After careful analysis and professional judgment, he derived a list of the most common words, commonly referred to as sight words. The Dolch list includes conjunctions, prepositions, pronouns, adverbs, adjectives and verbs; it includes 220 words. He referred to these words as “tool” or “service” words because they are used in all writing regardless of subject matter.

Dolch intentionally excluded nouns from his sight word list. Most nouns are not universal but rather linked to a particular activity or subject matter. He stated, “If new subject matter is used, new nouns must be used.” Dolch did recognize that some nouns do occur frequently (e.g. thing, man). However, he further states, “… in the case of most nouns the rule applies that they are ‘local’ to a particular activity or interest.” As a result, he provided a separate list of nouns that were pertinent to both young children’s interests and first-grade activities.

Dolch’s pioneer research continues to be used in classrooms today. Many elementary school curriculums refer to the Dolch list when compiling their sight word lists. These words represent over half of English text. “Hence, every child should learn to recognize them instantly by sight.” Learning to read is at the core of any curriculum; a skill that will determine a child’s academic success. Dolch eloquently stated, “A child’s language development is, next to his character, the most important part of his school experience.”

Dolch’s word list is the cornerstone of the board game Erudition™ - The Game that Jump-Starts the Road to Reading.

The table below contains the most common service words, commonly referred to as sight words. Dolch referred to these words as “tool” or “service” words because these words are typically found in all reading material; they comprise over 50% of English text. He further stated, every child should learn to instantly recognizing these words by sight.

Words included in the Dolch list above are used in all writing regardless of subject matter. Conversely, nouns are directly related to a subject matter. As a child learns about a new topic, new nouns are introduced. As a result, nouns will vary according to a child’s interest and school curriculums. Some nouns do occur frequently across many subject matters, but they represent the exception to the rule.

The 95 nouns noted below were relevant to a first grader or young child in Dolch’s era. Regarding his list of nouns, Dolch further stated, “They are in no sense basic to all elementary school reading.” He deliberately excluded nouns from his sight words list. In fact, he specifically stated that this list is not recommended for a basic sight word vocabulary. However, in the event a child is struggling with reading, these words may be taught due to their frequency in English text.

Click on the links below for additional information relating to Edward Dolch and his sight words list.

Dolch List of 220 Sight Words - By Level of Difficulty

Dolch List of 220 Sight Words - By Parts of Speech

The Dolch List is Not the Only Sight Word List

Edward W. Dolch, PhD’s Sight Words List

Dolch and Dr. Seuss