High Frequency Words (Sight Words) Definition & Games

Definitions of a Sight Word:

·      A word that is immediately recognized as a whole word and does not require word analysis for identification.

·      Words that are recognized "on sight" without having to be sounded out, or words that are taught as whole words because they are irregular or unusual, as opposed to being learned through phonics.

·      Words that good readers instantly recognize without having to decode them. Sight words are usually "high-frequency" words.

50 to 75 percent of all words in text material are common words which are repeated. These 220 words are called the Dolch Sight Words. Because these words are used to hold thoughts together, these words must be recognized at a glance before a child can read with confidence.

Here are some games you can play with your child at home to help reinforce those sight words:

Use a timer that will buzz or ring and set it for 1, 2, or 3 minutes and hold up the flash cards one at a time. As soon as they read the card, flip up another one. If they can't read it fast, have them say pass and put it to the side. Count how many they've read at the sound of the buzzer and this can be their 'score.' You can keep their score somewhere and let them reward themselves each time they beat their personal best.b

Sight Words Train

Place the sight words in a line on the table and have your child read the words in order, if they mispronounce a word, have them start again at the beginning. They repeat these trains of words until they go all the way through and say each one correctly. This is a little tricky, but have a reward waiting for them at the end of the line and it will encourage them to practice their words.

Sight Words & Sentences

Get out a stack of sight word cards and have your child choose anywhere from three to five cards and ask them to use each word they've chosen in a sentence. They do not have to use all the words in a sentence, but as they get better and better, have them choose two words at a time to be used in a sentence. You can have as much fun with this game as you want including asking them for certain types of sentences including rhyming ones.

1. Play ‘Battleships’ with words on a grid with a partner or as a class
2. Play coin toss - words on floor - children take turns to toss a coin onto a word and say that word
3. Have a box of small blank mini cards or paper - you can purchase great sized post it notes these days (approx 10cm x 2 cm) on hand at all times so that children can write down words from word walls, charts etc and then take the card back to their writing. It is also handy to write words on when doing writing conferences
4. Play who am I? Eg. I am yellow, I have 5 letters, and I end in 't'
5. Make a letter twister chart with chalk on a concrete floor, children place their feet and hands on the letters to spell words - children love these types of sight word games
6. Children make their own word wall/dictionary using photocopied small words and scrapbooks labeled with a letter of alphabet on each page... can be added to throughout the year
7. Play Hangman using the words
8. How quickly can you find a certain word in individual reading books during small group reading
9. Play dominoes using same end letter/ beginning letter
10. Circle letters within words using whiteboard marker on laminated word card
11. Play Chinese Whispers - say a word - pass it around

12. Circle smaller words within words using whiteboard marker on laminated word card
13. Children go outside and practice writing their words with chalk on the concrete
14. Practice handwriting by tracing over words using whiteboard marker on laminated word card
15. Place words in alphabetical order
16. Flashlight words – turn off lights – flash a torch on words on display for look and say
17. Around the World Words – flash a word – first player to say word out of that pair moves on to the next person to make a pair and another word is flashed, etc, etc.
18. Play ‘tic tac toe, here I go, where I stop I do not know’ - children say the word that you stop on...
19. Play stepping stones - place words on the floor and children walk over them saying the word as they go to get to the other side of the stream
20. Play musical words - children pass words around in a circle until music stops - that child says the word - can be played with 1 or more words.
21. Go on a word walk - find words around the environment - signs etc.
22. Make words using playdough
23. Make words using string gluing
24. Make words using letter tiles - scrabble pieces
25. Make words using stencils
26. Make words using alphabet stamps
27. Make words using magnetic letters
28. Cloze on blackboard - children find the missing word within a sentence
29. Beat the clock - how many times can a word be written in 1 minute etc
30. Children write their words in list form and then write over the words 2 or more times using different colours to create rainbow words