Learning sight words is an important part of learning to read.
Sight words are words of service. They are not meant to ring. Learning these words helps the reader maintain the flow of reading without losing meaning.
I like the Dolch Sight word list, but there are many other lists available. I like to place them on cards that are about 12cm x 6cm.
Use these cards to have fun with 30 FUN SIGHT WORD GAMES AND ACTIVITIES
1. Play Warship with sight words on a grid with a partner or
like a class.
2. Play corner kick – words on the floor – children take turns
toss a coin on a word and say that word.
3. Have a box of small blanks mini cards or paper you can
buy oversized post-it notes these days (approx.
10 cm x 2 cm) to hand at all times so that children can
write words from word walls, graphs, etc. and then
bring the card back to your writing. Also useful for
write words about when you do writing conferences.
4.Play who I am? for example, I am yellow, I have 5 letters and
end in ___.
5. Make a letter tornado graphic with chalk on a concrete
floor, children place their feet and hands on the letters
to spell words.
6. sight words around the world – show a word – first player
say a word of that pair passes to the next person
to make a pair and flash another word, etc, etc.
7. Play Executioner using the words on the word card.
8. How fast can you find a certain sight word in particular
read books during small group reading.
9. Play domino using the same ending letter/initial letter.
10 Circle the letters inside the words using a whiteboard marker on
laminated sight word cards.
11. Play chinese whispers – say a word – pass it around.
12 Circle the smallest words within words using a white board
marker on laminated word cards.
13. Children go outside and practice writing their words with
chalk on cement.
14. Practice handwriting trace on words wearing
whiteboard marker on laminated sight word cards.
15. Place sight word cards on alphabetical order.
sixteen. lantern words turn off the lights light a torch
words on display to look at and say.
17. The kids do their thing word wall/dictionary wearing
photocopying of small sight words and scrapbooks labeled with a
letter of the alphabet on each page…can be added to
throughout the year.
18. Play tic tac toe, here I go, where I stop I don’t know –
children say the word you stop.
19 to close – kids find the missing word
within a sentence.
20. Play musical words – children exchange words in a
circle until the music stops – that child says the word – can
be played with 1 or more words.
21. Wow we have word walk/drive – find words around the environment –
signs etc
22. Make words using clay.
23. Make words using thong.
24. Make words using letter tiles –scrabble pieces.
25. Make words using templates.
26. Make words using alphabet stamps.
27. Make words using magnetic letters.
28. Play steps – place words on the floor and
children walk on them saying the word as they go to get there
across the creek.
29 beat the clock how many times can you write a word
in 1 minute etc.
30. Children write their words in list form and then write
over the words 2 or more times using different colors
to create rainbow words.
There are many ways you can make teaching and learning sight words fun. I’m sure you can also think of more.