Sight Words

Grade One Sight Word Lists

Lst 1:  the, to, and, a, I

List 2:  you, it, in, said, for

List 3:  up, look, is, go, we

List 4:  little, down, can, see, not

List 5:  one, my, me, big, come

List 6:  blue, red, where, jump, away

List 7:  here, help, make, yellow, two

List 8:  play, run, find, three, funny

List 9:  he, was, that, she, on

List 10:  they, but, at, with, all

List 11:  there, out, be, have, am

List 12:  do, did, what, so, get

List 13:  like, this, will, yes, went

List 14:  are, now, no, came, ride

List 15:  into, good, want, too, pretty

List 16:  four, saw, well, ran, brown

List 17:  eat, who, new, must, black

List 18:  white, soon, our, ate, say

List 19:  under, please, of, his, had

List 20:  him, her, some, as, then

List 21:  could, when, were, them, ask

List 22:  an, over, just, from, any

List 23:  how, know, put, take, every

List 24:  old, by, after, think, let

List 25:  going, walk, again, may, stop

List 26:  fly, round, give, once, open

List 27:  has, live, thank, would, very

List 28: your, its, around, don’t, right

List 29: green, their, call, sleep, five

List 30:  wash, or, before, been, off

List 31:  cold, tell, work, first, does

List 32:  goes, always, why, because, should

Every week a list of 5 sight words will be placed into your child’s agenda. Please take time to practice reading these words with your child throughout the week.  Sight word testing will take place on the last day of each school week.  Our goal is to have your child read all 5 words, as well as the words on the previous list(s). 

Ø Some ideas are listed on the next pages.  Remember:  Always keep the practice quick and fun! 

Ø I suggest printing that week’s words on pieces of paper and storing the words in a Ziplock bag labelled with the list number.  Mix up the word order each time you practice, as I will be testing the students using a different word order than the original list.  Have fun with this! 

Ø If your child knows the words, have your child practice printing the words, and creating sentences using the words from this list, previous weeks, and ideas we are learning daily!

Ø Let me know if you invent another great way to practice!

I want your child to retain knowledge of these words, not just memorize them for a day.

What are sight words?

Reading is the most important skill a child will ever learn.  As well as being able to "sound out" (phonetically decode) regularly spelled words, children must also master reading basic, common sight words.  The above lists introduce some of the 160 of the 220 most frequently used words in the English language that must be quickly recognized in order to achieve reading fluency.  Sight words make up 50 to 70 percent of any general text.  Fluency in reading sight words is essential to literacy.

Children need to automatically read and write sight words (high frequency words).  When students have studied sight words, they are better prepared to encounter new texts, because they can automatically read them using the sight words they have learned.  This automaticity frees children up to focus not only on new or more challenging words, but also on comprehension.  The less time children have to spend trying to decode words, the more time they will be able to spend on understanding what they have read.

*****Many of the sight words CANNOT be "sounded out" and have to be learned by "sight," that is memorized.

Please refer to the parent information on the variety of techniques encouraged to teach sight words, including: reading Home Reading books that a are specifically written to practice sight words, using flash cards, playing games, and writing activities. Repetition and practice are very important in making recognition of sight words automatic. Once this core of basic sight words has been memorized, children read more fluently, with greater comprehension.

ACTIVITIES TO PRACTICE SPELLING & SIGHT WORDS

Learning sight words and practicing spelling words are important first grade skills. Choose one or two activities each week to make learning fun and meaningful.

Activities	How do I do it?
Rainbow Writing	Write your spelling/sight words in pencil and then use two or three different colored crayons to trace over the words.  Turn sight words into rainbows! Ask your child to write a sight word on paper in big letters. Usisng different-colored crayons, your child can then trace around the word again and again, reading the word each time.
Red Vowels	Write your words in pencil.  Then trace over the vowels with a red pencil, pen, crayon, or marker.
Consonant Circles	Write the words in pencil.  Then circle the consonants with a pen, colored pencil, or crayon.
Salt Writing	Practice writing the words on a cookie sheet and write your spelling words in the salt.
Eat Your Words	Use ABC cereal to spell each word.
Magnetic Letters	Use magnetic letters to spell each word.
Practice Test	Take a practice test.  Go over missed words.
Sidewalk Spelling	Use colored sidewalk chalk to write the words on the sidewalk or driveway.
Cheerleader Words	Call out the words like a cheerleader!
Go Fish!	Spell the words.  If it is spelled correctly, eat a goldfish cracker for each letter in the word.
Memory Game	Make two sets of word cards.  Play Memory with them.
LOOK, COVER, WRITE, CHECK	Look at each word.  Cover the word, Write the word without looking.  Check to see if it was spelled correctly.
Block Words	Print each word.  Outline each word.
Body Spell	“The word is ________.”  Tall letters (hands go over head, palms together), letters that go below the line (touch toes), letters that sit on the line (hands on waist).  “The word is ______.” (see back of sheet)
Read My Back	“Write” a sight word on your child’s back. Can your child guess the word? Trade places—let your child trace a word from the list on your back. Continue taking turns tracing and guessing sight words.
In The Cupboard	Open a cupboard and take turns with your child, finding and reading sight words. Try the ones on the list first, then include other sight words your child is learning. Keep going until you run out words, time, or things in the cupboard.
Jump On It!	Copy sight words on index cards (one word per card). Make a second set of the same words. Scatter one set faceup on the floor, leaving about a foot between each card. Place the other set in a stack facedown. Turn over the first card in the stack. Have your child read the word (offer help as needed) and then jump on the corresponding card on the floor. Turn over the next card and have your child read it and jump to that word. Continue until your child has jumped on all of the words. Mix up the cards and play again!
Sing a Sight Word	Practice sight words by singing them to a familiar tune or making up your own. If you run out of words before you get to the end of the song, just start at the top of the list again. Some songs to try include “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

Activities	How do I do it?
Which Word Wins?	Materials: newspaper, highlighter, word list Sit with your child and look at a newspaper to see just how often sight words pop up in print. Ask your child to choose a sight word from the list and an article from the newspaper. Look for the word together. Highlight and count the word each time it appears. Try the same thing with a second sight word. Which word appears more often?
Wordo	Materials: Blank "Wordo" cards with 9, 16, or 25 blocks. Copy of words being studied Have child fill in the card with the words that you are working on. Tell child that each card will be different and to try to mix up the words child will use. Playing the game is just like BINGO. Call out the words and have the child spell it out loud with you and then mark child’s spaces. This will give those who are unsure of the word some extra help. The first one with a row covered calls out the word "WORDO"! Let the winner be the one who calls out the words the next time.
Beep!	Choose a picture book to read aloud. Tell child whenever he/she hears the word Beep! it means you’ve left out a word. He/she needs to guess what the word is. Read the story a second time, this time letting the child chime in on as many sight words as he/he knows.
On the Run!!	The next time you’re going somewhere with your child, play a sight word game. It’s easy—just have your child find as many sight words as he or she can on billboards, signs, and so on. If you don’t have a sight word list with you, invite your child to read the “little” words. You can play this game in a car, on a walk, even in line at the grocery store!

Body Spell It!

(We are doing this in class, along with a song called “Let Me Hear You Spell…”)

Action		Applicable Letters
Hands on Hips		a c e i (dot ‘i’ with index finger in air) m n o r s u v w x z
Hands Reach for the Sky		b d f h k l t
Bend Down, Touch Toes		g j (come up and dot ‘j’ with index finger in air) p q y