Are you looking for easy and simple ways to teach sight words to kids? You’ve come to the right place. This article will cover different ways to teach your kid sight words.
Sight words are essential to your kid’s language development. Sight words are also easy to teach, so they’ll stick with your child. Learning sight words is important. It allows your child to understand the meaning of words better. When you read a book to your child, you are using sight words to be able to communicate with them. If you don’t know the meaning of the word, then it can make it difficult for them to understand what you are saying. When they don’t know what a word means, they will have a hard time trying to figure out what it means.
Start with fun activities. Activities such as tracing letters or making flashcards out of pictures of the words. Use these activities when your child is ready to practice and reinforce new skills.
When your child is ready for the next step, try some of these ways to teach sight words:
1. Read Books Together
The best way to teach sight words is to read books aloud and have your child listen. With each reading, point out the sight word that you come across. This is a great way to help your child learn to recognize the sounds that make up a word. Then, when they see the word in print, let them point it out on their own.
There are lots of ways that reading can be fun and engaging for kids. But the most important thing is making sure your child enjoys it. Reading aloud helps children learn sight words. This is because they hear the words over and over again. While reading books together, you can also ask questions. Questions about what is happening in the story and talk about what happens next. This will help your child understand what each word means and how it relates to the storyline.
The more you read with your child, the more familiar he or she will become with the sight word sounds. Also, reading together gives you a chance to explain things. This helps them to understand what words mean and how they relate to each other.
Here are some tips on how to read together with your kid:
- Make reading a fun activity. You don’t need to read all the time or even every day, but make sure that you spend some time reading together.
- Read out loud! Reading books out loud is a great way for your children to hear their names. Learn about colors, shapes, and other things in the story. It also helps them understand what they are reading better than when they read by themselves.
- Use flashcards! If your child doesn’t know the word yet, use flashcards to help him learn it! You can find flashcards online. Or, you can make your own using construction paper or cardboard pieces. Cut out the paper or pieces with a scissor or knife (or whatever works best for you).
Books To Help Your Kids Learn Sight Words
These books are entertaining and engaging places to start looking for sight words. Have fun reading with your child by making a game out of finding the words they recognize.
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- Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman
- Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers
- Dr. Seuss’s First 100 Words by Dr. Seuss
- See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
- I’ll Teach My Dog 100 Words by Michael Frith, illustrated by P.D. Eastman
- Kindergarten Success with Sight Words Workbook by Sylvan Learning
2. Use Flashcards to teach Sight Words For Kindergarten
There are many ways to teach sight words, but the easiest way is with flashcards. There are many different types of sight word flashcards. We have those for preschoolers, pre-kindergarteners, and kindergarteners. You can find them at most office supply stores, or online or you can make them yourself at home.
You can use sight word flashcards in many different ways. I use them to teach my kids how to read each word as well as a whole word together. I have also had them laminated so they are easy to write on and erase.
Here are two easy ways you can use flashcards and games to teach sight words:
- Using flashcards with real objects. If your child has a favorite toy or object, you can use this as a visual representation for a sight word or two. For example, if your child loves dinosaurs. Use pictures of dinosaurs, as flashcards for dinosaur names or sounds like “dinosaurs.” This will help them associate the sound with its meaning. That when they see/hear it again in written form, they’ll know what it means without even looking at the word itself!
- Using word wall cards. Word walls are bulletin boards with words on them that can help students learn their sight words. Create your own word wall using colorful index cards and tape. Or you can purchase a pre-made one (like this one from Amazon). With a word wall, you can teach the letters associated with each word. As well as its meaning for added reinforcement. You can also use the word wall to help students learn how to spell their own words. To do this, you’ll need to write each word on an index card. Then have students use magnetic letters (like these ones) to spell out their words. Once they’ve spelled it correctly, they can stick the card up on the wall! A word wall is a powerful tool for teaching students how to read. Also, it can help them learn their sight words. You can also use the word wall as a resource when they’re learning how to spell and write!
3. Pretend Play Method For Teaching Sight Words
Children love pretending and acting out scenarios. If you want them to learn a word, allow them to pretend it’s real! Pretend play is a great way to introduce sight words. It helps children practice reading without even realizing it. Start by having each child read out loud or spell a word or two together. Next, have them pretend they’re in a story as characters and act out what happens next. For example, one child might be “reading” a book while another pretends to write down what he reads on a piece of paper. Then have them take turns reading their lines while everyone else acts out their part in the story.
4. Games
A great way to introduce sight words is by playing games with them. Games are great ways to teach sight words. They require children to use their brains and reasoning skills. Instead of just memorizing what they see on paper or see in their heads. Games help kids practice reading without realizing it! You can play hide-and-seek or find-the-word games with your child. Use sight words as clues or prizes when they get them right (or wrong). You can also play other types of games that need kids to think creatively. Some fun games include: -Simon Says: Start by saying a word and have the children repeat it back to you. Then, add another word and have them repeat that one too. Keep adding words until they get confused or forget what they’re supposed to say next.
Conclusion
Sight words can be tricky for young kids to recognize and to know when to correctly use them. But, by encouraging your children to recognize sight words through flashcards and games. You will help boost their early literacy skills and enhance their vocabulary. You can use sight words as a positive reward system. If your child completes his or her homework without any need for intervention. You may decide to offer extra time playing with a favorite game or using an iPad with their favorite app. Or, you may decide to let your child choose a book of their choice and snuggle up together for a read-aloud session. There are plenty of ways to encourage sight words in your child’s academic life.
Our goal is to empower parents with the correct techniques. To ensure that their children master this important skill. It will take time. But with some simple tools and a dedicated approach. Children will be reading on grade level before they know it.
Help your child practice sight words with this printable worksheet.
Sight Words FAQ
What are sight words and give examples?
Sight words are words like he, she, but, be, do, have, they, was, with, come, does, or who that do not follow the rules of spelling or the six types of syllables. Decoding these words can be very difficult for young learners. The common practice has been to teach students to memorize these words as a whole, by sight, so that they can recognize them immediately and read them without having to use decoding skills.
What are the basic sight words?
Here are some of the examples of basic sight words by grade level - Kindergarten: do, with, what, but, was, do, have, he, she, they, to, be. First grade: when from, his, her, after, again, could, had, of, then. Second grade: which, before, goes, around, because, been, does, don’t, right, write. Third grade: own, shall, myself, better, carry, eight, laugh, light, shall, together
What is the best way to teach sight words?
The best way to teach sight words is to: Start with a small list of words - do not overwhelm your child with long lists of words to learn. Make it motivating - Children can be motivated to learn sight words that hold personal significance to them. For example, a child may enjoy learning how to read the word “mom” or “dad.” Use books for carry-over - A key component of learning sight words is to recognize them in context. Some children may be able to identify a sight word within a list of words or on flashcards, but when it comes up in a book, they have trouble. Practice Makes Perfect - As you introduce new sight words, it is very beneficial to continue revisiting previously learned words.