English Sight Words
Words are formed using different combinations of shapes and squiggles. An “O” is a circle. A “T” is a line going down with a hat on the top. Children begin to recognize these squiggles and their meaning between the ages of 3 and 8 years old, as they get ready to learn how to read. Some individuals find reading hard all throughout their lives because it can be difficult to connect the different squiggles and shapes with sounds.
Having children notice the squiggles and lines can be fun! A great first step is to point out how certain letters go together to make a word, without sounding the letters out. Some words appear more often than others in books and learning to recognize these common words by sight is a building block of learning to read. These common words are often called “sight words” because children can “see” the word without having to sound it out.
Learning to read involves "sounding out" new words as well as recognizing familiar sight words from memory. Exposure to sight words helps reduce the number of words to sound out while reading, helping children read more fluently and focus on understanding what they are reading. Below is one of common sight word lists that schools use when children start to read English as a primary or additional language.
Dolch Sight Words
Click the PDF icon for a printable copy.
Beginner
Beginner - Intermediate
Intermediate
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
a
and
away
big
blue
can
come
down
find
for
funny
go
help
here
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
what
white
who
will
with
yes
after
again
an
any
as
ask
by
could
every
fly
from
give
going
had
has
her
him
his
hers
how
just
know
let
live
may
of
old
once
put
round
some
stop
take
thank
them
then
thin
walk
were
when
Intermediate - Advanced
Advanced
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
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
own
pick
seven
shall
show
six
small
start
ten
today
together
try
warm
Bliss, S. L., Skinner, C. H., & Adams, R. (2006). Enhancing an English Language Learning Fifth-
Grade Student’s Sight-Word Reading with a Time-Delay Taped-Words Intervention. School Psychology Review, 35(4), 663–670.
This study describes a method for using the Dolch words with a student who is learning English as an additional language.
Ehri, L. C. (2020). The science of learning to read words: A case for systematic phonics
instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 55(60). https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.334
"Building a store of sight words that can be read as single units from memory automatically . . . allows readers to focus their attention on the meaning of the text while words are recognized automatically out of awareness" (pp. 55-56).
Lowe, A. J., & Follman, J. (1974). Comparison of the Dolch List with other word lists. Reading
Teacher, 28(1), 40–44.
This classic study from Reading Teacher shows the history of the Dolch sight word list in comparison to other lists, and how it does not really matter what list is used to start children on their reading journey.
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