Common Core Kindergarten Sight Words
Sight words are the most common words in the English language, and they can be found in every subject your kids will encounter at school. They are also a critical step to reading fluency, which is why it’s so important for your child to learn these common words so they can become a great reader. Here’s what Common Core has to say about kindergarten sight words and how you can teach sight words to your child.
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What are Kindergarten Sight Words?
Sight words are a series of common words that kids memorize and can read by sight. They include both high frequency words, which are the most common words that appear over and over again in children’s books, and words that can’t be decoded using phonics instruction. When your kids learn sight words, they quickly and easily increase their reading speed and fluency.
Sight words are also sometimes called flash words because kids should be able to read them so quickly.
Why Do Kindergartners Need to Learn Sight Words?
Developing a strong understanding of kindergarten sight words is important for your child for two reasons: it will make reading more fun and it will help them read better. Kids who can quickly read common words are more confident when they read, and that confidence is contagious. They are also able to spend their time reading about new topics rather than sounding out every word, which allows them to grow their vocabulary over time.
The common core kindergarten sight words are important because they allow children to learn how to read independently. When common words are known, kids can guess at an unfamiliar word when they are reading common texts.
Kids need a solid foundation of common sight word knowledge, coupled with strong phonics instruction as well, to become good readers. It is important that kids learn to read using both sight words and phonics.
What do the Common Core Standards Say about Sight Words?
The common core standards suggest that students who are in kindergarten should be able to “Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does).” (RF.K.3c)
The common core standards do not provide a list of specific sight words that kindergartners should know, or suggest how many sight words a kindergartner should learn.
What are the Most Common Kindergarten Sight Words?
Is There a Standard List of Sight Words?
The common core state standards do not specify a specific list of common words to be taught in kindergarten. However, there are sight word lists available for kindergarten that can help you teach your child common core kindergarten sight words. You can also create your own kindergarten sight word list using the lists below as a guide.
Dolch Sight Words
Based on common words that Dr. Edward Dolch found most children over the age of eight could not read, these lists are great sight word resources for preschool through 3rd grade.
The Dolch Sight Word list is one of the most popular resources for teaching sight words. It contains 220 common words that Dolch called service words. The words are divided into lists for each grade level, and there is an extra list of the 95 most common nouns.
Kids who memorize the Dolch sight words will know 80% of the words in children’s books and 50% of the words in adult literature.
Dolch Words for Kindergarten
The Dolch word lists for kindergarten include 52 sight words. They are:
all, am, are, at, ate, be, black, brown, but, came, did, do, eat, four, get, good, have, he, into, like, must, new, no, now, on, our, out, please, pretty, ran, ride, saw, say, she, so, soon, that, there, they, this, too, under, want, was, well, went, what, white, who, will, with, yes
Fry Sight Words
Developed by Dr. Edward Fry, these sight word lists include 1000 of the most common words and are broken up into groups of 100 that gradually increase in difficulty.
Although the Fry sight words lists are not organized by grade level, they are considered to be more modern than the Dolch lists.
Kids who memorize the Fry sight words will know 90% of the words in the books they read.
Fry Words for Kindergarten
The first Fry sight words list includes 100 words. They are the following words:
a, about, all, am, an, and, are, as, at, be, been, but, by, called, can, come, could, day, did, do, down, each, find, first, for, from, get, go, had, has, have, he, her, him, his, how, I, if, in, into, is, it, its, like, long, look, made, make, many, may, more, my, no, not, now, number, of, on, one, or, other, out, part, people, said, see, she, so, some, than, that, the, their, them, then, there, these, they, this, time, to, two, up, use, was, water, way, we, were, what, when, which, who, will, with, words, would, write, you, your
How many sight words should a kindergartener know?
The Dolch Sight Word list for kindergarten students includes 52 common high-frequency words. Most kindergartners will know between 20 and 100 sight words by the end of the year in kindergarten.
It is important to keep in mind that kids develop reading skills at different rates. If if your child is ahead or behind at the end of kindergarten, this is not a reason to panic. Just make sure to include some extra practice.
How Can I Teach My Child These Sight Words?
Teaching reading is an important part of homeschooling. These tips will make it easier.
When Should I Start Sight Words with my Child?
Most kids will be ready to start learning sight words in kindergarten. Make sure that your child knows the names and sounds of the letters, and that they show an interest in learning to read, before starting with sight words.
What Order Should I Teach the Sight Words?
When learning common core kindergarten sight words, you should start with the simplest and most common words first. You can also teach the words in the order that they appear in a book that you would like your child to be able to read.
How Many Sight Words Should I Teach at Once?
When teaching sight words, you’ll want to introduce no more than two or three common core kindergarten sight words at one time. Give your child at least a few days of practice to learn each group of words before adding another. Make sure to take time to review words from previous groups regularly.
Are Sight Words Enough to Help My Child Learn to Read?
Just memorizing sight words is not enough to help your child become a strong reader. Lots of research shows that kids learn to read best when they memorize sight words in combination with a strong phonics-based reading program. You can learn more about sight words vs phonics here.
Helpful Products for Learning Common Core Kindergarten Sight Words
Sight Word Strategies
There are many different ways that you can help your child memorize common core kindergarten sight words. By using a sight word list and implementing these fun learning activities, your child will be on their way to reading at an early age!
Flashcards
Flashcards are a common way for children to learn basic sight words. You can make your own flashcards or buy them in bulk online.
Word Hunt
Make a list of sight words into a game by hiding each word around the house or backyard. When your child finds all of the words, he wins! Kids love active games that involve common sight words.
Library Time
Take a trip to the library and read books together. Look for sight words in the books. You can also look for reading materials designed to teach sight words and ask your child to read a reading passage that contains sight words.
Play a Game with Sight Words
The Reading Game is a fun reading curriculum that is based on sight words. You can check out my full review of The Reading Game to learn more.
Handwriting
Ask your child to write common words from the sight word lists. Not only will it help them memorize common core kindergarten sight words, but they can practice their handwriting and fine motor skills at the same time.
Sing Songs
Songs and common core kindergarten sight words go hand-in-hand. Use the tune of a children’s song that your child knows to spell the sight word. This is a great way for auditory learners to remember their sight words.
Sensory Bins
Create a sensory bin with rice or salt. Ask your child to write their sight words in the rice using their finger.
Try Hands-on Activities
Check out this extensive list of hands-on activities that will make learning sight words fun. Activities that teach spelling work well for helping kids learn new sight words.
Use Bob Books
Bob Books are simple books that are written using a limited vocabulary to help kids learn to read with sight words. You can buy Bob Books in sets, and work through them with your kids one at a time.
Make a Common Word Book
If your child knows some of the common core kindergarten sight words, use them to make a sight word book! Write the words in the book, and ask your child to illustrate each one. You could also use the words in a simple sentence to help your child learn the meaning of each word in context.
Be sure to check out my huge list of fun ways to practice sight words at home. By implementing these common sight words learning activities, your child will be on his way to becoming a great reader at an early age!
Tips for Success with Kindergarten Sight Words
Make Learning Fun
If you make learning common core kindergarten sight words fun, your child will learn them at a faster pace! Make sure to include hands-on activities that keep your child engaged in the learning process.
Practice Makes Perfect
Don’t expect your child to know common words right away. Learning sight words takes time, and it is important to practice regularly to help your child remember the words. Try to practice sight words for just a few minutes every single day to help your child remember the essential words they are learning.
Be Consistent
Use common word pronunciation lists and the same kinds of activities for each new list of sight words to help your child learn best. Be consistent and practice on a daily basis. It takes time to learn sight words, but your patience will pay off as your child becomes a more fluent and confident reader.
Sight words are part of the common core standards for kindergarteners, and are an important part of teaching kids how to read. When you practice sight words with your kids regularly, they will become better readers as they gain confidence and fluency with sight words.
Are you looking for the perfect books to read with your kindergartner? Check out this guide to creating a homeschool reading list!
