Suggestions about practicing sight words

1. Print out the words onto heavy cardstock and cut them apart so they are easy to flip through.
2. The first time you sit down with your child, go through all of the cards (this can be one list or all the words for the grade level, it doesn't matter). Put the words they know automatically or instantly in one pile (automatic pile). Put the other words into a separate pile (need to learn pile).
3. Put the date on the back of the cards they knew instantly with one check-mark after the date. Also pick 3-5 words from the need to learn pile and add them to the "automatic" pile. You will go through this stack every day. We will call this set of cards the "daily pile."
4. The next day go through the "daily pile" again and put a second check-mark by each word they knew instantly.
5. Each day spend five minutes on flashcards. Go through the daily pile and put a check mark by date of all words they got instantly. You only put the date down the first time they get it automatically. If your child struggles learning the sight words, go through them twice a day, once in the morning or right after school and one more time before bed. Do NOT exceed 5 minutes on this part of the practice.
6. Once a word has three check-marks it goes into the "review pile" that you only review one time a week. I like to use Friday for this stack but you can pick any day.

As a parent you want to add in 3-5 of the "need to learn words" as often as possible but you don't want to overwhelm your child with new words either.