Some high frequency words are irregular – they are not phonetic and must be read as a unique word (e.g., the, was, from, have, of, there, want, you, said, does). Some high frequency words are decodable – they can be “sounded out” using regular phonics concepts (e.g., in, and, had, that, him, did, then, with, down, at, on, can, like). Teachers introduce these words as soon as kindergarten if their students are ready. Because high frequency words are essential to learning how to read, teachers should begin to teach some high frequency words as sight words to children in primary grades at the same time children are being taught how to use phonics to decode words. High frequency words are the words most commonly used in the English language. Sight wordsare words that are instantly recognized and identified without conscious effort. As children practice their words, you may wish to mark the cards that they know so you can track which words they need to focus on.Educators sometimes confuse the following related terms: sight words, high frequency words, decodable words, irregular words. Write the words on flashcards, punch a hole in each one, and attach them using a binder ring. To provide children with extra practice learning sight words, make them their own set of cards to use. When the deck is gone, the player with the most cards wins. When a player selects a card that says “Zoom,” he gets to take everyone’s cards. Another favorite game is “ Zoom ,” which is played using a deck of sight words along with a few cards that say “Zoom.” Children take turns picking up a card from the deck and reading their word. Create cards, similar to flashcards, which can be used to play various games, including Go Fish and Concentration or Memory. Consider teaching them sight word games to help with their learning and add some fun to the mix. When children are struggling with a task, their motivation to participate may dwindle. Like the way lyrics get stuck in our heads, children may be able to retrieve the spelling for sight words if they can relate it to a song or phrase you have taught them and practiced over time. Some children may respond well to songs or catchy phrases that help them memorize sight words. Consider having struggling readers work with the same text in your guided reading practice over more than one day. While one child may quickly recognize a new sight word after its introduction, another child may need many more experiences with the word before committing it to memory. When students experience difficulty learning sight words, it may be necessary to slow down the teaching pace. Using different modalities will help children recognize sight words in different contexts and avoid the simple memorization of words in a list, which may not transfer to other situations. They can create sight words using clay or write them in the sand, salt trays, or shaving cream. In addition to reading and paper and pencil activities, children can make words using playdough, magnetic letters, alphabet tiles, or letter stamps. Take advantage of multiple ways for children to work with sight words. For example, a child may be eager to read and write about her family members, such as “mom” or “dad.” A child who loves soccer may be motivated to learn words such as “like” and “play” to incorporate them into his writing. You may find that children achieve success quickly by learning words that hold personal significance for them. Ensuring their knowledge of one word is solid and introducing a similar word in later lessons may help decrease confusion. For example, children may stumble over words such as “like” and “love” or “here” and “there” because of their similarities. It’s important to take into consideration which sight words you are introducing and whether there is a higher opportunity for errors when teaching visually similar words. They may also need a review of words you thought they had mastered but have forgotten on a subsequent day. It’s also important to note that children will need multiple experiences with words in the early stages before they can recognize them automatically. Children can achieve much more success when they have solidified their knowledge of one or two words before being introduced to more. When teaching children sight words, it’s important not to overwhelm them with multiple new words at a time. Reading is a complex process that proficient readers can take for granted.
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