Sight words break the phonetic code. They must be memorized. Sight words are also very common. Turn to any page of text, and you’ll find lots of sight words scattered about the page. If a child does not have sight word knowledge, he cannot read! Kindergarten sight words are especially important, since they are the most common sight words of all. No child can read without basic sight words like “the” and “to.”
If you want your student to start reading books, he needs to know at least some sight words.
Top Twenty Most Common Sight Words for Kindergarten
To find the top twenty Kindergarten sight words, see the attached pdf at the end of the post. You can use the sight word pdf to help teach your Kindergartner how to read. The top twenty words include:
- the
- to
- was
- said
- are
- they
- have
- come
- he
- she
- you
- do
- of
- there
- could
- would
- some
- what
- where
- their
* “he” and “she” follow the phonetic code, but they are common enough in beginning books to teach as sight words.
Teach Kindergarten Sight Words 2-4 at a Time
Kindergarten sight words must be memorized. Introduce them slowly and wait for your child to master them. Be patient. If you bombard your student with all of them at once, he will not learn them. Teach 2-4 new sight words at a time. Give your student extensive practice before introducing more.
Review Sight Words Your Student Already Knows
When your student masters the first 2-4 sight words, don’t throw them away! Keep them in his sight word pile. If a child learns a new sight word, he doesn’t necessarily have it committed to long-term memory. He may only have the word in his short-term memory. To avoid reading regression, keep the words he seems to know in his sight word pile for a few weeks. Let him review these words over an extended period of time.
Practice Reading Sight Words in Sentences
Once your child knows just the first 2-4 sight words, he can start reading books. When he comes across a sight word in a book, and makes an error, DO NOT encourage sound-by-sound reading. Tell the student, “This is a sight word. That means it breaks the rules. ” Once your student has extensive phonics knowledge, he will start to notice some regular phonics patterns in sight words. However, almost all sight words break the phonetic code in some way.
Find Sight Words in Read Aloud Books
For added practice, you can also open your favorite children’s books. Read the book aloud to your Kindergartner. When you come across a sight word that your student is working on, let him help you. In this way, you can read “together.” Your student reads his sight words. You read everything else.
Create Sight Word Flashcards & Sight Word Games
Flashcards seem rather dull, but you can make fun games with them. For some ideas on sight word games, check out: Sight Word Activities for Kindergarten and First Grade.
Check out the printable phonics books library once your child knows letter sounds and the top four sight words.
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