Recognizing Sight Words
When students are learning to read, they are putting together many different aspects of reading. One thing, their brain is focusing on, is recognizing words quickly. When students recognize sight words, they are reading those without sounding them out. Their brain knows the words right away, by sight.
In a remote setting, practicing sight words will look a little different. Teaching in person, but with CDC guidelines in mind, also causes you to make changes to your typical sight word centers. You can take a look at this and this previous blog post for a few more ideas. You’ll find some helpful apps that you can recommend to families. There are also simple ways to make personal word walls with just some paper and fun letters!
5 Ways to Practice Sight Words
- Write the words in pencil first. Have students trace the words. Then have them write the words, on their own.
- Provide a word card of a sight word. Include the letters that make up the word. Have students rearrange the letters to make the word.
- Provide the letters of a sight word students are practicing. Mix the letters up. Then have students rearrange the words to make the word. Afterward, have the students write the words without looking at the letters.
- Write a small list of words. Students use letter tiles/magnets/beads to make the words.
- Write multiple sight words on the board. Highlight just a few words with a colorful rectangle, for example. Read through all the words, then focus in on just the highlighted words. Read the highlighted words, have students spell them and then point to each word as you say it.
Remote Setting or Special Guidelines
Since school looks a little different this year, just take a look at what tools you already own. You may need to either send a word work kit home, or separate tools to use in the classroom, so each student has their own materials.
Here are some ideas to include:
- Letter tiles (You can even use printed tiles.)
- A white board and marker
- Notebook, pencil and crayons
- Word Cards
