Dolch Sight Word List
The Dolch Sight Word list is the most commonly used list of words for kids to learn. These have been divided into age and reading development categories. Sight words basically fall into two categories:
- Frequently Used Words - These consist of words such as a, the, and, you, me, we, etc. along with color words, number words, etc. When a child learns these basic words, they can chime in and "help" you read! This builds confidence in their reading skills.
- Phonics "Rule Breaker" Words - These don't follow the basic rules of phonics in the English language. Words like "come" and "kind" do not follow the vowel rules a child learns such as the silent "e" should make the "o" long and say its name or the "i" n kind should be a short vowel sound.
Memorizing these words will greatly help children read with better fluency. Many of these words cannot be sounded out and therefore confuse a young reader if not learned early.
The Dolch sight word list actually contains about 80% of the words in most children's books. This includes 220 service words and a list of 95 common nouns. We have included them in alphabetical order according to difficulty levels for the use of helping you spot these in children's books you read with a child.
Pre-Kindergarten Sight Word LIst
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a and away big blue can come down |
find for funny go help here I in |
is it jump little look make me my |
not one play red run said see the |
three to two up we where yellow you |
Kindergarten Sight Word List
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all am are at ate be black brown but came did |
do eat four get good have he into like must new |
no now on our out please pretty ran ride saw say |
she so soon that there they this too under want was |
well went white who will with yes |
First Grade Sight Word List
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after again an any as ask by could every |
fly from give going had has her him his |
how just know let live (short i) may of old once |
open over put round some stop take thank them |
then think walk were when |
Second Grade
|
always around because been before best both buy call cold |
does don't fast first five found gave goes green its |
made many off or pull read right sing sit sleep |
tell their these those upon us use very wash which |
why wish work would write your |
Third Grade
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about better bring carry clean cut done draw drink |
eight fall far full got grow hold hot hurt |
if keep kind laugh light long much myself never |
only |
Nouns - Dolch Sight Word List
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apple baby back ball bear bed bell bird birthday boat box boy bread brother cake car cat chair chicken |
children Christmas coat corn cow day dog doll door duck egg eye farm farmer father feet fire fish floor |
flower game garden girl goodbye grass ground hand head hill home horse house kitty let letter man men milk |
money morning mother name nest night paper party picture pig rabbit rain ring robin Santa Claus school seed sheep shoe |
sister snow song squirrel stick street sun table thing time top toy tree watch water way wind window wood |
Words from Fry Top 300 Sight Word List
Almost fifty years later, Edward Fry created a word list of the most frequently used 1000 words a child should know by sight. These included almost all of the words included earlier on Dolch's list. Below are a few I would include with school age children from Edward Fry's top 300 list because of their frequency of use in addition to the Dolch sight words.
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also animal another answer change each even |
great high large more most move number |
other page people place sentence something sound |
than through way world word year |
For a full comparison of both the Dolch and Fry sight word lists, Readsters.com has put together both according to the frequency of word usage.
Printable Sight Word Lists for easy reference.
Best Books to Practice Sight Words
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Welcome! I'm Susan - Mom to four grown children & Suzie to our grandchildren. I love books and truly believe they can shape lives!
