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Sight Words

Literacy Connections - Sight Words

 

SUPPORTING YOUR TIGER WITH TIGER WITH SIGHT WORDS

 

Literacy Connections - Sight Words (PDF Version)

 

WHAT ARE SIGHT WORDS?

Sight Words are words that children recognize automatically, without needing to sound them out. Many sight words are also high-frequency words, which means they show up often in books and everyday text (examples: the, and, is). Some high-frequency words are decodable (they follow regular phonics patterns), while others are “irregular” because part of the word doesn’t follow the typical sound rules. These are often called heart words because children need to learn at least part of the word “by heart”.

 

WHY DON’T WE JUST MEMORIZE THEM?

You may feel like the easiest way is to have children memorize sight words on flashcards, but research shows that’s not how our brains really learn words. Instead, our brains connect sounds (phonemes) to letters (graphemes), a process called orthographic mapping. When children use this process, they don’t just memorize a shape. They understand how the letters connect to the sounds, which means the word is truly stored in their memory for quick and accurate reading.

 

WHY ARE SIGHT WORDS IMPORTANT?

  • They make up a large percentage of the words children read in books.
  • Knowing them helps children read more fluently and with greater confidence.
  • Recognizing them supports comprehension because children can focus less on figuring out every word and more on understanding what they’re reading.

 

A NOTE ABOUT SOUNDS:

  • Do not teach too many sight words at once.
  • If high-frequency words can be decoded (that, in, went), encourage your child to sound them out. The more they do, the faster they will recognize the word.
  • Practice reading and spelling sight words in context (sentences and stories).

Sight Word Activities

  • Write each sight word on two different note cards or sticky notes. Place all cards face down. On turn, players will choose two cards and read both cards. If they are a match, keep them. If not, turn them back over, Winner is the player with the most matches at the end. Note: It is important that your child reads every card that is turned over so they are getting decoding practice.

  • Write the sight word on paper. Have your child say the sounds that “play fair” (follow phonics rules) and highlight the heart part.

    Example: said--”s” and “d” play fair, but “ai” is the tricky part we learn by heart.

  • Have your child write the word in the air with big arm movements while saying the letters and then the whole word. This combines movement with memory.

  • Set a timer for 1 minute. Call out a word your child is learning. They write it as many times as they can in that minute, saying the sounds as they go.

  • Make flashcards using note cards. Start only with the words that your child knows. Add one new word at a time. As you add more new words, continue to review the old words so your child will recognize the words quickly. If your child does not remember a word, tell him or her the word. Point out any visual clues and have you child repeat the word after you.

  • Make a duplicate set of sight words. Play Go Fish. Player 1 asks, “Do you have the word play?” Player 2 answers “Go Fish” or “Yes” (If yes, the player hands over the matching card). The person with the most matches wins.