7 Homeschool Sight Word Games that Make Learning Fun

Practicing sight words is an important part of helping beginning readers improve their skills. But, practicing high-frequency words can be a challenge, especially for struggling readers. These seven homeschool sight word games are a great way to make practicing common words engaging and exciting for emergent readers.

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For anyone that has spent any time with a beginning reader, you know that teaching them to read can sometimes require the patience of Job. Even if you happen to have a child that is a natural reader they can still sometimes get stuck on those pesky non-compliant rule evaders. You know… words like been, beautiful or give. And if you have a student that struggles to read, forget about it- they may spend what feels like hours trying to sound out words like said or the. My daughter was much more of the latter and teaching her to read was enough to make me question my life choices. During those first few years, we relied heavily on sight word practice as we muddled through our reading lessons. 

Even if your student is a star reader, chances are they may still need some help with those irregular words that don’t follow rules. And if you have a child that would rather eat Brussels sprouts than do a reading lesson, most likely learning their sight words will be a game-changer for teaching them to read. The best part is that by implementing some of these strategies and themed sight word games you will come out as the Hero and MVP of your homeschool day. 

What are Sight Words?

There are two categories of sight words. The first category is the high-frequency words which can be found on the Dolch or Fry Sight word list. And the second is the Irregular Words. Both categories have words that are found frequently in children’s literature but many of the words on the Dolch and Fry word lists can be sounded out, whereas words like above and bread don’t follow the normal phonics rules. 

These words are called sight words because ideally, students should be able to read them by sight and not have to utilize other reading strategies to figure them out. If you have a student who struggles with reading, this becomes very important. 

Why should you care about teaching sight words?

50-80% of words your child will read in their literature come from the Dolch Sight words list. Because many of these words are not spelled the way they sound, and they don’t sound the way they are spelled, a beginning reader can get caught up in spending too much time trying to decode (understand the letter sounds and their relationship) words they often lose comprehension as well, which leads to a frustrating experience. 

Bottom Line: Learning sight words gives students confidence and helps their reading comprehension improve. 

Resources for Teaching Sight Words in Your Homeschool

What is the best way to teach your child sight words? 

There is no right or wrong way to teach reading. You know your child best. But research has proven that children learn best when we can tap into the different parts of their brains. 

Your student needs to see the word, hear it, speak it and spell it. They need constant exposure to each new word that you introduce. Teach them first in isolation with something like a flashcard and then be sure to expose them to the words through literature, newsprint, signs, fun games, and practice any time you see the word printed somewhere. 

Depending on your student you can introduce between 3 and 5 sight words a day.

 If you want more ideas on how to teach sight words so that they stick, check out Teaching Sight Words Using the Dolch Sight Word List

Games that Teach Sight Words 

These simple sight word games will help you practice new words in interactive ways with your younger children.

Active Games

Nerf word Practice– If you have boys in your house then this game is a must! Although my girls liked it just as much. Write out your target sight words for the day on sticky notes or use flash cards and stick them on a word wall or even a door. Hand your child a nerf gun and either call out the name of the sight word and have him/her try and hit it, or have them hit a word first and say what it is. 

Sight Word Splat – This game is more fun with at least two players. Write words from your list of sight words on index cards and place them on the floor or a table. Give each player a fly swatter. When you call out a word, whoever swats the card first gets to keep it. The one with the most cards at the end of the game wins. 

Bean Bag Toss– Place Notecards with sight words from your sight word lists on the floor. Stand a few feet away from them and have students toss a bean bag onto the words, calling them out as they land. 

Sight Word Hunt– Take your students on a sight word scavenger hunt. Place sight word cards around the house or even outside and have your student hunt for them and either collect them or write them down on a record sheet. Grab this game here. 

Tabletop Games

BOOM!- Write sight words on popsicle sticks and place them in a can or jar. Ideally, there should be at least 10 words. For every 10 words, write the word BOOM!. Students will pull out a stick one at a time and say the word. If they get it right they keep it. However, if they get it wrong it goes back in the jar/can. If they draw the stick with BOOM! on it, all the sticks get put back. The one with the most sticks at the end of playing time wins!

Go Fish-. Create sight words with notecards and play this classic game. This is a fun way to encourage some extra practice with new sight words.

Pudding Play -Sight words are more fun when you can get messy. Make pudding and place it in a shallow pan or on a plate. Call out sight words and have your student spell them in the pudding. This can also be done with shaving cream for less tasty fun. Engaging multiple senses is a great way to help kids remember their sight words and become better readers.

Finger Lighting -Not so much a game but still a lot of fun. Purchase those small finger lights from the dollar store and in a dark room have your student spell out their sight words on a wall or ceiling. 

Finally, it’s important to note that while reading sight words is an important part of teaching your little one to read, it shouldn’t take the place of a balanced reading approach. Make sure that you are also building a good foundation with phonics and great literature.

Thank you to Angela Taylor from Schooling With Grace for writing this guest post!