Sight Words

Our class loves sight word time! Word Workers can do Word Searches, Word Hunts, One Breath Boxes, Roll and Read, or their Sight Word Cards (ask your child what his/her favorite is!)

So what are sight words? Sight words are words that are read automatically (without sounding out). They're quite amazing because they make up 50% of the text we read! They're usually words that are difficult to illustrate or sound out. For example: "the, of, what."

Check out our page on sight words. We use Fry's First 100 Sight Words in first grade and continue to teach new sight words after that! In the first trimester, we've been focusing on the first 25 words.

What is sight word time? Children independently complete word activities (listed above) and also their word cards. Word cards are specific to their sight word knowledge. Students are assessed daily and practice their word cards aloud. If they are able to read a word five times over a period of time, they are able to add a new word to their key ring. *Keep in mind, students work with five words at a time. It's important to keep it manageable for these first graders to learn their words!

How can we help at home? There are tons of ways to practice reading sight words! You can practice sight words at home by making flashcards or downloading one of the many free apps for Fry Sight Words. You can also adapt board games (ie: Checkers and Candy Land) by writing words on cards or squares - anytime you land on a square you have to read a word! You can play a toss and read game (write words on paper and toss an object, whatever word it lands on - read it). You can also go on your own "word hunts" at home - and find those sight words in books you're reading together. There are so many ideas for practicing sight words - just searching the internet comes up with a plethora of ideas!