Sight words (also known as Dolch words) are words that appear most often in printed children's material.  Children should be able to recognize these words quickly and accurately by the end of the Kindergarten year. Children are encouraged to memorize these words as a whole by sight without any decoding strategies. Being able to recognize sight words gives Kindergarteners a better start to reading, increases confidence in writing, and preparation for 1st grade. We will be learning to read and write sight words in class.
Here are 10 ways to make memorizing fun at home:
  1. Make flash cards with index cards: use markers and crayons to make it fun.
  2. Make a memory/concentration game: make two sets of index/flash cards and see if you can make a match.
  3. Do a sight word hunt-find the words in magazines and newspapers, cut, glue, and decorate.
  4. Make the words out of clay or Play Doh
  5. Write the sight words outside with sidewalk chalk
  6. Tic Tac Toe: Write words in tic tac toe spaces. Take turns selecting a space to read. If read correctly, an
  7. X or O is placed correctly on the space until someone wins.
  8. Go Fish: With a duplicate set of cards, play Go Fish.
  9. Make words using magnetic letters or alphabet stamps. 
  10. Food words: build the words using raisins, M & Ms, pudding, candies, etc.
  11. Paper plate toss:Write sight words on paper plates. Use like Frisbees to throw after reading the word.
     
Click on the links below for more ideas...