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Sight words for kids
Sight words are the common words children should be able to read instantly — words like the, you, was and said. Many of them don’t follow the usual phonics rules. Learned together with phonics, they let children read real books.
Why learn some words by sight?
Try sounding out the or said letter by letter — it doesn’t work. These words are also everywhere, even in the easiest books. If a child has to stop and work out each one, there is little attention left for meaning.
So we teach the most common words until children recognize them instantly. Phonics gives children the rules; sight words cover the frequent words that break them. Children need both.
The cat is on the mat.
cat, on, mat — read with phonics
The, is, the — read as sight words
Together, they make a child’s first sentence.
The Fry list
Educator Edward Fry ranked the words that appear most often in English books and school texts, in order of frequency. The Fry list is widely used in U.S. schools, and TLC for Kids teaches sight words based on it.
Not guessing
Learning sight words is not guessing from pictures or context. Children look at every letter and say the word with a correct model, so letters and sounds stay connected.
In context
Words learned on cards are soon met again in short sentences and easy books. That repetition is what makes them stick.
Little and often
A few new words at a time, practiced briefly and often, works better than long sessions.
Sight word practice at home
- Learn a few words at a time.
- Show a word card and read it in English with an audio or video model.
- Put a sight words chart where your child will see it every day. Seeing the words again and again, without trying, builds familiarity.
- Read easy sentences and books that use the words.
- Praise your child when they read a word.
There is no need to quiz children about a book after reading. Simply enjoy it together.
Where sight words fit
Sight words join phonics at stage 3 (reading words) and carry into stage 4 (reading sentences) of the five stages of reading.
Phonics for kids →
Reading fluency →
The five stages of reading →
Frequently asked questions
When should my child start sight words?
Once a child is linking letters to sounds and starting to read short words, we add sight words alongside phonics. Readiness matters more than age.
Should we teach phonics or sight words first?
Phonics first, so children see letters and immediately think of their sounds. Then sight words are added as children begin reading words and sentences.
Is memorizing sight words the same as guessing?
No. Children look closely at every letter and say the word aloud with a correct model. That is very different from guessing a word from a picture or the first letter.
My child forgets sight words quickly. What can we do?
That is normal. Short, frequent practice helps, and so does meeting the same words in easy books again and again. A sight words chart on the wall gives children extra exposure every day without extra work.
Do I need to speak English to help at home?
No. Our lessons and audio models provide the pronunciation. Your role is to keep practice short and regular and to praise your child’s effort.
Written by Toru Funatsu, founder of TLC for Kids. Teaching children to read with the Science of Reading since 2002; 25 years in Honolulu and more than 5,000 children taught. About the author
Source: Fry, E. (1980). The new instant word list. The Reading Teacher, 34(3), 284–289.
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