From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
High frequency sight words (also known simply as sight words) are commonly used words that young children are encouraged to memorize as a whole by sight, so that they can automatically recognize these words in print without having to use any strategies to decode.[1] Sight words were introduced after whole language (a similar method) fell out of favor with the education establishment.[2]
The term sight words is often confused with sight vocabulary, which is defined as each person’s own vocabulary that the person recognizes from memory without the need to decode for understanding.[3][1]
However, some researchers say that two of the most significant problems with sight words are: (1) memorizing sight words is labour intensive, requiring on average about 35 trials per word,[4] and (2) teachers who withhold phonics instruction and instead rely on teaching sight words are making it harder for children to «gain basic word-recognition skills» that are critically needed by the end of grade three and can be used over a lifetime of reading.[5]
Rationale[edit]
Sight words account for a large percentage (up to 75%) of the words used in beginning children’s print materials.[6][7] The advantage for children being able to recognize sight words automatically is that a beginning reader will be able to identify the majority of words in a beginning text before they even attempt to read it; therefore, allowing the child to concentrate on meaning and comprehension as they read without having to stop and decode every single word.[6] Advocates of whole-word instruction believe that being able to recognize a large number of sight words gives students a better start to learning to read.
Recognizing sight words automatically is said to be advantageous for beginning readers because many of these words have unusual spelling patterns, cannot be sounded out using basic phonics knowledge and cannot be represented using pictures.[8] For example, the word «was» does not follow a usual spelling pattern, as the middle letter «a» makes an /ɒ~ʌ/ sound and the final letter «s» makes a /z/ sound, nor can the word be associated with a picture clue since it denotes an abstract state (existence). Another example, is the word «said», it breaks the phonetic rule of ai normally makes the long a sound, ay. In this word it makes the short e sound of eh.[9] The word «said» is pronounced as /s/ /e/ /d/. The word «has» also breaks the phonetic rule of s normally making the sss sound, in this word the s makes the z sound, /z/.» The word is then pronounced /h/ /a/ /z/.[9]
However, a 2017 study in England compared teaching with phonics vs. teaching whole written words and concluded that phonics is more effective, saying «our findings suggest that interventions aiming to improve the accuracy of reading aloud and/or comprehension in the early stages of learning should focus on the systematicities present in print-to-sound relationships, rather than attempting to teach direct access to the meanings of whole written words».[10]
Most advocates of sight-words believe children should memorize the words. However, some educators say a more efficient method is to teach them by using an explicit phonics approach, perhaps by using a tool such as Elkonin boxes. As a result, the words form part of the students sight vocabulary, are readily accessible and aid in learning other words containing similar sounds.[11][12]
Other phonics advocates, such as the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI-USA), the Departments of Education in England, and the State of Victoria in Australia, recommend that teachers first begin by teaching children the frequent sounds and the simple spellings, then introduce the less frequent sounds and more complex spellings later (e.g. the sounds /s/ and /t/ before /v/ and /w/; and the spellings cake before eight and cat before duck).[13][14][15][16] The following are samples of the lists that are available on the CCSSI-USA site:[17]
| Phoneme | Sample only — Word Examples (Consonants) (CCSSI-USA) | Common Graphemes (Spellings) |
|---|---|---|
| /m/ | mitt, comb, hymn | m, mb, mn |
| /t/ | tickle, mitt, sipped | t, tt, ed |
| /n/ | nice, knight, gnat | n, kn, gn |
| /k/ | cup, kite, duck, chorus, folk, quiet | k, c, ck, ch, lk, q |
| /f/ | fluff, sphere, tough, calf | f, ff, gh, ph, lf |
| /s/ | sit, pass, science, psychic | s, ss, sc, ps |
| /z/ | zoo, jazz, nose, as, xylophone | z, zz, se, s, x |
| /sh/ | shoe, mission, sure, charade, precious, notion, mission, special | sh, ss, s, ch, sc, ti, si, ci |
| /zh/ | measure, azure | s, z |
| /r/ | reach, wrap, her, fur, stir | r, wr, er/ur/ir |
| /h/ | house, whole | h, wh |
| Phoneme | Sample only — Word Examples (Vowels) (CCSSI-USA) | Common Graphemes (Spellings) |
|---|---|---|
| /ā/ | make, rain, play, great, baby, eight, vein, they | a_e, ai, ay, ea, -y, eigh, ei, ey |
| /ē/ | see, these, me, eat, key, happy, chief, either | ee, e_e, -e, ea, ey, -y, ie, ei |
| /ī/ | time, pie, cry, right, rifle | i_e, ie, -y, igh, -I |
| /ō/ | vote, boat, toe, snow, open | o_e, oa, oe, ow, o- |
| /ū/ | use, few, cute | u, ew, u_e |
| /ă/ | cat | a |
| /ĕ/ | bed, breath | e, ea |
| /ĭ/ | sit, gym | i, y |
| /ŏ/ | fox, swap, palm | o, (w)a, al |
| /ŭ/ | cup, cover, flood, tough | u, o, oo, ou |
| /aw/ | saw, pause, call, water, bought | aw, au, al, (w)a, ough |
| /er/ | her, fur, sir | er, ur, ir |
Word lists[edit]
A number of sight word lists have been compiled and published; among the most popular are the Dolch sight words[18] (first published in 1936) and the 1000 Instant Word list prepared in 1979 by Edward Fry, professor of Education and Director of the Reading Center at Rutgers University and Loyola University in Los Angeles.[19][20][21][22] Many commercial products are also available. These lists have similar attributes, as they all aim to divide words into levels which are prioritized and introduced to children according to frequency of appearance in beginning readers’ texts. Although many of the lists have overlapping content, the order of frequency of sight words varies and can be disputed, as they depend on contexts such as geographical location, empirical data, samples used, and year of publication.[23]
Criticism[edit]
Research shows that the alphabetic principle is seen as «the primary driver» of development of all aspects of printed word recognition including phonic rules and sight vocabulary.»[24] In addition, the use of sight words as a reading instructional strategy is not consistent with the dual route theory as it involves out-of-context memorization rather than the development of phonological skills.[25] Instead, it is suggested that children first learn to identify individual letter-sound correspondences before blending and segmenting letter combinations.[26][27]
Proponents of systematic phonics and synthetic phonics argue that children must first learn to associate the sounds of their language with the letter(s) that are used to represent them, and then to blends those sounds into words, and that children should never memorize words as visual designs.[28] Using sight words as a method of teaching reading in English is seen as being at odds with the alphabetic principle and treating English as though it was a logographic language (e.g. Chinese or Japanese).[29]
Some notable researchers have clearly stated their disapproval of whole language and whole-word teaching. In his 2009 book, Reading in the brain, French cognitive neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene wrote, «cognitive psychology directly refutes any notion of teaching via a ‘global’ or ‘whole language’ method.» He goes on to talk about «the myth of whole-word reading», saying it has been refuted by recent experiments. «We do not recognize a printed word through a holistic grasping of its contours, because our brain breaks it down into letters and graphemes.»[30] Another cognitive neuroscientist, Mark Seidenberg, says that learning to sound-out atypical words such as have (/h/-/a/-/v/) helps the student to read other words such as had, has, having, hive, haven’t, etc. because of the sounds they have in common.[31]
See also[edit]
- Dolch word list
- Dual-route hypothesis to reading aloud
- Fry readability formula
- Learning to read
- Literacy
- Most common words in English
- Phonics
- Reading comprehension
- Reading education in the United States
- Reading (process)
- Subvocalization
- Teaching reading: whole language and phonics
- Whole language
- Writing system
References[edit]
- ^ a b «What Are Sight Words?». WeAreTeachers. 2018-04-25. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
- ^ Ravitch, Diane. (2007). EdSpeak: A Glossary of Education Terms, Phrases, Buzzwords, and Jargon. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, ISBN 1416605754.
- ^ Rapp, S. (1999-09-29). Recognizing words on sight; activity. The Baltimore Sun
- ^ Murray, Bruce; McIlwain, Jane (2019). «How do beginners learn to read irregular words as sight words». Journal of Research in Reading. 42 (1): 123–136. doi:10.1111/1467-9817.12250. ISSN 0141-0423. S2CID 150055551.
- ^ Seidenberg, Mark (2017). Language at the speed of sight. New York, NY: Basic Books. p. 147. ISBN 978-1-5416-1715-5.
- ^ a b Kear, D. J., & Gladhart, M. A. (1983). «Comparative Study to Identify High-Frequency Words in Printed Materials». Perceptual and Motor Skills. 57 (3): 807–810. doi:10.2466/pms.1983.57.3.807. S2CID 144675331.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ «Teaching Sight Words as a Part of Comprehensive Reading Instruction, Iowa reading research centre, 2018-06-12».
- ^ «Phonological Ability», The SAGE Encyclopedia of Contemporary Early Childhood Education, SAGE Publications, Inc, 2016, doi:10.4135/9781483340333.n296, ISBN 9781483340357
- ^ a b «Sight Words». www.thephonicspage.org. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
- ^ Taylor, J. S. H.; Davis, Matthew H.; Rastle, Kathleen (2017). «Comparing and Validating Methods of Reading Instruction Using Behavioural and Neural Findings in an Artificial Orthography» (PDF). Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, volume 146, No. 6, 826–858. 146 (6): 826–858. doi:10.1037/xge0000301. PMC 5458780. PMID 28425742.
- ^ «Sight Words: An Evidence-Based Literacy Strategy, Understood.org».
- ^ «A New Model for Teaching High-Frequency Words, reading rockets.org». 6 June 2019.
- ^ «Complete report — National Reading Panel, England» (PDF).
- ^ «Sample phonics lessons, The State Government of Victoria».
- ^ «Foundation skills, The State Government of Victoria, AU».
- ^ «English Appendix 1: Spelling, Government of England» (PDF).
- ^ «Common Core Standards, Appendix A, USA» (PDF).
- ^ «Dolch Words 220, Utah Education Network in partnership with the Utah State Board of Education and Utah System of Higher Education» (PDF).
- ^ Edward Fry (1979). 1000 Instant Words: The Most Common Words for Teaching Reading, Writing, and Spelling. ISBN 0809208806.
- ^ «McGraw-Hill Education Acknowledges Enduring Contributions of Reading and Language Arts Scholar, Author and Innovator Ed Fry, McGraw-Hill Education, Sep 15, 2010».
- ^ «Edward B. Fry, PH.D, Published in Los Angeles Times on Sep. 12, 2010». Legacy.com.
- ^ «Fry Instant Words, UTAH EDUCATION NETWORK».
- ^ Otto, W. & cester, R. (1972). «Sight words for beginning readers». The Journal of Educational Research. 65 (10): 435–443. doi:10.1080/00220671.1972.10884372. JSTOR /27536333.
- ^ «Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum: Final Report, page 87» (PDF).
- ^ Ehri, Linnea C. (2017). «Reconceptualizing the Development of Sight Word Reading and Its Relationship to Recoding». Reading Acquisition. London: Routledge. pp. 107–143. ISBN 9781351236898.
- ^ Literacy teaching guide : phonics. New South Wales. Department of Education and Training. [Sydney, N.S.W.]: New South Wales Dept. of Education and Training. 2009. ISBN 9780731386093. OCLC 590631697.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Findings and Determinations of the National Reading Panel by Topic Areas
- ^ McGuinness, Diane (1997). Why Our Children Can’t Read. New York, NY: The Free Press. ISBN 0684831619.
- ^ Gatto, John Taylor (2006). «Eyless in Gaza». The Underground History of American Education. Oxford, NY: The Oxford Village Press. pp. 70–72. ISBN 0945700040.
- ^ Stanislas Dehaene (2010-10-26). Reading in the brain. Penquin Books. pp. 222–228. ISBN 9780143118053.
- ^ Seidenberg, Mark (2017). Language at the speed of light. pp. 143–144=author=Mark Seidenberg. ISBN 9780465080656.
When you’re a new teacher, the number of buzzwords that you have to master seems overwhelming at times. You’ve probably heard about many concepts, but you may not be entirely sure what they are or how to use them in your classroom. For example, new teacher Katy B. asks, “This seems like a really basic question, but what are sight words, and where do I find them?” No worries, Katy. We have you covered!
What’s the difference between sight words and high-frequency words?
Oftentimes we use the terms sight words and high-frequency words interchangeably. Opinions differ, but our research shows that there is a difference. High-frequency words are words that are most commonly found in written language. Although some fit standard phonetic patterns, some do not. Sight words are a subset of high-frequency words that do not fit standard phonetic patterns and are therefore not easily decoded.
We use both types of words consistently in spoken and written language, and they also appear in books, including textbooks, and stories. Once students learn to quickly recognize these words, reading comes more easily.
What are sight words and how can I teach my students to memorize them?
Sight words are words like come, does, or who that do not follow the rules of spelling or the six types of syllables. Decoding these words can be very difficult for young learners. The common practice has been to teach students to memorize these words as a whole, by sight, so that they can recognize them immediately (within three seconds) and read them without having to use decoding skills.
Can I teach sight words using the science of reading?
On the other hand, recent findings based on the science of reading suggests we can use strategies beyond rote memorization. According to the the science of reading, it is possible to sound out many sight words because they have recognizable patterns. Literacy specialist Susan Jones, a proponent of using the science of reading to teach sight words, recommends a method called phoneme-grapheme mapping where students first map out the sounds they hear in a word and then add graphemes (letters) they hear for each sound.
How else can I teach sight words?
There are many fun and engaging ways to teach sight words. Dozens of books on the subject have been published, including the much-revered Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide by Fountas & Pinnell. Also, resources like games, manipulatives, and flash cards are readily available online and in stores. To help get you started, check out these Creative and Simple Sight Word Activities for the Classroom. Also, check out Susan Jones Teaching for three science-of-reading-based ideas and more.
Where do I find sight word lists?
Two of the most popular sources are the Dolch High Frequency Words list and the Fry High Frequency Words list.
During the 1930s and 1940s, Dr. Edward Dolch developed his word list, used for pre-K through third grade, by studying the most frequently occurring words in the children’s books of that era. The list has 200 “service words” and also 95 high-frequency nouns. The Dolch word list comprises 80 percent of the words you would find in a typical children’s book and 50 percent of the words found in writing for adults.
Dr. Edward Fry developed an expanded word list for grades 1–10 in the 1950s (updated in 1980), based on the most common words that appear in reading materials used in grades 3–9. The Fry list contains the most common 1,000 words in the English language. The Fry words include 90 percent of the words found in a typical book, newspaper, or website.
Looking for more sight word activities? Check out 20 Fun Phonics Activities and Games for Early Readers.
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The world of language is ever-evolving and one can indeed learn a lot many new things every day. English as a language is no different in this respect. You can come across new concepts and categories when you sit to learn them. Sight Words come under one such concept of English that we use regularly but are still unaware of. It is important for kids, in fact, everyone, to learn these as they are like the first pillar in the structure of language. They are small letter words that help you in proceeding towards the higher concepts of the language. And the best part is that it is no rocket science to learn these words and then bring them into use.
Jump to Section
- What are Sight Words?
- How to Learn Sight Words in an Easy Way
- Sight Words A to Z
- What is the Difference Between Sight Words and High Frequency Words?
- Some Sight Words that You Need to Learn
- Fun games that will help you understand Sight Words better
- FAQs
- Final Thoughts on Sight Words
This article will tell you about all the basics of sight words, how are they different from other words, why do you need to learn them. It will also help in making this concept clear in your mind.
What are Sight Words?
If we break the word for its literal meaning then it means that sight words are the words that kids should be able to understand by viewing for the first time. Sight words are frequently used in our day-to-day work and language. They are rapidly used words that kids are expected to learn in a way that they can be recognized easily by seeing. Some of the examples of this category are a, an, at, are, as, at, an, or, one, of, out, other, over, only, on, my, made, may make, more, many, most and many other such simple words.
How to Learn Sight Words in an Easy Way
To be honest, Sight words are difficult to learn and can be very confusing at times. So you need to find simple and easier tricks to learn and understand. Here are a few ways which you can adapt:
- Take one step at a time and move gradually from easier words to harder words
- Take the help of audios to understand them better
- Try to mix them with games and find other innovative ways to make it more interesting
- Take the help of examples and picture books
- Show kids real life examples so that they can know the actual meaning of things
- Read and play with these words daily
- Engage all their senses
Sight Words A to Z
One of the best ways to remember these words is to learn them by differentiating them based on the alphabet. Mentioned below are all the words of this category from A to Z:
A: a, an, at, are, as, at, and, all, about, after
B: be, by, but, been
C: can, could, come
D: did, down, do
E: each
F: from, first, find, for
H: he, his, had, how, has, her, have, him
I: in, I, if, into, is, it, its
J: just
K: know
L: like long, little
M: my, made, may make, more, many, most,
N: not, no, now
O: or, one, of, out, other, over, only, on
P: people
S: said, she, some, so, see
T: the, to, they, this, there, them, then, these, two, time, then, that, their
U: up, use
V: very
W: was, with, what, were, when, we, which, will, would, words, where, water, who, way
Y: you, your
Once you learn them in this way then, as soon as the alphabet will come in front of you, you will be able to remember all the sight word that begins with it. And it will also simplify your process of learning.
What is the Difference Between Sight Words and High Frequency Words?
There are many closely knitted concepts in grammar. One of this kind is that of sight words and high-frequency words which are two such closely knitted concepts. Also, one can often find them similar and confusing at the same time. High-frequency words are commonly used words that young children are encouraged to memorize as a whole by sight so that they can automatically recognize these words in print without having to use any strategies to decode. Both types of words are closely linked. Sight words are words that are instantly recognized and identified without conscious effort. High-frequency words are the words most commonly used in the English language.
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What are the similarities that they have?
They both are highly used words and play a huge role in English and sometimes they are crossly referred to each other. They are both like the backbone of the English language and help in making all kinds of sentences and paragraphs.
Some of the most highly used ones are
| You | Which | I | A | We | Be | By | Do |
| Each | Know | Just | Time | Too | That | Their | That |
| Your | Will | Down | Can | Would | Although | She | He |
| Very | Be | Did | Over | Only | On | What | When |
| Up | Been | People | Said | So | See | Water | Way |
| Little | Long | Like | Many | Most | Make | How | Had |
Some Sight Words that You Need to Learn
Mentioned below are some basic sight words classified into different groups and will help you in understanding them better. They are also supported with examples so that you can learn them better:
Single Letter Sight Words
Single letter sight words are words that have only one letter to them. And its only examples are ‘A’ and ‘I’. They might have only a letter in them and appear small but are two of the most highly used words in the whole English language. Some of the examples are:
- I am a boy and study in Delhi Public School.
- He is working as a chef these days.
- I am not habitual of speaking in French language.
- There is a place named snake island and there are millions of snakes in it.
- She is a very talented girl.
Two Letter Sight Words
These are made with the combination of two words. They are small and hence very simple to learn and remember. And the best part is that they help in properly conveying the message. Some two lettered ones are: an, at, as, at, be, by, do, he, in, if, is, it, no, or, on, to, we. Sentences to understand them better are:
- An Apple fell on the head of Einstein.
- It is not easy to be a hard working person.
- He will arrive at the metro station in ten minutes.
- Study well now or you will regret it later.
- He was unable to perform his best in the internal exams.
Three Letter Sight Words
Sight words made with the combination of three letters fall in this category. There are a huge number of three-lettered sight words some of its examples are: and, all, but, can, did, for, his, had, how, has, her, him, its, may, not, now, one, out, she, see, the, two, use, was, who, way, yes. Examples are:
- He studied hard for the exam but still didn’t pass.
- The two of them make a really good team.
- She is the smartest girl in her class.
- I was unable to reach the class in time.
- Who was the girl driving the car?
Four Letter Sight Words
Then some sight words are made with the combination of four letters. Some of its examples are: been, down, each, from, find, have, into, just, know, like, long, made, make, more, many, most, over, only, said, some, they, this, them, then, time, than, that, very, with, what, were, when, your. Sentences to understand them are:
- She is very hardworking and smart at the same time.
- When is my order going to arrive?
- School days are some of the best days of your life.
- The only way to learn is to practice.
- You will not understand the value of something till it is lost.
Five Letter Sight Words
Sight words that are made with the combination of five letters fall in this category. They can get a little complex but are still easy to understand. Some of its examples are: about, after, could, first, there, words, water, would, which, etc. Sentences for best understanding are:
- There are different types of living organisms on this planet.
- Water is the most important thing for survival.
- Life should be more about happiness and less about sadness.
- Which is your favorite book to read?
- Words are the best way to convey feelings.
Words Above Five Letters
Many words are made with a combination of more than five words. Remembering them can get difficult and that is why they should be the last tier while learning. Some of its examples are: although, called, etc. Sentence to help you understand them better are:
- They are talking in a good way although they are not very fond of each other.
- The big cats are also called Tigers.
- Although I disliked the detective heartily, I nevertheless was secretly impressed.
- Although there is nothing too extraordinary about her but one or two of her accomplishments are invaluable.
- The teacher called the boy to the front.
The video mentioned below will help you learn the basics.
Fun games that will help you understand Sight Words better
Aren’t games the best way to teach something to kids as it makes the thing fun and learnable at the same time? So why not inculcate them while teaching them these words. Here are some fun games that you can make kids play while teaching the basics :
Sight Words Bingo
Bingo is a game that we all know how to play. You just need to modify it according to yourself. Take a sheet and then get some of these words printed on it. And then start playing it like you generally play the game. Ask every person in the round to call out one word and the one who has words cancelled in a line will win the game. By this, they will be able to remember these words properly.
Play Four in a Row with These Words
This game will not only help your child in learning these words but also improve their reading ability. The rules of the game are similar to the popular game Connect4. To play this game they must read a sight word correctly before they can place a marker on the game board. You can use different flashcards in it. Hence, it is a perfect game to be played by four to six people.
Tic Tac Toe
Then comes another very popular game tic-tac-toe. You might be wondering that it is a game of ‘O’ and ‘X’ then how can you inculcate words in it. In this game before reading a sight word correctly, they will not be given a chance to place an X or O on the game board. By doing this they will be able to learn it and enjoy the game at the same time.
Play Dominoes with Sight Words
The very simple way to play this game is to replace the dots on the block with these words. And then place them accordingly. All you need to do is to build a string of domino cards by matching a word on your domino to one of the words on the domino path. To make it simpler keep the set of words small so that kids can learn them more easily.
Sight Words Bean Bag Toss
The very last game that you can make kids play with these words is a Bean Bag. The main aim of Bean Bag Toss is to provide continued exposure to a set of words, with opportunities for repetition and confidence building. Make flashcards place them on the floor and then throw bean bags on them. The physical elements of the game will also help in enhancing the fidgeting skills of kids.
This video will help in making this concept super easy and fun for the kids.
Q1. How do I teach my 4-year-old new words?
Teaching things to a kid can be very different from teaching things to adults and you need to be very simple with your approach. To begin with, you need to find simple books and hand them to them. You can support the teachings with audio. And the best thing that you can do is to inculcate them into games and teach them in different innovative ways.
Q2. How do you incorporate these words in a sentence?
You can make sentences with these words as you make them with any other words. Some of the examples in a sentence are mentioned below:
- I can see the car.
- My bike can go.
- The bus can go.
Q3. Why are sight words important to learn?
A language is not only about writing but reading as well and learning these words is important as they help in improving your reading ability. Sight words provide clues to the context of the text. Once you learn them you will be able to read sentences and paragraphs more easily. And eventually, your ability to form sentences will also get better.
Q4. What words are high frequency words and in what terms are they different from other words?
High-frequency words are commonly used words that young children are encouraged to memorize as a whole by seeing so that they can automatically recognize these words in print without having to use any strategies to decode. Both types of words are closely linked. Sight words are words that are instantly recognized and identified without conscious effort. High-frequency words are the words most commonly used in the English language.
Both categories of words help in serving different purposes and are learned in different ways.
Q5. What sight words should be taught first?
Simple sight words should be taught first and then move to complex words. Some simple sight words to be taught first are: he, was, that, she, on, they, but, at, with, all, this, will, yes, went, are, now, no, came, ride, into and few similar like that.
Q6. What is the best way to teach sight words?
There are many other ways by which you can teach sight words to your kids. Like using flashcards, using audios, giving them a lot of examples, and inculcating them in a form of games. By following all these things you will be able to make the process a lot more fun. Mentioned below are some steps you can follow to teach things properly:
- Expose your child to sight words early on.
- Make read-alouds more interactive.
- Engage all of their senses.
- Sort sight words into categories.
- Read and play with sight words daily.
Q7. Why are sight words difficult to learn and understand?
Sight words are not very difficult but can be a little complex and confusing at times. They are difficult because words are learned by their shape or picture so it can confuse you. But with practice, you can overcome it easily.
Q8. What are some of the hardest sight words to learn?
Some of the hardest sight words are although, another, caught, could, course, country, etc.
Q9. Do flashcards work for sight words?
Flashcards have been a part of the teaching process for a very long time and can play a good role in teaching sight words. Steps to follow while using flashcards a device to teach them new things:
- At first, show your child just one or two cards at a time.
- Say the word clearly, spell it aloud as you point to each letter.
- Most importantly, use the word in meaningful ways.
- Emphasize the word UP in your everyday conversations.
Q10. What mistakes should be avoided while teaching someone these words?
The only mistake that you can make is making the concept complex. You should try to keep things as simple as possible and support them with as many examples as possible. Don’t skip from one concept to another and try to keep things connected and take one step at a time. These are all the things that you should avoid doing while learning these words or any kind of words.
Final Thoughts on Sight Words
Learning English has become a necessity these days, no matter where you live. Because this language has most speakers in the world and only this language can help you in communication if you ever go to a place where your mother tongue is not spoken. It is not important to you to learn it to the very core but being clear about the basics is very important. So that you can at least convey and properly receive the message.
Sight words are so important that you must be very clear about them because they are a part of everything else and higher-level concepts. With this article you will be able to understand them properly and with little practice, you will be able to master them. So, don’t waste any more time and start your language learning journey now. To understand more such concepts, head to the Podium Blog to build and enhance your knowledge.
Last updated date: 14th Apr 2023
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When teaching kids English, you need to always start with the basics. What are the basics of learning English? Is sentence formation the basis of learning English? Well, yes. But kids also need to understand what they read in books or listen to. Of course, it does not happen overnight. But sight words are something that can come to your rescue.
Simply because if you look at the sight words examples, you can see that sight words for kids do not have any image. They are just words that kids need to recognise and remember. In simple words, sight words help kids understand the text they read.
What Is the Meaning of Sight Words?
Sight words for kids
What are the sight words? To understand how sight words work, sight words’ meaning is very important. Sight words’ sentences are very common. They appear very frequently in every text. Though these words do not provide any particular image like others, they have high frequency, so readers need to memorise the words after seeing them.
For example, if you read the word ‘bright’ on a page, you can automatically get an image that talks about something clear and shiny.
So, what are sight words? The words like ‘I’, ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘a’ are the sight words. You can understand their contribution if you ask your kids to read at least a page daily. By learning the sight words, kids gain confidence in reading and understanding the sentences of an unknown text. The sight words have some characteristics, which are as follows:
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You can see sight words’ examples very often in a text. You can see them in every line of text.
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There is a huge sight words list, and if you follow the list, you can see that the sight words do not follow the traditional way of spelling. This means their sounds do not match up with their letters.
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Imagine the sight words’ sentences. Try to find ‘the’, ‘or’, ‘and’ in a sentence. Can you form a concrete image of these words? No right? Because as we have said before, these words do not carry any image with them like the rest.
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Whether you follow sight words for kids or sight words’ meaning, you can see that adjectives, common verbs, and conjunctions are commonly used as sight words. These words help convey a special meaning of the sentence despite carrying no special meaning individually.
List of Some Sight Words
There are at least 300 sight words in the English language. However, if your children are beginners, they will most likely deal with 100 sight words in whatever text they read or write.
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A: an, are, and, about, after.
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B: But, been.
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C: Called, could, can.
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D: Down, done, did.
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F: From, form, for, first.
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H: He, his, had, have.
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I: In, is, it.
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K: Know
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L: Like
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M: More, many, much, may, most
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N: Not, now
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O: Or, out, of, other
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S: Said she
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T: The, these, this, then, they
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U: Up
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W: Was, will, would, water.
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Y: Your, you, yours.
These are some basic sight words your kids can encounter while reading something.
How to Help Kids Learn Sight Words?
Sight word examples
Though sight words are very common and easily found, if kids get a little help, they can learn the use of the words faster. Since sight words with sentences are very common, here are some tips that can help you to teach kids the words sooner.
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The first thing you can do to teach kids how to memorise sight words is to expose them to more reading and listen to different texts daily. You can easily spend at least an hour with your kids reading something. If you keep reading them some stories daily, they can have many sight words. If you can do it multiple times every day, they are likely to hear at least 1 million or more than 1 million sight words daily.
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You can also teach them the sight words on the roads or in stores. On roads, you can see signboards, and in the stores, you can see many boards writing about different products. You can ask them to read them repeatedly. This practice can help them learn sight words with sentences.
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One of the best ways to teach sign words to kids is to emphasise the sentences that have sight words. When you read a story or passage to your kids, emphasise the lines and read them aloud, so they understand their meaning.
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You can help them use their senses by playing with them with sign words. For example, you can provide some fill-in-the-blanks exercises on a page and ask them to fill the gaps. This is a great way to teach them what sight words are and why these words are so important to form a sentence.
Some Sight Words Phrases and Sentences to Help Kids Learn the Use of Sight Words
Sight Words Phrases
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Come down here
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My mother is there
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A blue bear
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Pretty please
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Little flower girl
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My birthday cake
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Mountains without sun
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Sometimes it’s late
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Upon your word
Some Examples of Sight Words Sentences
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He will go up the hill.
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It was a long day.
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I ate an egg.
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The boat has a bell.
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It was a long day.
Conclusion
Sight words carry a lot of weight in the English language without carrying any meaning individually. In simple words, a sentence cannot form a meaning without using sight words. You can see sight words’ presence in every sentence now and then.
That is why you must teach kids the meaning of the sight words and their uses. One of the most common ways to teach kids the uses of sight words is to read them stories, poetry and different passages. This repetition can help them learn about sight words much faster.
Автор: Горбушина Оксана Сергеевна
Организация: МБОУ «СОШ №18»
Населенный пункт: Челябинская область, г. Миасс
Обучение чтению на английском языке — достаточно сложное занятие, так как есть много слов, которые читаются не по правилам, в большинстве случаев это ставит детей любого возраста в тупик, и поэтому усложняется процесс обучения чтению.
Как следствие педагог, который обучает ребенка данному виду навыка, должен владеть не просто методикой преподавания иностранного языка, а желательно современными способами преподавания, чтобы процесс обучению чтению проходил быстро, эффективно и увлекательно для детей.
Мой педагогический опят в школе составляет 11 лет, за это время мы проходили разные курсы повышения квалификации, но, к сожалению, лично я не нашла той «изюминки», за которую хотелось зацепиться и начать использовать в своей практике. Но 2 года назад случилось чудо, я познакомилась с фонетическим подходом в обучении чтению и понятием «sight words». Если о фонетическом подходе я слышала, то о понятие « sight words » в университете и на курсах повышении квалификации не говорили, поэтому я стала изучать эту тему более подробно, чтобы понять, как знание sight words может облегчить процесс обучения чтению.
Понятие «Sight words» было введено американским писателем Едвардом Уиллиан Долч в 1930 — 1940 годах. Слово « sight » с английского переводится как «взгляд», а «words» — слова. В русском языке такого понятия не существует, но можно провести аналогию с высокочастотными словами. Так вот, sight words – это слова, которые ребенку важно запомнить, чтобы научиться читать и писать. Их нужно запоминать целиком как образ, без необходимости разбивать их на буквы. Изучение sight words помогает детям быстрее научиться читать на ранних этапах. Как правило, дети запоминают слова и при чтении не задумываются, почему буква в этом слове так читается, вследствие этого увеличивается скорость чтения. Дальше перечислены некоторые примеры sight words: I, you, she, he, one, two, this, that, have, some, come и т. д.
Теперь давайте поговорим подробнее, как мы знакомимся с этими словами на занятиях с детьми возрастом от 5 до 10 лет.
Я предпочитаю вводить sight word, когда оно встречается в контексте урока или искусственно создаю ситуацию, что бы нужное слово встретилось. Так, например, мы с детьми запоминали языковую конструкцию „She is …“, и на этом этапе я ввела sight word «she».
На доске я пишу изучаемое слово и прошу детей посмотреть сначала на доску, а затем видео, где показывается параллельно графическое написание слова и его звуковое произношение. Затем после просмотра видео дети должны сказать мне, как оно произноситься. В своей работе я использую видео с ютуб канала «Preschool Prep Company» . Каждое видео – это маленькая история о слове, которая воспринимается с удовольствием.
После того, как мы познакомились со звуковым содержанием слова, дети вырезают фигуру понравившегося им животного или фрукта из бумаги и клеят на нее печатный вариант слова. Затем с помощью скотча крепят эту картинку на тонкую шашлычную палочку и втыкают ее в коробку, где «живут» у нас все sight words. Такие веселые палочки повышают мотивацию детей и позволяют педагогу быстро повторить с детьми все изученные sight words.
На следующем уроке мы опять обращаемся к нашим коробочкам, сначала вспоминаем уже изученные слова, а потом продолжаем работу над новым словом. На втором этапе дети делают рабочий лист « worksheet », который помогает ученикам запомнить написание слова. Эти рабочие листы можно найти в интернете и распечатать. Обычно они включают в себя следующие задания: найди слово и обведи его в кружок, обведи буквы слова, раскрась буквы разными цветами, найди слово и выдели его маркером, напиши его, вырежи буквы слова и приклей их в правильном порядке. Работа с рабочим листом занимает максимум минут 10, но зато дети начинают его узнавать. Однако этого не достаточно, чтобы запомнить его окончательно.
Кроме того, периодически на занятиях мы возвращаемся к sight words и играем с ними. На листах формата А4 я печатаю по одному изучаемому слову, раскладываю листы на полу, предварительно вспомнив с детьми какое слово как читается. Задание заключается в том, что дети должны наступить на то слово, которое называет учитель. Здесь важно время от времени перемещать листы на полу, так как некоторые дети запоминают не слово, а место где лежит слово. Данная игра активная, позволяет детям подвигаться, отдохнуть и заодно выучить sight words.
И последнее, что я создала для лучшего изучения sight words – это была интерактивная игра на сайте Wordwall. Wordwall – представляет собой многофункциональный инструмент для создания как интерактивных, так и печатных материалов. Игры, созданные на этом сайте, очень удобно использовать при дистанционном обучении. Мной было создано вращающиеся колесо, которое делится на несколько разноцветных секторов. В каждом секторе написано определенное sight word. Задача детей — крутить колесо и называть то слово, на которое покажет стрелка. Ребята играют в эту игру с большим интересом.
После того, как мы проходим через все эти этапы, обычно дети без проблем узнают изученные слова и они не вызывают у них никаких трудностей на всех этапах обучения чтению и письму. Чтобы читатель мог прочувствовать и понять, как детям нравится изучать sight words, я создала презентацию, где можно проследить все этапы изучения этих « обычных необычных » слов.
Список литературы:
1. http://didaktor.ru/wordwall-zamechatelnaya-kollekciya-shablonov-didakticheskix-igr/
2. https://letterland.ru/cards/
3. https://vk.com/@english.stepbystep-sight-words-chto-eto-i-kak-s-nimi-rabotat.
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