#TEACHING SIGHT WORDS HOW TO#

Have your child try to spell the word aloud while hopping on one foot. Or pour some salt into a baking pan so they can write in it. So break out the playdough and challenge them to build each letter and put them in order. You can also use shaving cream to make involving their sense of touch even more fun! To try this activity, simply spread some shaving cream thinly over a cookie tray and let your child write the word in it.īy letting your child interact with each word in various ways, you’ll help cement it into their brain. Say the word often in your everyday conversations so they can hear it out loud, and have them write the word in sand or flour using their fingers so they can touch it. When you introduce a word, write it on a bright note card and put it in a place where they can see it throughout the day so that when you pass by the word with your child, you can point it out to them. Giving your child the opportunity for fun, hands-on learning helps them connect their brain and body, which can reinforce what the word sounds and looks like. Next, get as many of their senses involved as you can! The Dolch Sight Words are often used in schools, so your child’s teacher will most likely provide a list of sight words to help you get started.īut if your child isn’t yet in school or you’re unsure where to start, our Learning Quiz is a great way to help identify your child’s reading stage! From there, investigate our games and practice menus in the HOMER Learn & Grow app for sight word games and activities for your child.

There are different ways to begin your child’s reading adventure!įor example, if your child is a kindergartener, according to the Dolch list, they might be ready to start learning some of these words: You can choose which group to start introducing to your child based on their grade level, or you can work with whichever one you feel they’re ready for. To make it easy to choose which words to introduce based on a child’s age, the Dolch high-frequency word list is broken up into five groups: Pre-K (Pre-Primer), Kindergarten (Primer), First Grade, Second Grade, and Third Grade. Later, he compiled a list of the 95 most common nouns in English, bringing the number of sight words in his lists to 315. These words were given the title “Sight Words” and the list was born. In the 1930s, he researched and discovered the 220 words that were most frequently used in the English language. Made up of the most commonly used words in the English language, this list is ideal for helping your four to eight-year-old develop a love for reading! The Dolch Sight Words ListĮdward William Dolch was a professor who wrote several children’s books with his wife. We recommend starting with The Dolch 220. To help you easily keep them straight, there are two common lists that break down which words are best to introduce at which age: The Dolch Word List (also called The Dolch 220) and The Fry Word List. Some sight words are more difficult than others, meaning different levels of sight words are appropriate for different ages. Sight words hopscotch, memory games, and other similar activities are great ways to engage different learning styles.įinally, if your little one still seems to be struggling, that’s OK, too! Their teacher can be a great resource offering ideas for tackling these special words. If you get started but your child seems a bit discouraged, consider trying some simple, yet fun, approaches to introducing sight words. And remember that every child learns in their own way and in their own timing! If your child isn’t quite there yet, that’s OK! Give the process - and your little one - time and grace.

#TEACHING SIGHT WORDS HOW TO#

Express an eagerness to learn how to read.

Can hear the sounds in words (such as knowing when words rhyme).

How can you tell if your child is ready to start memorizing sight words? Here are a few easy signs to watch for in your little one. However, it’s important to mention that while some kids are ready for sight words before they turn four, others may not be ready until they’re five or older.

Then, during kindergarten, children are introduced to anywhere from 20 to 50 sight words, adding to that number each year. Most children - not all! - begin to master a few sight words (like is, it, my, me, and no) by the time they’re in Pre-K at four years old.

Teaching sight words