High Frequency Words

High frequency words are the most common words your child will read. High frequency words are also sometimes referred to as sight words. High frequency words will make up 50-75% of the books your child will begin reading. Many of these words can be sounded out and don’t need to be memorized.

Children who can recognize these words quickly will strengthen their reading fluency and comprehension. When children can read these words effortlessly, they can spend their energy sounding out more difficult words or understanding the story’s meaning.

WORD LISTS

VIDEOS TO PRACTICE SIGHT WORDS

Captions and Languages

To watch videos with subtitles: Click the settings icon in the lower right-hand corner, next click “subtitles,” and then “English.”

To see subtitles in another language, after selecting English, click on subtitles again, then click “auto-translate” and select the language of your choice.

Try These Activities

Teach the Important Sight Words

There are 22 words that your child should memorize in the Dolch sight word list.

Watch this video and check out this list of sight words organized by basic phonetic structure and spelling rules, from All About Reading.

Start Easy

Focus on practicing a few new words at a time, and reviewing previously learned words that could use more practice.

Keep track of words your child already knows, and words they are just learning using a sight word list.

Paper Color Words for Flash Cards

Choose one or two words and write them clearly, in large, thick lowercase letters on a piece of paper or notecard. Write only one word per piece of paper or notecard.
Have your child color the paper to give it a blue background. Or use colored paper or notecards. Using any color will help the word stand out visually and in your child’s memory.
Use these as flashcards for your child to go over their practice words each day. It will only take a few minutes and kids will feel proud to master their words!

Add a Picture

All children benefit from acting out words. Bring a new word to life by creating a movement or gesture to help them build an association to the word.

For example, for the word “my,” kids can wrap their arms around themselves and say “my” while looking at the word. For “you,” they can point both their hands at you while repeating the word “you” they read from the card.

Memory Game

Create two sets of word cards and play a game of “Memory.” Lay the cards face down on the floor or the table. Take turns trying to match identical words. The person with the most pairs wins.

Highlight

Look at magazines, newspapers, cereal boxes, etc. and highlight and read the high-frequency words.

Spotlight

Post sight words or letters on the walls or floor, or around the room–and then turn the lights off! Give your child a flashlight and have them hunt for words. As they shine their light on the words, ask them to read them.

Snowball

Set up a waste-paper basket 3 or 4 feet from a table. On scrap paper, write the high-frequency words you are practicing. Have your child say the word. If they’re correct, they get to crumple the paper and toss it for a basket.