How can you make practicing Sight Words FUN?

• Sing a Song of Sight Words: Practice sight words by singing them to a familiar tune or making up your own. If you run out of words before you get to the end of the song, just start at the top of the list again. Some songs to try include “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”
• Jump On It: Copy sight words on index cards (one word per card). Make a second set of the same words. Scatter one set face-up on the floor, leaving about a foot between each card. Place the other set in a stack facedown. Turn over the first card in the stack. Have your child read the word (offer to help as needed) and then jump on the corresponding card on the floor. Turn over the next card and have your child read it and jump to that word. Continue until your child has jumped on all of the words. Mix up the cards and play again!
• Which Word Wins?: Sit with your child and look at the newspaper to see just how often sight words pop up in print. Ask your child to choose a sight word from the list and an article from the paper. Look for the word together. Highlight and count the word each time it appears. Try the same thing with a second sight word. Which word appears more often?
• In The Cupboard: Open a cupboard and take turns with your child, finding and reading sight words. Try the ones on the list first, then include other sight words your child is learning. Keep going until you run of words, time, or things in the cupboard.
• Rainbow Letters: Turn sight words into rainbows! Ask your child to write a sight word on paper in big letters. Using different-colored crayons, your child can then trace around the word again and again, reading the word each time.
• Read My Back!: “Write” a sight word on your child’s back. Can your child guess the word? Trade places- let your child trace a word from the list on your back. Continue taking turns and guessing sight words.
• On the Run: The next time you’re going somewhere with your child, play a sight word game. It’s easy- just have your child find as many sight words as he or she can on billboards, signs, and so on. If you don’t have a sight word list with you, invite your child to read the “little” words. You can play this game in a car, on a walk, or even in line at the grocery store!
• Spill a Sight Word: Copy sight words onto small cards. (You can cut index cards in quarters or cut sturdy paper into pieces). Place the word cards in an empty container, such as a tall plastic tumbler or an empty tennis ball can. Invite your child to shake the container, spill out the words, and read the ones that fall face-up. Give each word your child reads a score that is equal to the number of letters in the word. Record the total, then place the remaining words back in the can and shake and spill again. Add the total to the first score. Play until your child has spilled and read all of the words.
• I’m Thinking Of…: Play a game of “I’m thinking of…” One player starts by giving a clue about one of the sight words. For example, “I’m thinking of a word that starts like horse and has three letters.” The other player looks at the list and tries to identify the word. (his)
• Sight Word Concentration: You will need matching sets of word cards (cut out). You may wish to start out with word cards in matching sets of 25 or less so that the game is a little shorter and less overwhelming. Turn all the cards face down. Player one turns over 2 cards and reads the words. If (s)he finds a match, (s)he keeps the cards. Player one can go again if s(he) finds a match. If no match is found, the cards are turned face down. Player two takes her/his turn. Play continues until all the cards are collected. The player with the most matches wins.
• Football: Draw a football field with ten yard lines marked. Have sight words and phrases on individual cards. Rank the cards by difficulty. The cards can be divided into 3 piles (easy=10 yard, intermediate=15 yards, challenging=20 yards). When a child misses, the other player takes a turn.
• Scavenger Hunt: Hunt for sight words on a page of text before reading it.
• Color your sight words by consonants and vowels. Use one color for a consonant and one color for a vowel.
• Make 3 piles of sight words. Call one pile “I got it,” another pile, “Almost,” and the last pile “Not yet.” As your child reads the words, place them in the appropriate pile. Now concentrate primarily on the “Almost” and then the “Not Yet” pile. Hint: Mix some of the “Got it” pile when studying the other piles.
• Do a verbal fill in the blank. For example: This is house (our). Your child can choose from three cards spread on the table.
• Do a word sort with the words. For example: Sort by sound- all words starting with the same sound, or with the short a sound, etc.
• Make a word wall of mastered words or use the side of the refrigerator. Hang mastered words below the beginning letter.
• Illustrate a simple sentence and underline the sight word. For example, your child may illustrate The boy is happy.
• Use highlighter tape to highlight sight words in a text.
• Skip-count with words: Start with the first word on the list. Say it, skip the next, read the next, and so on. Repeat the activity, this time starting with the second word on the list.
• Say each word, then spell it, clapping once for each letter.
• Give each letter in the alphabet a number from 1 to 26. Guess which sight word on the list will be word the most points. Find out! (is i=9 s=20 is=29)
• Read the sight words as slowly as you can. Try it again. This time say them fast!
• As you look at the words, write them in shaving cream, pudding, salt, or peanut butter in a pan.
• Write each word on an index card. Cut the letters apart and assemble the word back together again.
• Look at the words and spell them aloud as you jump, hop, skip, bounce a ball, etc. Example: go g-o go.
• BANG!: To prepare the game, you will need to write the words on individual popsicle sticks. Set aside 5 sticks and write BANG! on them. You will need to find a container like a cup or can to put the sticks in (standing up). Player one pulls out a stick and reads the word and places it in her/his pile. Then player two takes a turn. When a player pulls out the BANG! stick, she/he must put the words back into the can/cup (except the BANG! stick). Play continues until all of the BANG! sticks are out the can. The player with the most sticks (not counting the BANG! sticks) wins.
• Muffin Tin Game: Write the sight words on pieces of paper. Place each word in one opening of the muffin tin. Place a reward under each word (such as a goldfish, sticker, etc.). Have your child toss a paper clip or a chip into a cup of the muffin tin. (S)he can have the treat if s(he) reads the word correctly.
• Invisible Writing: Write the word on a blackboard using a wet sponge or wet paint brush. When the word dries, trace it in chalk.
• Trace your sight words using crayons and tracing paper.
• Tape some words to a “Twister Board” and play “Twister,” saying the words in place of colors. For example, put your right foot on the word “the.”
• Type the words into the computer, saying each letter as you type. You can enlarge the font and change the color for some extra fun!
• Place a sight word on each step and as your child walks up the stairs, have them say the word.
• Make two copies of the words and match the words to each other. Look for letter patterns!
• Make simple sentences leaving out one the words. Let your child find the word to complete the sentence. For example, I jump (can). This can be done orally or written.
• Use pipe cleaners, sticks, raisins, cereal, popcorn, spaghetti, or anything you can think of to write the words.
• Make up your own “Go Fish” game using the words.
• Play hide-and-seek with the words. Hide the words around your house. As your child finds the words, have them read each one.
• Play “Tic Tac Toe.” Put a word in each of the nine squares. Take turns reading words. Put an “x” or “o” in that space.
• Make up a “Bingo” game using some of the words.
• Write the words using different colored markers, chalk, or crayons. Trace over the words three or four times, then remove the word and have your child rewrite the word from memory.
• Place a word on each blank space of a Checker board. If your child lands on it, (s)he has to say the word before (s)he can stay on that space. This idea can be used with Candyland or similar board games