Free printable · Tricky words

Year 1 word search (free printable)

3-minute read By the Happy Little Doers team

The short answer

Four free word searches with every Year 1 tricky word: one for each group, plus a mix of all three.

Words go across or down, and the answers are on the last page.

Download the free Year 1 word search

The basics

A word search is a quick way to practise reading tricky words, because your child has to recognise each word to find it.

Ask your child to read each word out loud when they find it, then tick it off. That's the bit that helps it stick.

Start with the shorter puzzles in our Reception and Year 1 word search, which have 12 words each. Or read the list together first.

Try the mixed puzzle, or time it. Afterwards, ask them to write three of the words on the lines at the bottom.

The puzzles follow the three groups in our Tricky Words Reception & Year 1 pack, in the order most schools teach them.

Group 1: the, do, to, today, of, said, says, are, were, was, is, his, has, have, like, them
Group 2: you, they, your, be, he, me, she, we, into, all, little, no, go, so, by, my, here, there
Group 3: where, love, come, some, one, once, ask, when, out, what, friend, school, put, push, pull, full, house, our

For how to practise them, see our guide to tricky words in Year 1 and Year 2.

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