What’s all the fuss about sight words? What in all actuality is a sight word? Sight words are the words seen most frequently when reading: the, a, was, were, and, because, etc. Sight word lists are generally arranged in the order of most common to less common. Typically the lists of sight words are organized according to grade levels. You will find two different lists of words - Fry and Dolch. The lists vary slightly based upon the researchers conducting the word studies. The Dolch list is the most expansive list.

The reason these high frequency words are called sight words is due to the need for readers to quickly recall these words when seen in text. Their ability to recognize these words quickly, at first sight; helps to step the reader towards greater fluency. Explore the website below to obtain lists of sight words and skim through several of the activities to help your children learn their sight words. In my next BLOG post, I will give you ways to use phonics strategies instead of just memorization. This is a real boost for learners.

http://www.sightwords.com/sight-words/dolch/