Sight word fluency is one of the most important skills for our young readers to learn. The more words that they can recognize immediately, the better readers they’ll be.
Did you know that only 300 sight words make up around 65% of all written text? It doesn’t seem possible! This really underscores how important sight words are to our students.
If you’d like to see more ideas for teaching sight words, check out my earlier post.
Tips for teaching sight word fluency
Repetition is the key to teaching sight words. But simply drilling the words over and over, which of course turns most students off, makes it boring. Bored students don’t want to learn. So the key is to find ways to get sight word repetition in our daily teaching, but in a way that’s fun and engaging.
Another issue that often occurs is that there may be a disconnect between knowing the words on their own and recognizing them in written context. Fluency with sight words in a written context greatly increases reading comprehension and makes reading that much easier for our students. We need to use as many ways for getting those words in front of our students as authentically as possible.
Games for Sight Word Fluency
- Word Search – but not a typical word search like you’d find on paper. In this word search, your classroom becomes the search area! Challenge your students to find as many sight words as they can in all the printed text in your classroom. They can walk around and write each one they find in a list. To make it more challenging, and more fun, give your kids a template with the exact shapes of the words that you want them to find!
- Scavenger Hunts – always a fun game. Again, use your classroom. But give your kids a list of hints directing them to find specific words. For example, ask how many words they can find that are four letters long and have an “a.”
Sight Words in Context
- Here’s a link to a free worksheet that you can download. Students use high frequency sight words to complete sentences.
- In books – use beginning reader books. Challenge students to find as many sight words as they can in the reading. Or give them 3 or 4 specific words to hunt for.
- In writing – give students plenty of opportunity to write sentences using the sight words. You can focus on one word at a time. Kids can trace the word, say the word, and then write the word.
How to Help Struggling Students
Of course, some students struggle with learning sight words. One way to help them specifically is to focus on a smaller number of words at a time and use them in as many different ways as you can. One suggestion is to write the names of objects on cards and tape them to the object. For example, if one of the sight words is “chair,” tape the word to the chairs in your classroom.
Having kids use their other senses can help them as they feel the words and read them at the same time. Use sand/salt trays, or write the words on cards using puffy paint!
Sight Words Reading Intervention
If you have struggling students that need extra practice, I created a resource specifically for them. I use this reading intervention strategy with my students who really struggle to recognize, read and retain all but a few basic sight words. I have found the intense repetition to be highly effective and the students love the competitive element of trying to beat their times! Help your struggling readers master these important sight words and improve their overall reading.
The resource contains color-coded flashcards, probe grids, a teacher recording graph, and award certificates. Number words to 20 and color words are also included, along with detailed teacher notes to help improve the sight word fluency of struggling students.
Some other resources you might like:
- Reading Intervention Strategy Second Grade Dolch Sight Words
- Non-fiction Comprehension Pack Checkbox Challenge for Struggling Readers
Do you have a tried and true tip for teaching sight words? We’d love to hear about it!
