What exactly is a “sight word?” Also known as “high frequency words” or the Dolch word list,” sight words are among the most frequently used words in the English language. There are 220 commonly used sight words, including many “service words” like “the,” “of,” “into” and “what,” that appear in practically every sentence.
Children often learn sight words in everyday life through memory and recognition. This is why many young children can “read” signs, advertisements– even short books– before they understand the alphabet and the sounds that letters make (otherwise known as phonemic awareness. As words become more familiar to early readers, and can therefore be recognized “on sight,” they become sight words. This improves reading speed, which in turn means it’s easier for a child to understand what they have read (fluency and comprehension).
The ability to identify sight words is important in developing fluent reading. There are a number of ways parents can teach sight words at home:
1. As you read to your child, point to each word as you read. After you feel that your child has been exposed to the same words enough, ask your child to point to a word and say it aloud.
2. Make flash cards on index cards. Simply hold up the card for a few seconds. If you child has not recognized the sight word, calmly say it. The idea is to get the child to recognize the word, not have them attempt to sound it out.
3. You can also hang sight word cards around your house and send your child on a ‘sight word hunt’ to find words. For a complete list of commonly used sight words, click here.
There are even more fun ways that you can work with your kids on sight words, everything from flash cards to online games to word searches. We’re also busy working away on a new book exclusively focused on high frequency sight words, due on shelves in fall of 2010. Future blog posts will take you behind the scenes. In the meantime, let us know if you have any questions.
Tags: Dolch word list, high frequency words, learning to read, literacy, sight words
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