Your child is on the brink of learning how to read! It is an exciting time and so much will be happening in the coming weeks and months! It is truly an amazing transformation that you will witness. Try to embrace it and remember it, because before you know it, you will be sending your emerging reader to middle school! (Yes, my big girl just started middle school this year!)
Sight Words are an important part of learning to read. These words are words your child will memorize by sight. They often do not follow the traditional phonics rules and/or are high frequency words. In the beginning, they will just need to recognize and say the words. Over time, (maybe not even in kindergarten), they will need to know how to spell them also. Some words are very simple for fluent readers, but for early readers, these simple words prove to be a big challenge. For example, take the words THE. You can't sound it out as an early reader because you have only learned that t says <t> and h says <h>. You have not learned the combined th sound of <th>. Also, the word THE does not have a definite meaning. There is no picture that can come to mind when you think of the word THE. (Like cat or dog or book). When a child sees the word CAT and thinks of a cat, they make a connection. This makes it more difficult for early readers because there is no connection for them to make with the word.
To make learning these words a little more fun, I have collected some ideas that you can use at home to help your child practice their sight words. Make it a game. Make sure they are enjoying their practice time. If it becomes tedious, put it away for another time.
Also, when you are reading together, point out the sight words. Better yet, ask your child if they can find any sight words on the page or to touch their nose when you read a sight word!
Ok, here are the ideas:
Most importantly, have fun with it! Let your child copy the words from a card you write when you are playing games that require them to write the words. You will be surprised at how fast they will learn these words!
Sight Words are an important part of learning to read. These words are words your child will memorize by sight. They often do not follow the traditional phonics rules and/or are high frequency words. In the beginning, they will just need to recognize and say the words. Over time, (maybe not even in kindergarten), they will need to know how to spell them also. Some words are very simple for fluent readers, but for early readers, these simple words prove to be a big challenge. For example, take the words THE. You can't sound it out as an early reader because you have only learned that t says <t> and h says <h>. You have not learned the combined th sound of <th>. Also, the word THE does not have a definite meaning. There is no picture that can come to mind when you think of the word THE. (Like cat or dog or book). When a child sees the word CAT and thinks of a cat, they make a connection. This makes it more difficult for early readers because there is no connection for them to make with the word.
To make learning these words a little more fun, I have collected some ideas that you can use at home to help your child practice their sight words. Make it a game. Make sure they are enjoying their practice time. If it becomes tedious, put it away for another time.
Also, when you are reading together, point out the sight words. Better yet, ask your child if they can find any sight words on the page or to touch their nose when you read a sight word!
Ok, here are the ideas:
- Sidewalk Chalk - Have your child write their sight words on cement with chalk. Make sure they say the letter aloud while they write it. Then, underline the words three times as they read it three times.
- Flashlight Words - Write the sight words on index cards. Turn off the light and shine a flashlight on the card you want them to read. Take turns using the flashlight.
- Doodle Pad or Ipad - Practice writing sight words on your doodle pad or download an app to write your sight words on your device. Erase and try another! (App - My Whiteboard or Kids Doodle-Movie, Kids, Color & Draw)
- Build your sight words using scrabble tiles. (Sold in Michaels as craft letter tiles)
- Use Magnetic Letters on a cookie sheet or on the refrigerator to spell your sight words.
- Vanishing Words - Use a wet paintbrush to write your words on a chalk board or on an exterior wall.
- Stepping Stones - Place words on the floor on large index cards or construction paper. Have your child cross the river without touching the water by stepping on the stones. Each time they step on a stone, they say the word on that stone.
- Scavenger Hunt - Cut and paste sight words from magazines onto a piece of construction paper.
- Shaving Cream (a favorite in my house!) - Spray a table or a mirror with shaving cream. Practice writing your words in the shaving cream.
Most importantly, have fun with it! Let your child copy the words from a card you write when you are playing games that require them to write the words. You will be surprised at how fast they will learn these words!