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What Are Sight Words And How To Teach Them
Sight words, also known as high-frequency words or instant words, are common words that appear frequently in written text. These are words that often do not follow regular phonetic patterns and because of this, they are difficult to decode using phonics rules alone. Instead, sight words shoud be recognized on sight.
The fact that sight words make up a significant portion of the words found in books as well as other written materials means that it is really important to know how to teach them effectively. Once your kids master sight words, they will be able to read fluently while improving their comprehension skills. So, teaching sight words in the proper way will help your little one become a more proficient reader.
How To Teach Sight Words Effectively
Teaching sight words can be done using various engaging and interactive methods. Here are some strategies to help you teach sight words effectively:
Introduce one word at a time
Don’t rush it. Start by introducing one sight word at a time while focusing on its spelling and pronunciation. It would be a good idea to use flashcards with sight words. Another option is to write the word on a whiteboard or paper to visually reinforce the word’s appearance.
Provide a visual representation
Think of a suitable visual representation while teaching sight words. Associate each word with both simple and recognizable image. Alternatively, you can use a hand gesture to help your little learner make a connection between the word and its meaning. For example, for the word “like,” you can form a heart shape with your hands.
Contextualize the word
When looking for the best strategies on how to teach sight words, consider conextualizing. Use the sight word in either memorable sentences or short stories to provide context. This will certainly help your child to understand the word’s usage as well as its meaning within a sentence. Encourage the kid to identify the sight word in different contexts and then show how to practice using it in their own sentences.
Practice with repetition
Practice makes perfect, they say. So, make sure you engage your child in repetitive activities while teaching sight word recognition. Some effective methods include:
1. Show flashcards with sight words and ask your child to read them aloud. You can download some free ones from here or by clicking on the image below.
2. Creating a word wall for teaching sight words will also be very helpful. Choose a visible and easily accessible area where your little one can view and interact with the words. Then encourage kids to refer to the word wall frequently while practicing reading the words.
3. If you need even more ideas about how to teach sight words, then try this fun activity. Find some books, magazines, or newpapers and then ask your child to search for sight words in them. Choose printed materials with bigger fonts and fewer words on a page. Then, provide your little one with a highlighter or a special marker so that they can mark the words as soon as they find them.
4. Kids learn through play, so make sure you incorporate games while teaching sight words. There is a wide variety of fun and interactive activities, such as memory matching, Bingo, or sight word scavenger hunts to make learning fun and engaging. You can download 3 scavenger hunt pages for free from here or by clicking on the image below.
Incorporate multisensory activities
It has been proven that kids learn best while engaging all the senses. So, while teaching sight words try to incorporate some hands-on activities that involve touching, moving, and manipulating sight words. Here are some examples:
- Building sight words with either letter tiles or magnetic letters.
2. Although this may be a bit messy, offer to your little one activities, such as writing sight words in sand, with shaving cream, or on a sensory tray.
3. Another fun and engaging activity to practice sight words is to create them using playdough or Wikki Stix.
Read and re-read sight word books
When looking for the best methods showing how to teach sight words, we just can’t go without reading books. Choose ones that are specifically designed for sight word practice. These books often contain repetitive sentences and include a high frequency of sight words. Encourage children to read these books repeatedly to reinforce sight word recognition and fluency.
Make it interactive
Although we should strive to limit screen time, you can sometimes use technology and online resources to make sight word learning more interactive and engaging. There are numerous educational apps, websites, and videos available that provide sight word activities and games. You can find a list of the 10 best apps for sight words here.
Celebrate progress and success
Always offer positive feedback and celebrate your little one’s achievements as they learn and master sight words. Offer praise, stickers, or even small rewards to motivate and encourage their progress.
And last but not least, remember that every child is different and learns at their own pace. However, regular practice and exposure to sight words are always the key to improvement. Be consistency and patient while your child develops their sight word recognition skills over time.