More ideas for teaching Sight Words
Some Hints
- These activities will help encourage children to learn reading skills while memorising the words
- Sight words need to be known and read instantly
- The child shouldn’t need to attempt to sound out the words
- Allow some revision time to practise the words already mastered in earlier levels
Where do I get the word list?
Get a word list from the child’s teacher, download them from the resources section of our web site, www.parrotfish.com.au or do an internet search.
- Memory
- Make 2 copies of each sheet, preferably on card or something that you can’t see through. Cut out the words.
- Lay all the cards face down. Take turns, turning over a pair of cards, read each one, if they don’t match turn them back face down and try again. If the words match, the person who made the match takes the cards. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
- Bingo
- Cut up a set of words and give the child a base board. You will need a set of counters, coins, lollies, smarties etc
- Give the child 1 or 2 base boards. Jumble up the word cards and call out a word. The child puts a token (coin, lolly) on the word. When they make a row – horizontal or diagonal – then they get to keep the tokens or eat the lollies. Make it competitive – only the first person to find the word gets the token. At first let them look at the word, progress to finding it only by listening and identifying
- Word Jig-Saws
- Cut each of the words in half horizontally. Have the child match the tops and bottoms of the words together. For initial support use the back boards to build the words on, later move on to building them without the base board.
- Cut each of the cards up into 4 parts like a jigsaw. Have the child reassemble the words and glue them onto a piece of paper. For added support match them and glue them on to the whole word.
- Spelling
- Print out a couple of sets of letters of the alphabet. Use a font that is similar to what is being taught at school, later pick some different fonts to assist with generalisation and awareness of different letter shapes.
- Make the words out of the letter cards. Start with a small set of letters – just the letters in the word, then build up with a few extra letters, then later with a full alphabet.
- Have the word in front of the child. Build the word out of the letters, either just above or on top of the word
- Look at a word, remember it – build the word out of letters without the cue card, as suggested start with a few letters. When the child gets stuck allow them to look at the word again and again try to remember it and turn it face down again before continuing.
- Memory – Hidden Words
- Look at a word, say and memorise it. Tell the child to shut their eyes and remember the word then look at it again.
Hide the word then ask the child to find the word on the base card. Look again at the word card and check to see if it is right.
- Sentences
- Make up sentences using the sight words cards. Use some of the blank ones to add the child’s own words. Jumble up the sentence and have them rebuild it.
- In the early stages you may need to write the sentence so they can match the words to the sentence.
- Reread the sentences and jumble them up a few times. Try timing them to see if they get faster
- Uses of the Practice Checklist
- Print out the word list in your selected font.
- Use the list to map the child’s progress, tick the words that are read correctly from the flash cards. When 3 ticks in a row are achieved colour the word yellow
- Pre-test the child prior to commencing on the Parrotfish Sight Words Game App. Check progress each one to 2 weeks.
- Provide the list to the child to use as a spelling resource when writing.
- Cut the words up and use them to make silly sentences
Parrotfish sight words app is available in the Amazon, IOS and Android stores.