with Endings — Reading -s, -ed, and -ing

Grade 1·RF.1.3.F

A word can change when you add an ending. Add -s to make more than one (cat becomes cats), -ed to tell what already happened (play becomes played), and -ing to tell what is happening now (jump becomes jumping). Read the base word, listen with Hear it, and tap the right ending to build the word. Take your time; there is no timer and no score. Aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.f — reading words with inflectional endings.

About this activity

Keep the base word steady and swap only its ending: the child hears a word, then taps -s, -ing, or -ed to build the new one — cat to cats, jump to jumping, play to played — with the wrong endings sitting right beside the right one. It's a free, interactive Grade 1 reading activity that runs in the browser with no account.

The skill is reading words with inflectional endings — recognizing the familiar base inside a longer word and the small ending that changes its job. By keeping the base word steady and swapping only the ending, the child sees that -s, -ed, and -ing each carry a meaning, and learns to read the whole word instead of stalling at the longer form. Hearing the finished word ties the spelling to its sound.

It is aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.f — reading words with inflectional endings. No timer, no score — just calm, playful practice.

What's inside this activity

  • Designed for Grade 1 learners (ages about 6–7)
  • Common Core strand: Reading: Foundational Skills
  • Aligned to Common Core standard RF.1.3.F

How to play

Read the base word and tap Hear it to listen.

Tap the right ending — -s, -ed, or -ing — to build the word, then press Check.

Not quite? Try again as many times as you like — there is no timer and no score.

What your child practices

  • Add -s, -ed, or -ing to a base word to build the right new word
  • Recognize the base word inside a longer word with an ending
  • Match the ending to its meaning — more than one, happening now, or already happened
  • Read the whole word, ending and all, instead of stopping at the base

Learning goals

Read words with the endings -s, -ed, and -ing — the focus of Common Core RF.1.3.f.

Understand that an ending changes a word's meaning while the base stays the same.

Build the word-analysis skill that fluent reading of longer words depends on.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Build Words with Endings — Reading -s, -ed, and -ing activity teach?
Build Words with Endings — Reading -s, -ed, and -ing is a free interactive activity for Grade 1, focused on Reading: Foundational Skills. Children play it right in the browser — no printing, login, or setup required.
Is Build Words with Endings — Reading -s, -ed, and -ing free to use?
Yes. Build Words with Endings — Reading -s, -ed, and -ing is completely free, with no signup and no paywall, on any tablet, laptop, or classroom whiteboard.
Which ages is this activity for?
It is designed for Grade 1 (Reading: Foundational Skills) and works well for whole-class, small-group, or independent practice.

Practice this standard

See all RF.1.3.F activities

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