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Sight Words, Reading, Writing, Spelling & Worksheets

Everything you need to know about sight words. We also provide articles and worksheets for parents and teachers to provide assistance with spelling, writing and reading.

Learning to spell is a progressive process (just like reading and writing), which typically begins using inventive spelling and gradually progresses to conventionally correct spelling by the end of second grade.

How to Spell a Word

Word Study

Knowing prefixes, suffixes and root words can help a child unlock the meaning of a word.

Grade
Spelling Benchmarks (End of Year)
Kindergarten
 Uses inventive spelling; knowledge of letter-sound relationships to attempt to spell words
1st Grade
 Spells previously taught words, sight words and frequently used irregular words correctly. Uses inventive spelling to spell untaught words.
2nd Grade
 Spells sight words, irregular words and words that follow phonetic generalizations correctly.
3rd Grade
 Spells commonly used words correctly. Spelling bees typically begin in this grade.
4th Grade
 Uses references to spell words correctly, e.g., dictionary. Look out for those commonly misspelled words.
5th Grade
 Uses references to spell words correctly, e.g., dictionary.

Words That Don’t Rhyme

Most English words follow a pattern; they often have similar sounds (rhymes) or spellings. However, there are a few exceptions. In fact, there are a handful of words that do not rhyme with another word. We like to refer to these words as standalones. Words That Don't Rhyme The twenty … [Read more...] about Words That Don’t Rhyme

Homophones

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Many children will struggle with using the correct homophone when writing or reading. The three most difficult ones are as follows: Its vs. It's, There vs. They're vs. Their , and Who's vs Whose Homophone … [Read more...] about Homophones

Prefix Multi

The prefix, multi-, implies many, much or more than two. Words with the Prefix Multi- We created the list of words with the prefix multi- by referencing two dictionaries: Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary and Merriam-Webster's Intermediate Dictionary. We limited these words to those most … [Read more...] about Prefix Multi

Prefix Mono-

The prefix, mono- and mon-, implies one, single or alone. Words with the Prefix Mono- and Mon- We created the list of words with the prefix mono- and mon- by referencing two dictionaries: Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary and Merriam-Webster's Intermediate Dictionary. We limited these … [Read more...] about Prefix Mono-

Prefix Bio

The prefix, bio-, implies of or related to life or living organisms. Words with the Prefix Bio- We created the list of words with the prefix bio- by referencing two dictionaries: Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary and Merriam-Webster's Intermediate Dictionary. We limited the bio- words to … [Read more...] about Prefix Bio

Open Syllable

An open syllable occurs when a vowel is at the end of the syllable, resulting in the long vowel sound, e.g. pa/per, e/ven, o/pen, go & we. Open syllable words are open because they are not closed by a consonant. Whereas a closed syllable occurs when a syllable ends with a consonant, resulting … [Read more...] about Open Syllable

Y as a Vowel

It is more common to find the letter “y” as a vowel than as a consonant. Typically, the letter “y” is a consonant when it is at the beginning of a word, e.g., yes, you, yard and young. If the letter “y” is located in the middle or end of the word, it is often treated as a vowel. As always, there … [Read more...] about Y as a Vowel

What is a Syllable?

A syllable is a unit of spoken language that always contains a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y). In fact, a syllable is a word or part of a word with a vowel sound. Breaking words into syllables is an important skill that assists when decoding unfamiliar words. Syllable Types … [Read more...] about What is a Syllable?