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Teacher Web Sites: Reading Teacher: Sight Words Grades K--3


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Sight Words: Grades K, 1, 2, & 3

Nine Week Assessments & General Information

Below you will find the sight word lists and flashcards for grades kindergarten through three. Classroom teachers assess students for mastery at the end of each nine weeks. A student must recognize words quickly, or they are scored as errors. Be aware that words are not assessed in the same order as they appear on the word lists. Kindergarten and grade one words can be found on the Dolch List. Second and third grade lists include Fry's First 1000.

Students do not need  to spell words for sight word assessments. They are oral tests of word recognition, scored on speed and accuracy.

Kindergarten    Quarter 1
Word List
Kindergarten    Quarter 1
Flashcards
Kindergarten    Quarter 2
Word List
Kindergarten    Quarter 2
Flashcards
Kindergarten    Quarter 3
Word List
Kindergarten    Quarter 3
Flashcards
Kindergarten    Quarter 4
Word List
Kindergarten    Quarter 4
Flashcards

                            

Grade 1    Quarter 1
Word List
Grade 1    Quarter 1
Flashcards
Grade 1    Quarter 2
Word List
Grade 1    Quarter 2
Flashcards
Grade 1    Quarter 3
Word List
Grade 1    Quarter 3
Flashcards
Grade 1    Quarter 4
Word List
Grade 1    Quarter 4
Flashcards

                            

Grade 2    Quarter 1
220 Dolch Words
Grade 2    Quarter 1
220 Dolch Word Flashcards
Grade 2    Quarter 2
Word List
Grade 2    Quarter 2
Flashcards
Grade 2    Quarter 3
Word List
Grade 2    Quarter 3
Flashcards
Grade 2    Quarter 4
Word Lst
Grade 2    Quarter 4
Flashcards

*Grade 2/Quarter 1: One hundred of the more difficult words from the Dolch list have been selected for the assessment. Grade 2/Quarter 2: Fry words from the first 300 have been included. Grade 2/Quarters 3 & 4: The fourth and fifth hundred of Dr. Fry's 1000 Instant Words: The Most Common Words for Teaching Reading, Writing and Spelling

Grade 3     Quarter 1
Word List
Grade 3    Quarter 1
Flashcards
Grade 3    Quarter 2
Word List
Grade 3    Quarter 2
Flashcards
Grade 3    Quarter 3
Word List
Grade 3   Quarter 3
Flashcards
Grade 3    Quarter 4
Word List
Grade 3    Quarter 4
Flashcards

*Grade 3: Words included are #600 through 1000 from Dr. Fry's 1000 Instant Words: The Most Common Words for Teaching Reading, Writing and Spelling

Fry Final 100 Words

Click link to visit an outstanding Fry resource/sight word practice site.

Teachers, for your convenience  . . .
Sight Word Assessment Class Record Sheet
*Find more under Secure Login in The Reading Teacher's Locker

Background Information . . .
After surveying a great quantity of children's books, Edward W. Dolch compiled the famous Dolch Sight Word lists to help parents and educators improve the reading ability of their children. The lists are made up of 220 frequently used words. These lists are estimated to contain 50-75% of the words in children's books.

Dolch words are commonly referred to as Sight Words because they cannot often be represented by illustrations or sounded out phonetically. Instead, they need to be recognized 'on sight'. A child knowing all the Dolch words will be able to recognize the majority of words in children's literature, and experts therefore recommend that students learn these words by the end of the first grade in school.

The Dolch word list was developed in 1936, but is still widely used today. A more current list of words was published by Edward Fry Ph.D.; it incorporates most of the words from the Dolch list, plus eighty more. Both lists provide excellent starting points for beginning readers.

It should be noted that although the Dolch word lists are divided into five levels: pre-primer to grade three, words in the second and third grade lists do appear in books for younger children, just with less frequency. Therefore, all the words should be recognizable by the end of grade one, which is our goal at Pawnee Elementary School. *If you wish to study the words in the order of their respective levels, visit Mrs. Perkins' site; you can access it from a link below. Several other sites have the words classified into the aforementioned five levels.

For your information, Sight Words are also known as High Frequency and/or Instant words. Primary teachers often include them along with other important words on Word Walls displayed in the classroom.

In order to attain fluency, it is essential that students master sight words; comprehension, the main goal of reading, is contingent upon fluency.               

Students

Practice Sight Words Online

1 Dinosaur Egg Sight Word Game
2 Word Reader
3 Practice spelling sight words at
Look, Cover, Spell, & Check the Sight Words

Click Easy for 10 words; spelling SW's beneficial
*Practice weekly list; type in words--click start to begin practicing
4 Find sight word & other literacy game links
Literacy Game
5 Dolch Word Hangman Game
6 BBC/Great for at-home practice
Star Words

*Headphones recommended in school setting
7 PowerPoint/220 Dolch Sight Words
The Reading Lady

Scroll Down to Sight Word PPT by Jenn; Click checkmark
8 Word is read to student  
Animal Eyes
9 Sight Word Practice at Tampa Reads
Play Ping Pong
10 Manatee—great site from our Florida friends: Choose level
Kids Lab
11 Sight Word Links
Lists, Games, Activities & More
12 Sadlier Oxford; arranged by grade level
High Frequency Word, Phonics & More
13 *Outstanding site; well organized by area/skill
Internet 4 Classrooms 
Scroll down to #6 Sight Words

*Skip to #21 for next group of links

 Parents & Teachers

Lists, Information & More

21 Find leveled assessments & PowerPoint Flashcards
Mrs. Perkins First Grade Dolch Sight Words
22 Aligned to Harcourt Trophies reading--PGS uses Scott
Interactive Flash Cards
23 Great practice lists & correlated Word Finds/Bingo games/etc.
11 Dolch Lists & Activities at The School Bell
24 Dolch Take Home Cards—leveled
Word Cards
25 300 Word Fry List—ready to print pdf
Fry Word List
26 Print book for your child to read
Sight Word Book
27 Words listed by frequency & also alphabetically
Literacy Connections
28 Beyond sight words: 500 most commonly used words
500 Commonly Used Words

Also great for ESL learners (English as a Second Language)
29 Word cards from ABC Teach--some sets include pictures
Word Card Sets
30 Good Teacher Resource
Dr. Jean's Classroom Activities
31 Ideas/lesson plans to teach sight words—Submit yours
Lesson Exchange at Teachers.net
32 Informative—Individualize instruction with worksheet generator
Dolch Words.Com
33 Teachers share ideas at . . .
Read, Write, Think
34 Find popular Garfield Reading & Writing Survey
Professor Garfield's Flashcards
Click on list to print; large words—great for word walls
35 Awesome phonics posters—print & laminate
Adrian Bruce's Reading Games

Look for Sight Word Games Reading Games Room 5
36 Widely used multi method/level literacy framework
Four Blocks

Click Word Wall Routine & 2nd Word Block Activity  Cunningham/Hall

Links above & more can be accessed from MindUniversity. Scroll down page, find my picture and click msdoglio to visit my page. Once there, you will see many subjects of interest, followed by a page listing web site links I find highly useful and/or informative. They are listed alphabetically; choose Sight Words and enjoy.

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