by Donna

Learning sight words is an important part of Learning to Read. Sight words are service words. They are not meant to be sounded out. Learning these words helps the reader to maintain reading fluency without getting caught up on meaning.

I like the Dolch Sight Word List, but there are many other lists available. Sight word cards are an essential part of your Teacher Resources kit. Pop them onto cards about 12cm x 6cm. Then use these cards to enjoy some of the following sight word games and activities with your children.

1. Use grid paper to place sight words on a fixed grid 10 x 10 is a good size. Play battleships as a whole class or work with partners.

2. Scatter the sight words onto the floor. A button or coin is tossed onto the words. Children shout out the word that the button lands on.

3. During the conferencing or editing stages of children’s writing, have a box of mini blank cards available. These are about 10cm x 3 cm. Children use these cards when looking for words on word wall, boxes, on charts, in story books, to write the words on. They then take these smaller versions back to their writing to edit their spelling.

4. Play who am I? - I am yellow, I have 5 letters, and I end in the letter t.

5. Children have a great time playing these types of sight word games. Play twister using a letter chart drawn with chalk on the concrete. Children spell out the sight words using their legs and arms.

6. Smaller versions of the sight words can by photocopied so that children can make their own sight word dictionary or word wall in their scrapbooks. Pop a letter of the alphabet on each page. Glue in the appropriate sight word copies, and add to these pages throughout the year.

7. As a whole class or in pairs, play a game of hangman using the sight words.

8. Count how many times certain sight words can be found in children’s reading books, or whole class big books.

9. Play dominoes using same end letter / beginning letter. Children love these sorts of hands-on sight word games.

10. Using an erasable pen - children practice their letter recognition by drawing a ring around certain letters on the laminated sight word cards.

11. Children form a circle and play - Chinese Whispers. Use the word cards to choose a word for the children to start whispering. The last child then points to the word card that matches the whispered word.

12. Using erasable marker pens, children find different phonic blend such as wh, ee, ay within the laminated words.

13. Using chalk on concrete, children practice writing the sight words.

14. Use the laminated sight words for handwriting activities. Children trace over the words with the whiteboard pen.

15. Sight words can be placed in correct alphabet order.

Having a set of laminated color coded sight words as part of your teaching resources kit means you will always be prepared for making learning sight words fun with loads of sight word games and activities. My set of cards is always available ready to go. You will never find them tucked away only to be brought out for look and say sessions.

Grab your set of sight words and have fun!

About the Author:

Donna is a retired K-3 teacher who has a passion for developing hands-on quality educational resources. View 15 more ideas for sight word games and general hands-on downloadable teacher resources at her K-3 Teacher Resources website.

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