With our limited time in the classroom, I like to concentrate on words that are not decodable. As I move through the year teaching students phonics patterns, they learn how to decode many sight words in traditional high-frequency word lists.

As defined above, these are words that students cannot sound out. I prefer to use a list of irregular words. Or scour the internet for a kindergarten word list. You can look at commercial lists that are available, like Dolch or Fry’s. If you do not have an opportunity to plan with your teammates and your school or district does not provide a list, you will have quite a bit of flexibility. This will benefit your students in first grade and make the first-grade teachers’ school year so much easier! If your school or district does not provide a list, consider getting together with your grade level and determining a specific list that all the students at your school will learn. Many districts or school sites will provide teachers with a list of words they want all kindergartens to learn. The words you should teach your students depend on a lot of factors. Which sight words should you teach your kindergarten students? The sight word games and activities you see in this blog post can be used with any of the three word sets above. It’s not a phonics pattern that is normally taught. There are reasons the words are spelled that way, but it’s usually an obscure rule or an adaptation from the original language derivation. Irregular sight words are words that cannot be decoded and don’t follow traditional English spelling rules. High-frequency words include sight words and decodable words. Dolch and Fry’s word lists are common high-frequency word lists. High-frequency words are words that appear more frequently than others. They are words that teachers ask students to memorize and read rapidly.

The basic premise of sight words are words that are read from sight and cannot be decoded. Educators also use many cute names in the classroom that they have adopted over the years. Sight words have many names that are often used interchangeably, including the term high-frequency words. Before we get into the activities, I first want to define sight words and give you a few ways to choose your kindergarten sight words so that students can successfully complete the activities you give them! What are Sight Words, High-Frequency Words, and Irregular Words?

Free printable sight words kindergarten