Spelling Patterns -tion-sion Word Search, Scramble and Crossword Puzzle

Words ending in -tion and -sion anchor three puzzles: a crossword with definition clues, a word scramble and a word search, all built on the same target words such as permission, decision and television.
Year levels
Years 3–5
Pages
6
File type
PDF
Answer key
Included

Updated Sep 27, 2026

Subject
Vocabulary, Holiday & Seasonal, Reading, Language Development, English
Topic
Word Search, Word Scramble
Resource types
Crosswords Puzzles, Word Searches
Answer key
Included
Australian Curriculum content descriptions
AC9E4LY10 — understand how to use knowledge of letter patterns, including double letters, spelling…

From the author

About this resource

I made this spelling patterns puzzle set for my Year 3 and Year 4 students during our word study unit. The kids could read words like "nation" and "television" but had no idea when to use -tion versus -sion. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using -tion words like nation, action, attention, direction, and option, and -sion words like television, division, decision, passion, permission, session, and vision. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the spelling patterns finally stick.

The PDFs are six pages. Three puzzles, each with its own answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after break. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether "discussion" ends with -sion or -tion. The crossword I use for partners. I added a couple simple star and pencil drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for Year 3 through Year 5. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers list two -tion words and two -sion words on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

  • Choose between -tion and -sion when spelling target words

  • Match -tion and -sion words to their definitions

Skills covered

  • Suffix spelling — writing -tion and -sion words into the crossword from their clues

  • Word recognition — unscrambling letters to spell each defined target word

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Australian Curriculum (Version 9.0)

Australian Curriculum content descriptions

Australian Curriculum content descriptions

  • AC9E4LY10 — understand how to use knowledge of letter patterns, including double letters, spelling generalisations, morphological word families, common prefixes and suffixes, and word origins, to spell more complex words

Core concepts

  • Suffix -tion

  • Suffix -sion

  • Spelling patterns

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