Sight Word Games: Concentration

Another great game that’s educational and entertaining is sight word concentration also referred to as the memory game. It can be played with 1 to 4 players. What’s great about this game is the deck of cards used in the sight word pairs game can be used for this game. My children still enjoy playing this game and so do I!

Create Sight Word Game Cards

Using index cards and a sight word list, make duplicate game cards – write the each word on two separate cards. Consider using our templates to create sight word game cards.

Play Sight Word Concentration

The goal of this game is to collect the most pairs. Using the sight word game cards, place all the cards face down on a table. The oldest person goes first, which typically gives younger players an advantage. He selects two cards and turns them over. If they are a pair, he keeps them and selects 2 more cards. His turn is over when he does not match cards. He must put them back in the same position. The key to winning this game is to remember the location of each card.

Since the underlying object of this game is to develop a sight word vocabulary, every time a card is turned over it should be read aloud. If your child doesn’t automatically recognize the word, have another child read it. It is also a good idea to review the cards prior to playing – repeated exposure to sight words helps a child develop a sight word vocabulary.

Selection of Sight Words

Depending upon your child’s reading readiness, select an appropriate number of pairs.

• A child who does not automatically recognize any sight words, begin with a few pairs and gradually add new pairs as she masters each sight word. The following five high frequency words are a perfect starting point: the, and, a, to, & in. They are commonly found in print.




• A child who recognizes some sight words instantly, create a deck using the words she knows as well as ones she does not know. Consider using the five sight words above and add the following sight words: you, is, it, on & I.




• A child who possesses a good vocabulary, use 25 pairs. This will provide a great review as well as offer a challenging game. Consider using our kindergarten sight word list (located in the “list” tab).

Playing sight word games helps a child obtain a sight word vocabulary in a fun and entertaining environment.

Sources:
Fry, E.B., Ph.D. (1999). 1000 Instant Words. Westminster, CA: Teacher Created Materials.