COMPOUND WORDS A
PRODUCT CODE: 430
PRODUCT CONTENTS
MANIPULATIVES: 16 pages
7 pages of teacher information
5-page resource list
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Reading Manipulatives, Inc. 1725 East Mountain View Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85020-2345
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
All sets or cards in Reading Manipulatives products are different.
Once students are introduced to the skills and shown how to do the
activity, they work independently. The individualized materials can
be used for seatwork or stations. Students work on needed skills,
and teachers are freed for instruction.
MATERIALS PREPARATION
PDF pages are designed to be printed on 8.5 x 11 inch sheets.
Cover-weight paper in a variety of colors is available at office
supply stores or online. Lamination is recommended if you want
your materials to last. Store the student sets in zipper bags.
All Reading Manipulatives pieces have a code that is used for
maintaining set integrity and for student recordkeeping.
There are 28 words in each set that form 14 compound words.
The 16 sets in Level A are commonly used compound words.
Level B has 24 sets of more advanced vocabulary and concepts.
Centering the words makes this a far more challenging activity.
Instead of knowing the 14 beginnings and only having to match the
endings, now students must deal with 28 words that can go in
either position. 430 & 435 are justified versions; 445 & 450 are
centered versions.
ANSWER KEYS & STUDENT CHECKLISTS
Answer keys are provided because active involvement builds
accountability. When done thoughtfully, students learn from
checking their work and analyzing any errors they make.
Manipulatives encourage cooperative learning, so students should
be allowed to assist one another as a need arises.
Checklists for tracking the materials that have been completed
are important for recordkeeping. The last page of this guide is a
master for student checklists that can be copied and cut.
www.readskill.com
430 COMPOUND WORDS A – 16 SETS OF 14

back yard

ice _skate

CWA–5
class mate backyard
classmate
crosswalk
dishwasher
evergreen
oat meal eyesight
ice skate
lighthouse
oatmeal
paintbrush
pineapple
light house sandpaper
sunburn
tiptoe

paint brush ANSWER KEY

eye sight

cross walk
COMPOUND WORDS A

pine apple CWA-1 _______ CWA-6 _______ CWA-11 ______

CWA-12 ______
CWA-2 _______ CWA-7 _______

tip toe CWA-3 _______ CWA-8 _______

CWA-13 ______

CWA-14 ______
CWA-4 _______ CWA-9 _______
CWA-15 ______
dish washer
CWA-5 _______ CWA-10 ______ CWA-16 ______

sun burn
STUDENT CHECKLIST

ever green

sand paper

16 UNIQUE STUDENT SETS

14 pairs in each set
224 compound words in level A
USING COMPOUND WORDS
English words, especially nouns, are often joined to express a single item or idea. Compound word
match manipulatives teach or review many compound words and familiarize students with these
formations. Level A contains 224 compounds; level B covers 336 compounds. A resource list containing
more than 800 compound words with vocabulary difficulty level noted follows the materials.
Most students are naturally curious about language. As they match the pairs, they recollect familiar
and not so familiar words. They learn new vocabulary and concepts as they figure out the combinations.
Students also develop divergent thinking skills since they might need to come up with alternate
compound words in order to get all the cards to match. As they complete more sets, there is marked
improvement in their methodology.
Finally, students enjoy this puzzle-like activity. No matter how many sets they complete, they come
back for more. Compound words manipulatives are ideal materials for them to work on if they have
short blocks of free time since the sets do not take long to complete.

RIGHT & LEFT JUSTIFIED VS. CENTERED WORDS

bean bag book case
If using the right and left justified sets, students should first sort the
words. The first half of each compound is right justified and has the black mail cow boy
code on the left. The second half is left justified and has the code on
the right. Once sorted, students should arrange all the first parts in a post _office down town

vertical column. Then they take each second part and go down the
count down every body
column until a match is found. Occasionally there is more than one
possibility. Since every card must be used, students may have to nick name finger print
rearrange in order to use all cards.
door mat grape fruit
Centering the words makes this a far more challenging activity.
Instead of knowing the 14 beginnings and only having to match the heart beat sun glasses
endings, now students must deal with 28 words that can go in either
position. Students should simply arrange the words in lines or over pass tea spoon

columns and begin to make matches. green house tool box

Once the activity is completed, the student uses the answer key
to check work and then records the completed set. worry wart week end

COMPOUND WORD FORMS

Most compound words are closed into one word, but some remain separate words and some are
hyphenated. All forms are included in the manipulatives and the resource list. As the list illustrates, there
are not many English compound words that are not joined. The few examples in the manipulatives have
a hyphen or underline (to denote space) before the second word.
air bag clip art hot dog high chair ice skate rubber band swimming pool
double-cross get-together merry-go-round mother-in-law self-esteem
Hyphenated compound modifiers are discussed below. It is a common practice in English to
combine words to form modifiers.

HYPHENATED COMPOUND MODIFIERS

Often in English, two or more words are joined to form an adjective. These compound modifiers are
hyphenated. The combinations vary and are not listed as compound words in dictionaries.
best-loved poems snow-capped mountains good-looking man broken-down car

Copyright © Reading Manipulatives, Inc. Compound Words 5

CWA–1
back pack CWA–1 CWA–1
pan cake CWA–1

CWA–1
drug store CWA–1 CWA–1
pillow case CWA–1

CWA–1
earth quake
L A
CWA–1
play mate
CWA–1 CWA–1

V E E D
E IFI EL
A

gum dropL T row boat IN

S
LE
V

S
CWA–1 CWA–1 CWA–1 CWA–1
A
NT
CO

JU
T
DUC
O
PR
IS
TH
CWA–1
hay stack CWA–1 CWA–1
some where CWA–1

CWA–1
home made CWA–1 CWA–1
water fall CWA–1

CWA–1
milk man CWA–1
somewhere
earthquake

homemade

pillowcase
backpack
drugstore

notebook

playmate
CWA–1

gumdrop
haystack

pancake
milkman

waterfall
rowboat

CWA–1
note book CWA–1
back pack pan cake
CWA–1 CWA–1 CWA–1 CWA–1

drug store pillow case

CWA–1 CWA–1 CWA–1 CWA–1

earth quake
L A
play mate
CWA–1 CWA–1

E ED CWA–1 CWA–1

EV R
gum L E
drop T row AR
ATEL
Y

boat
CWA–1

E N
CWA–1
ABL
E
SE
P
CWA–1 CWA–1

C AVAI
L

hay stack some where

CWA–1 CWA–1 CWA–1 CWA–1

home made water fall

CWA–1 CWA–1 CWA–1 CWA–1

milk man
somewhere
earthquake

homemade

pillowcase
backpack
drugstore

notebook

playmate
CWA–1

gumdrop
haystack

pancake
milkman

waterfall
rowboat

CWA–1 CWA–1

note book
CWA–1 CWA–1
CWB–1
air craft CWB–1 CWB–1
moon beam CWB–1

CWB–1
club house CWB–1 CWB–1
off beat CWB–1

CWB–1
coast line
L
CWB–1
B over throw
CWB–1 CWB–1

VE E D
E IF I
frost bite L T post man RA
TEL
Y

S A
CWB–1 CWB–1 CWB–1 CWB–1
P
SE

JU AV
AILA
BLE

CWB–1
guide book CWB–1 CWB–1
ship wreck CWB–1

CWB–1
hay loft CWB–1 CWB–1
toad stool CWB–1

CWB–1
knot hole CWB–1
windbreaker
moonbeam
guidebook
clubhouse

shipwreck
overthrow
CWB–1

toadstool
coastline

postman
knothole
frostbite
aircraft

offbeat
hayloft

CWB–1
wind breaker CWB–1
 air craft off beat
CWB–1 CWB–1 CWB–1 CWB–1

club house over throw

CWB–1 CWB–1 CWB–1 CWB–1

coast line post man

CWB–1 CWB–1

L B CWB–1 CWB–1

E ED
frost bite
E V R
ship wreck
CWB–1
L TE
CWB–1

AR
AT EL
Y
CWB–1 CWB–1

E N LA
BLE
SE
P

guide C
book AVAI
toad stool
CWB–1 CWB–1 CWB–1 CWB–1

hay loft wind breaker

CWB–1 CWB–1 CWB–1 CWB–1

knot hole
windbreaker
moonbeam
guidebook
clubhouse

shipwreck
overthrow
CWB–1

toadstool
coastline

postman
knothole
frostbite

CWB–1 CWB–1
aircraft

offbeat
hayloft

moon beam
CWB–1 CWB–1
RESOURCE LIST COMPOUND WORDS
CODING SYSTEM: A Easiest Most commonly used by elementary students
B Intermediate Less frequency, but straightforward
C Most difficult Contain language connotations
COMPOUND LEVEL COMPOUND LEVEL COMPOUND LEVEL COMPOUND LEVEL
afternoon A backlash C billfold B boyfriend A
aftershave B backlog C birdbath A brainstorm C
air bag B backpack B birdcage A brainwash C
air mattress B backstage B birdhouse A brickyard B
aircraft B backstroke B birdseed A bridegroom A
airline B backyard A birthday A bridesmaid A
airmail B bagpipe B birthmark B briefcase B
airplane A ballpark B blackbird A broadcast B
airport A ballroom B blackboard A buckskin B
airtight B bandleader B blackhead B bug spray B
allspice B barefoot A blacklist C bulldog B
alongside B barnyard A blackmail B bulldoze B
anklebone B baseball A blackout B bulletproof B
another A baseboard B blacktop B bullfight B
anteater B basketball A blindfold A bullfrog B
anthill B bath mat B bloodthirsty C bumblebee A
anybody A bathrobe A blueberries A busybody B
anymore A bathroom A bluegrass C buttercup B
anyone A bathtub A blueprint C butterfly A
anyplace A beanbag B boardwalk B buttermilk A
anything A bearskin B bobcat B buttonhole B
anytime A bedbug B bobsled B bypass B
anywhere A bedroll B bodyguard B cabdriver B
applesauce B bedroom A bombshell C campfire A
armchair B bedside B booby trap B campground B
arrowhead B bedspread B bookcase A campsite B
ashtray A bedtime A bookend B candlestick A
automobile B beechnut B bookkeeper B candy cane A
awestruck C beefsteak B bookmark A cannonball B
babysitter B beehive A bookmobile B cannot A
back board B beekeeper B bookshelf B cardboard B
backache A beeline C bookworm B carefree B
backbone B beeswax B borderline C carpool B
backdrop B bellbottom B bottleneck C carport B
backfire B bellboy B bowling ball B cartwheel B
background B bellhop B bowtie B catchall C
backhand B bellybutton A boxcar A catfish B

Copyright © Reading Manipulatives, Inc. Compound Words 32