Part 5
Sight Words
Sight words are words
that do not seem to follow any set rules of phonics. These words must be
learned by practice and drill. Putting these words onto word cards and using them
to play the board games, as previously explained , would be an excellent method
of learning these words. The list below is not by any means a complete list of
all sight words. This manual is an attempt to help parents to get their child
reading at a beginning level. Sight words must be drilled and repeated often,
before they become part of the child's reading vocabulary.
The Dolch word list is
an old sight word list that comprised 220 of the most common words used in the
old grade 1-3 programed readers. If you are able to find any of these old
reading series then they would be a valuable help for you. The MISTER MUGGS
series from the GINN company were the last series that schools used before the
whole language onslaught. These readers used a controlled vocabulary which was
repeated several times through the series. As well they also included hundreds
of new words with each reader. Start the Dolch words with the Pre Primer list.
Drill the first ten. When your child has these mastered move on to the next ten
and so on. You can use the games to drill these also.
Dolch
Sight Word List
Pre-Primer Primer Grade 1 Grade
2 Grade 3
a
and am around
better after
away are an
because about
big ate any been carry
blue be as
before cut
can black ask best clean
come brown by
both done
down but could buy draw
find came every call drink
for did fly cold eight
funny do from
does fall
go eat give don't far
help four going fast full
here get had
first got
I good has
five grow
in have her found hold
is he him gave hot
it into his goes hurt
jump like must
how green
little new just
its keep
look no know made kind
make now let
many laugh
me on live
off long
my our may or much
not out of pull myself
one please old read never
play pretty once right only
red ran open sing own
run ride over sit pick
said saw put
sleep seven
see say round tell shall
the she some their show
three so stop
these six
to soon take those small
two that thank upon start
up there them us ten
we they then use today
where this think
very together
yellow too walk
wash try
you under were which warm
want when why
was wish
well work
went would
what your
white
who
will
with
yes
A helpful site might be
1.www.mcgrawhill.ca
2.www.curriculumassociates.com
This company sells materials that we find very helpful at the
school. They have good phonics books, The COVE series. These books are broken
down by having only SHORT VOWELS in a book next BLENDS are in a book by
themselves. Ask for a cataloque and you will see the many resources they offer.
They also sell sets of DOLCH word readers and high interst low vocabulary
books.
The COVE materials are excellent for students that are
having difficulty. They present a page that is very uncluttered and without
surprises.
Steek Vaugh is an
another company with good materials. They did not seem to have a website only a
phone number
1-800-667-1115
fax 1-800-293-0846
N.B.
The following suggestion
is not really a phonics based activity however, it is another useful tool in equiping your child with some
reading strategies. The following word lists are lists of words that follow the "Family of Words"
theory. These decoding units are used as a drill activity. There are many sets
of words and you begin drilling with row 1 and when the child has completed
that row successfully then you move on to row 2, which gets more difficult and
on to row 3 etc. You will see how the pattern unfolds and I am sure you can
develop the rest of these decoding units. Again these units are learned simply
by repeated drill over and over again. You can also use the lists with any of
the games you plan to use.
Set 1--"an"
Row1 Row 2 Row
3 Row 4
an can scan began
fan pant manner understand
man stand demand Canada
ban land cannot animal
Dan plant candle bandana
pan ranch lantern manager
ran chant vanish fantastic
tan strand dandy Santa
Claus
van vandal
Set 2--"at"
Row 1 Row 2 Row
3 Row 4 Row 5
at bat chat matter satisfy
cat flat chatter habitat
fat hatch clatter latitude
hat slat rattle gratitude
sat spat satin Saturday
nat that splatter caterpillar
mat match attic smatter
rat brat attract
vat catch catcher
Hopefully this outline, of the PHONICS process has helped you get
your child started in the reading process. Reading to your child every day is a
most valuable and rewarding exercise. It will impress upon the child the
importance and necessity of reading. It also allows the child the opportunity
to hear words being read. Children seeing adults read increases the value they
place on the importance of reading. If your child understands the basic
elements of the phonics process then they should be able begin reading. If they
are having great difficulty grasping these concepts, perhaps further testing
and evaluation is needed. Contact your child's teacher immediately. Good luck
and may you enjoy many enjoyable hours watching your efforts blossom.