Sight Words: A Science-Based Guide for Parents and Teachers
Table of Contents
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Why Sight Words Matter for Reading Fluency and Comprehension
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The Best Sight Word List for Early Readers: Dolch Sight Words
What Are Sight Words?
Sight words are the most frequently used words in printed text. These words appear so often that students must recognize them automatically and instantly to read fluently and comprehend what they read.
Different reading programs use different terms:
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Fundations calls them trick words
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UFLI refers to them as heart words
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Some programs call them flash words
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Traditional programs use the term sight words
Although the names vary, the word lists overlap significantly, and the instructional goal is the same: instant word recognition.
Why Sight Words Matter for Reading Fluency and Comprehension
If a child spends too much time decoding common words, comprehension breaks down. Automatic recognition of sight words allows the brain to focus on meaning rather than word identification.
Research shows:
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Sight words make up 50–75% of the words in children’s books
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They account for 50–70% of all words in English text
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Many are function words (the, was, said, have) that hold sentences together
Fluent reading cannot occur without automatic sight word recognition.
The Best Sight Word List for Early Readers: Dolch Sight Words
Why I Recommend the Dolch Sight Word List
The Dolch Sight Word List (1936) includes:
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220 core sight words, divided by grade level
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95 common nouns
Together, these words form the foundation of early reading and spelling.
✔ Appear most frequently in children’s texts
✔ Support fluency, comprehension, and writing
✔ Ideal for systematic instruction
If a child masters the Dolch words for both reading and spelling, they are in excellent shape academically.
How to Teach Sight Words Effectively
Use Flashcards for Automatic Recognition
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Write words on index cards or consider my Amazon recommendations below.
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Have your child read each word “in a flash”
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Short, frequent practice works best
Tip: Avoid guessing. Words should be read accurately and instantly.
Sight Words Are Best Learned in Context
Sight words should not be practiced in isolation alone.
When students repeatedly read:
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phrases
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sentences
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short texts
their word recognition, fluency, and comprehension improve significantly.
Dolch Sight Word Phrases
Dolch phrase cards contain short phrases built from high-frequency words.
How to Use Dolch Phrases
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Teach 5 phrases per day
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Echo read first
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Read chorally together
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Re-read throughout the day
Repeated reading builds automaticity and confidence.
Dolch Sight Word Stories
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This story contains all Dolch words
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Read → reread → reread → reread
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For beginning readers, focus on one sentence per day
Daily reading of Dolch stories is one of the fastest ways to build fluency.
Decodable Dolch Sight Word Stories (Pre-Primer–Grade 3)
These decodable Dolch sight word stories by grade are available in an editable Word document.
Suggestions:
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Have students illustrate sections
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Use for guided or independent practice
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Reread daily for fluency
- Here are even more sight word stories.
Spelling the Dolch Sight Words
Many Dolch words have irregular spellings, making them difficult to sound out fully.
This is where the heart word method comes in.
What Are Heart Words?
Heart words are high-frequency words with irregular spelling patterns that must be learned “by heart.”
Examples:
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said
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are
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do
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where
37% of the Dolch 220 words are heart words
Students:
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Sound out the decodable part
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Memorize the irregular part explicitly
- Use orthographic mapping
Lead in Literacy includes a color-coded chart midway through the page that distinguishes between permanent heart words and temporary heart words.
Temporary heart words are words that appear irregular only because the child has not yet been taught the phonics pattern involved. The word feels unfamiliar—not because it breaks spelling rules, but because the pattern has not been introduced.
For example, a child who has not yet learned the VCe pattern may find the word made confusing. Once the VCe pattern is taught, the word made is no longer irregular and no longer needs to be memorized “by heart.”
Reading Rockets categorized the sight words by
- Decodable flash words
- Decodable flash words with advanced vowels
- Decodable 2-syllable flash words
- Heart words (words with irregular spelling—students must memorize the irregular part “by heart”)
Sight Word Practice Must Include Repetition
Repetition and daily practice are essential to:
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Build automaticity
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Improve fluency
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Increase comprehension
Once these high-frequency words are mastered, reading becomes smoother and more meaningful.
Fry Sight Word Lists (Fry Instant Words)
In 1996, Dr. Edward Fry expanded the Dolch list into the Fry 1000 Instant Words.
Key findings:
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The first 300 Fry words appear in 65% of all written material
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Many Fry words overlap with Dolch words
When combined, the Dolch + Fry lists account for approximately 90% of words in typical English texts.
Fry Sight Word Levels
Dr. Fry organized the words into 10 levels, each containing 100 words, based on frequency and difficulty.
Students should work toward automatic recognition of these words:
- Fry 1st 100
- Fry 2nd 100
- Fry 3rd 100
- Fry 4th 100
- Fry 5th 100
- Fry 6th 100
- Fry 7th 100
- Fry 8th 100
- Fry 9th 100
- Fry 10th 100
Fry Sight Word Phrases
Fry phrase sets help students practice sight words in meaningful context.
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Phrase Set 1 includes the first 100 Fry words
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These words make up approximately 50% of elementary reading vocabulary
Repeated phrase reading improves:
✔ Fluency
✔ Accuracy
✔ Comprehension
Final Recommendation for Parents and Teachers
✔ Teach phonics first
✔ Use Dolch sight words for early reading and spelling
✔ Add Fry words as students progress
✔ Practice words in context using phrases and stories
✔ Read and reread daily
When sight words become automatic, real reading begins.
Consider these fun ways to practice sight words!
As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend flashcards and resources that I truly believe in and have found effective for teaching reading.
Sight Word Flashcards
These sight words are great because they are divided by grade level. Approx. $15.
Sight Word Flashcards
Grade K-4 sight words in one set. The words are from the Fry and Dolch word lists. Approx. $27.
Sight Word Flashcards
This great set includes 520 words from K-3. Approx. $20.
Sight Word Game
This was on Shark Tank. Kids love this game, and it also has sight words by grade. “With colorful popping mats, dice, and flashcards, children engage sight, sound, and touch. This multisensory approach boosts focus, retention, and fluency while making reading a game.” Approx. $30.
Sight Word Storybook
This 158-page paperback colored book teaches 50 sight words within 25 stories. It also has tracing activities. The best way to learn sight words is in context, so this book is fun and helpful! Approx. $8.
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Copyright 05/04/2012
Edited on 12/13/2025
