Dolch Sight Words List – 95 Nouns

– in Alphabetical Order

Edward William Dolch, Ph.D. 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, if a child is struggling with reading, these words may be taught due to their frequency in English text.

Unlike sight “service” words, nouns are not universal but rather 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.

Dolch’s Nouns

The 95 nouns noted below were relevant to a first grader or young child in Dolch’s era. In regards to his list of nouns, Dolch further stated, “They are in no sense basic to all elementary school reading.”

Source: Dolch, E.W., Ph.D. (1948). Problems in Reading. Champain, IL: The Garrard Press.