Teach Your Child Sight Words

Sight words are a collection of common, frequently used words that a child should recognize to improve their accuracy and fluency when reading. Setting aside time to help your child learn these words is integral to the development of their reading skills. You can teach them sight words by repeating memorization exercises, identifying sight words in text, and making the process fun with pictures, music, and games.

Steps

Making a Teaching Plan for Sight Words

  1. Get acquainted with sight words. Given that reading likely comes easily to you as an adult, it might be difficult to reacquaint yourself with the process of learning to read that your child is undertaking. Read articles about sight words from reputable online sources or books to better understand how to help your child. In addition, you can talk to your child’s teacher for advice on how to best approach this lesson; collaborating with teachers is a good strategy for optimizing your child’s educational experience.[1]
  2. Make lists of sight words to be learned. The Dolch word list, compiled by Edward William Dolch and published in 1948, lists the 220 most commonly used words in the English language.[2] The list is divided by grade levels, based on when students are expected to know certain groups of words. Consider the words that are most common in texts geared towards your child's age and make a list of sight words for them to learn, accordingly.
    • Note that the following sights words are taught in kindergarten: a, am, an, and, are, at, can, do, for, go, has, have, he, here, I, in, is, it, like, look, me, my, no, play, said, see, she, so, the, to, up, we[3]
  3. Plan individual lessons. For each sight word lesson, aim to teach your child three to five words. At the beginning of each new lesson, review the words learned in the last session, then move on to the new ones.[4] Repetition of words is necessary to ensure that the lesson has been absorbed properly; solid knowledge of a few words is better than a weak knowledge of many words.[5]
  4. Set goals for learning. As a general rule, children are expected to learn the Dolch sight words corresponding to their grade level within that academic year; these targeted reading levels range from prekindergarten to grade three.[2] Plan to track your child's learning over the course of the year using a calendar, or a complete list of sight words to be learned during that time. Reward your child for "mastering" sight words by marking their progress with colorful stickers or markers.
  5. Schedule time to read with your child. Reading with your child is incredibly important for their learning and development; if possible, you should read with them at least once a day.[6] Learning sight words, as an integral part of reading, is just as important. Change up your approach to the lessons, but make sure they occur regularly enough to impact your child’s long-term retention of the words.

Introducing Your Child to Sight Words

  1. Use the “see and say” method. Purchase sight word cards from a department store, bookstore, or office supply store; you can also make your own sight word cards with large index cards and a bold marker, making sure to use large, clear lettering. Have your child read the word out loud while simultaneously underlining it with their finger; this will help your child to focus on the word and memorize it.[7] Make sure to hold the card at your child’s eye level and have them repeat this several times; use the word in a sentence to deepen their comprehension of it.
    • As an additional step, have your child spell the word out loud with the sight card, then repeat it; this will allow them to memorize how it is constructed.
  2. Use the “air writing” or “table writing” techniques. The physical act of writing a word helps a child register it cognitively and retain it in their memory. Hold up a sight card and read the word slowly, tracing it in the air or on a table surface; repeat this process, spelling out the word. Help your child repeat these steps; eventually you can attempt the process without the sight card.[8]
  3. Practice sight words in context. Recognition of individual sight words should transfer to reading sight words in a full text or narrative; this practice will help your child make the connection between sight words and their meaning. Have them identify sight words within an age-appropriate story or book. In addition, you can ask your child to write out a sentence with a specific sight word in it; if they are too young for this exercise, try writing out sentences for them and allow them to circle the sight words themselves as you say them.[9]
  4. Correct your child’s mistakes in an encouraging way. Aim to correct your child’s mistakes in the most positive way possible by emphasizing the right answer, as opposed to criticizing the error (e.g. "You were very close! The answer is AWAY. A-W-A-Y.") Evidence suggests that children actually learn better by making mistakes than by not making them.[10] To correct your child without being negative, remember to:
    • Let them know that you love them no matter what.[10]
    • Give them examples of some of your own mistakes, and how you learned from them.[10]
    • Praise them for accepting their mistake and trying to learn from it.[10]
    • Don’t bring up their past mistakes; focus on their improvement and resiliency.[11]

Making the Sight Words Learning Process Fun

  1. Teach sight words with pictures and illustrations. Many children learn more efficiently with visual aides. Pictures can help your child make important connections between the word and what it represents; in addition, colorful images help the brain with pattern recognition.[12] Make or purchase sight cards with pictures and the corresponding word, or have your child draw their own pictures for each word.
  2. Use music to enhance the learning process. Music has been shown to stimulate the brain, so it is a great enhancement to the learning process overall.[13] Try putting together songs with your child to help them remember sight words, and practice them frequently.[9] In addition, try playing instrumental music in the background to stimulate your child’s concentration and energy levels while they practice sight word exercises.[13]
  3. Play Sight Word Bingo. Games are a fun way to provide the repetition necessary for your child to learn sight words. Play inspires curiosity, problem-solving, and skill mastery while leaving room for failure and re-attempts.[14]There are many game options to try, such as Sight Word Bingo.
    • Select the sight words you want your child to practice. Use two squares of paper or cardstock as the Bingo cards, and write nine sight words on each card.
    • Have your child draw the top card from a stack of sight word cards, then read the sight word.
    • Players who have the sight word on their Bingo card will place a marker on top of that word.
    • The first player to have three words covered with markers, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins the game.
  4. Play the match game. Another fun game to promote your child's comprehension of sight words is the match game. Playing the match game will strengthen your child's memory of sight words.[15]
    • Select the sight words you want your child to practice. Matching cards are needed for each word.
    • Read the cards with your child and then shuffle them; place all cards face down on a flat surface.
    • Have your child turn over a card and read the sight word, then turn over a second card and read the sight word. If the sight words match, your child keeps them. If they don't match, your child places them face down. Then take your turn.
    • Continue alternating turns until all the cards are gone.
    • Players count their cards and the player with the most cards wins!
  5. Label things around the house. Print the name of household items onto cue cards and attach them to the objects themselves. This will allow your child to make clear associations between words and objects.[16] This will also reinforce the lesson for your child outside of your designated teaching times.


Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/partnering-with-your-childs-teacher/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.spellingcity.com/dolch-words.html
  3. ↑ http://www.education.com/magazine/article/prekindergartensightwords/
  4. ↑ http://www.sightwords.com/sight-words/faqs/
  5. ↑ http://www.sightwords.com/sight-words/lessons/#lesson
  6. ↑ http://www.rif.org/books-activities/tips-resources/reading-with-your-child/
  7. ↑ http://www.sightwords.com/sight-words/lessons/see-say/
  8. ↑ http://www.sightwords.com/sight-words/lessons/air-writing/
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 http://www.k12reader.com/sight-word-teaching-strategies/
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 http://www.rootsofaction.com/learning-from-mistakes-helping-children-see-the-good-side-of-getting-things-wrong/
  11. ↑ http://www.rootsofaction.com/learning-from-mistakes-helping-children-see-the-good-side-of-getting-things-wrong/
  12. ↑ https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/Science-of-Learning-Blog/2015/04/How-Color-Can-Affect-Learning
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/boost-memory-and-learning-with-music/
  14. ↑ http://www.instituteofplay.org/about/context/why-games-learning/
  15. ↑ http://www.education.com/game/match-sight-words/
  16. ↑ https://www.verywell.com/ways-to-develop-early-sight-word-skills-at-home-2162246
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