What are sight words?
Here is a short excerpt from my eBook I Can Teach My Child to Read: A 10-Step Guide for Parents:
There are a lot of misconceptions as to what exactly a “sight word” actually is, especially in the blogging community. Words like “bed”, “bathroom”, “sink”, etc. are not necessarily sight words. Yes, it is nice for your child to learn to read and spell these words, but they can be learned using basic phonics principles. Sight words, on the other hand, are the most common words we find when reading, which often do not follow the phonics rules that children may be learning. These words are not easily decoded (sounded out) and are often called “cheaters” because they don’t play by the (phonics) rules.
Teaching your child to automatically recognize these sight words while reading will greatly improve her reading fluency. The National Reading Panel (2000) has defined fluency as “reading text with speed, accuracy, and proper expression.” Fluency instruction should always be paired with comprehension—just because a child can read aloud quickly and accurately does not necessarily mean she is gleaning the important information and concepts within the text. Sight Word instruction, which aims to improve reading fluency, should take no more than 5 minutes each day.
Sight Word Activities
Here are several easy sight word activities that can be done in 5-10 minutes and will help your child learn their sight words. These make great sight word activities for kindergarten or preschool.
1. Simple Sight Word Bingo
2. Roll a Sight Word Printable Game
3. Snowy Sight Words
4. Sight Word Smash (with baked cotton balls)
5. Sight Word Pounding
6. Sight Word Dive (could do in the bathtub during the winter months)
7. Tips for Learning Sight Words
8. Sight Word Target Practice
9. Sight Word Shake
Extra Resources To Help You Teach Sight Words:
Zingo Sight Words
Big Brother and I frequently play this together. It makes the process of automatically recognizing sight words fun by turning it into a game!
Scholastic Sight Word Readers
Meet the Sight Words DVD Set
These DVDs are helpful for when you just need a few minutes to get something done and want your child to watch something educational in the process. We haven’t watched them all that much, but they are nice to have around. Read my full Meet the Sight Words review.
Sight Word Apps for your iPhone or iPad:
Click here for more helpful ideas to teach your child:
How To Teach Your Child To Read
35 Fun Alphabet Crafts and Activities
Kindergarten Readiness: 33 Ways To Prepare Your Child For Kindergarten
This post was first published November, 2013. Updated 2018.
Thank-you! I’m just getting ready to start sight-words with my son. I’ve really appreciated your ebook, its given me a lot of guidance, besides just confidence that I can do this!
I just want to say thank you for the ideas!! My son just entered 1st grade and doesn’t exactly enjoy his homework and practicing his sight words!! I think these creative twists on learning will be enjoyable for both of us at homework time!!
Thank you! So glad that you found some ideas to implement! :)
? How on earth are words like “at” and “and” and “gave” sight words? These words can easily be sounded out.
Yes, they can. But sight words (also known as high-frequency words) are the most common words in written language. So being able to recognize these words from sight (without having to sound them out) makes for a more proficient and fluent reader. Hope that helps! :)
Dear Jeane,
These ideas are very helpful for parents and fun for kids to learn sight words. Thank you for sharing, please keep up the good work regardless of the different points of view shared on this site.
@CEW
Dear user: The ideas presented above are just examples of how parents can help their kids with school. It seems that they can be easily adapted to anyone’s needs. Perhaps was not your intention, but the comment you posted has a very negative tone. Seriously, who needs that?
Taking a deep breath while enjoying a cup of tea feels awesome!
Peace :)
Thank you I really hope that these activities will help my child with site words. He is only in kindergarten and they already want them to learn these. School just started last week and his teacher nit-picks about every little thing from not turning the paper when he uses scissors to not coloring correctly. He went to K-4 lasts yr and can write his name and knows his numbers and colors and shapes knows most of his letters. He hates doing homework and hates to color. Thank you for these tips if you have anymore that might help me I would greatly appreciate it.
The bingo sight word activity looks like it will be fun. This is a great idea. I hope it works. thanks for sharing.
Thank-you! I’m just getting ready to start sight-words with my son. I’ve really appreciated your ebook, its given me a lot of guidance, besides just confidence that I can do this!
What a beautiful idea. Thank you for sharing this. Will try it