Sight Words

Sight words are words that do not follow phonics rules and must be memorized. We work on sigh words in class but some students will need extra practice at home to master these words. Students can practice their sight words at home by having the words written on to flash cards. Flip all the flash cards over and have the student read the card. If they can read it then they can take the card if they cannot, they then place it back in the pile. Mastering the sight words will help the students with their reading and writing. Please only do 5 words at a time, until those words have been mastered. Once a word has been mastered, replace the mastered word with a new one.

Everyone has their own learning style. For some children, learning the words in isolation is difficult (flash cards only). It is much more beneficial for your child to manipulate the word in different ways, and much less stressful as well! Here are some other suggestions/ ways you can practice these sight words at home.

  • Write a sentence using the word.
  • Use magnetic letters, play dough, or letter stamps to build the word, trace the word in coloured sand.
  • Draw a shape around the word. (tall, small, or descending letters)
  • Play concentration with two sets of each word.
  • Use a whiteboard or chalkboard to practice the word.
  • Play go fish (with two sets) or write them on a card and play bingo.
  • Lay them out on a table and play "I spy"
  • Draw the shapes for the child and fill in the sight word. Make a box for each letter.
  • Use the word along with other sight words to create sentences or short stories.
  • Find the word in the newspaper, in a magazine, or a favourite book.
  • Create your own word search using the sight words.

Every weeks we will have a word study quiz on 8 words. Most of the words are from the dolch list. Students will create flash cards of their sight words. Please practice reading and writing the sight words with your child daily.

The Dolch word lists, the 220 most common words and 95 additional nouns in children's reading books, in alphabetical order. Dolch words, or sight words, provide an excellent base for reading at an early age. They are often called sight words because some of them can't be sounded out, and need to be learned by sight.

Note that all the Dolch words can be taught before children finish the first grade in school. Words in the second and third grade lists are more common in books for those age groups, but they do appear in books for earlier grades, just less frequently.


12 sight word activities using a lot of hands on learning:

  1. Make a sight word treasure hunt.
  2. Find matching pairs of sight words. Like the worksheets that you draw a line to the matching pair… but big.
  3. Jump and grab the sight words.
  4. Make an I spy sensory bag to spot the sight words.
  5. A spider web caught the sight words! Oh-no! Find the matching sight words on the web.
  6. Sight word practice, a game to get to the top of the stairs.
  7. Magic sight word learning. What sight word magically appears? Can you name it?
  8. Can you spot the sight word in the magazine? Circle it!
  9. Sight word cup crash from Coffee Cups and Crayons
  10. Sight word speed racer game from No Time for Flash Cards
  11. Sight word parking lot from Juggling with Kids
  12. Sight word scavenger hunt from Sugar Aunts