Edward W. Dolch, PhD’s Sight Words List
Courtesy of the University
of Illinois Archives © Learning to read is at the core of any curriculum. This single skill will determine a child’s academic success. While at the University of Illinois, Edward William Dolch, Ph.D. published a book called Problems in Reading to improve the way reading was taught. He devoted an entire chapter on basic sight word vocabulary.
Dolch identified a need for a sight word list as opposed to a standard word list which typically contains over five hundred words. He concluded that the most essential words will be repeated on the “best” lists of words used by children.
He obtained the following three lists:
A list published by a committee in an international kindergarten union that contains the words children recognize prior to entering first grade (Washington, International Kindergarten Union, 1928).
A list published in A Reading Vocabulary for the Primary Grades by Arthur I. Gates. Dolch used Gates’ first 500 hundred words (New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, 1926).
A list compiled by H.E. Wheeler and Emma A. Howell in the article A First-Grade Vocabulary Study which contained 453 words most frequently found in reading material in first grade(Elementary School Journal, XXXI, September, 1930).
After comparing the three lists, he excluded nouns and selected the most common words based on frequency. In addition, he exercised professional judgment and included 27 words which were on only two of the three lists. As a result, he compiled a list of 220 words and presented them according to level of difficulty, alphabetical and function or parts of speech.
The 220 words include
6 conjunctions - join clauses
16 prepositions - introduce phrases
26 pronouns – represent person or things
34 adverbs – modify verbs
46 adjectives – modify nouns
92 verbs - denote action
Dolch referred to the above words as “tool” or “service” words; they are used in all writing regardless of subject matter. He intentionally excluded nouns from his sight words list. He provided a separate list of nouns.
The Dolch list of 220 service words represents approximately half of printed material. Furthermore, he encouraged every child to learn to recognize sight words instantly.
When they later encounter them in the context of a book, they will have already learned their pronunciation and definition, which will make reading easier.
Most of the Dolch list words cannot be sounded out phonetically, nor can they be illustrated to add a visual cue to the learning process. He recommended a child should master the entire list by 3rd grade. However, many educators today feel that students should master all 220 service words by the end of first grade.
As new generations of students come to instantly recognize Dolch’s sight words, they will become stronger readers with greater comprehension. This will foster success throughout their academic studies. Both parents and professional educators are encouraged to find creative ways to help children instantly recognize this list of words.
Er-u-di-tion, the sight words game, is an excellent tool to help parents and teachers instill the Dolch list (and a few other sight words) in early readers. Game cards are separated by difficulty level so children of various reading levels can play together.
