Tips that Help Children Learn Sight Words
Click here for a printable PDF version of our teaching tips or view them below.
Assess Your Child’s Reading Readiness
If your child does not know the alphabet and their basic phonic sounds, begin with the blue cards. Prior to playing the game, review each card with your child. Make sure you not only emphasize the upper and lower case letters but also the sound it makes.
If your child knows the alphabet and basic phonic sounds, use the appropriate sight word cards. The cards are categorized into three groups – beginner (green), intermediate (yellow), and advanced (red).
Consider Limiting the Number of Cards
This technique is particularly useful for emergent readers to build confidence and avoid becoming overwhelmed. Select 10-15 cards and review each one with your child before playing the game. When reviewing:
1. Show the card
2. Say the word
3. Read the definition
Limit the cards used during that game to those that you reviewed. Upon completion of the game, if your child is interested review the cards again. As your child progresses, the number of game cards used should increase.
Start with Fry’s Most Common Sight Words
If you are introducing sight words for the first time, consider starting with the following 25 words:
the, of, and, a, to, in, is*, you, that, it, he, was*, for, on, are*, as, with, his, they, I, at, be, this, have*, and from.
These are the most frequently used words in the English language; they represent approximately one-third of all printed material.
* These words are included on the yellow cards because they are irregular verbs.
Use Syllabication to Decode
Show your child how the game card divides certain sight words into syllables using a centered dot. If your child does not immediately recognize a word, encourage him to look at the syllabication and divide the word into chunks to decode it.
Use Each Sight Word in a Sentence
After identifying a sight word, encourage players to use the word in a sentence. This adds entertainment for everyone while reinforcing the context of these words. We have heard some hilarious sentences using sight words.
Maximize Exposure to the Game Cards
This technique is best used when an adult or other fluent reader is playing the game with an emergent reader. Let the emergent reader identify the fluent reader’s sight word card and then the fluent reader should define the word and use it in a sentence.
Practice Spelling Sight Words
After mastering recognition of all the sight words, shift the focus toward spelling them correctly; many of the words do not follow typical phonics or spelling rules. Read the word and definition to fluent readers and have them spell the word to earn a bonus roll.
Enhance Comprehension of Sight Words
For more advanced players, read only the definition and ask the player to identify the sight word and spell it. This technique levels the playing field while enhancing a fluent reader’s comprehension skills.
Stimulate Your Child’s Imagination
To increase the entertainment factor, consider having your child use an alternative game pawn. Our daughter loves Polly Pockets (miniature dolls) and really enjoys using her Polly Pockets as her game pawn. Another imagination stimulator that we found adds to the experience is to ask questions when your child’s game piece is near the appropriate landmark. For example:
1. What kind of ice cream did you get?
2. What do fire safety people tell you to do?
3. Who works in a hospital?
4. Where are you going on the train?
5. What do you put on a letter before mailing it?
6. What number do you call in case of an emergency?
7. What do you like most about school?
8. What book did you sign out at the library?
