Sight Words — Kindergarten Lesson

What are sight words?

Sight words are the most common words in English. Many of them can’t be sounded out with normal phonics, so children learn to recognize them by sight — instantly.

Common kindergarten sight words:

a, and, can, I, is, it, like, me, my, of, see, the, to, we, you

Why learn them by sight?

Try to sound out the. The sounds don’t match the letters! Words like the, and, and of don’t follow the rules — so we memorize them. Once known, they unlock reading: half the words on any page are sight words.

How to learn a sight word

1. See it: look at the word and say it.
2. Spell it: say the letters out loud.
3. Write it: trace and write it.
4. Use it: read a sentence that contains it.

Repeat a few words daily and review older ones — that’s the whole secret.

Read sight words in sentences

Sight words are easier to remember in context:

• I can see the cat.
• The dog is big.
• We go to the park.

How to practice at home

• Sight word wall: post new words where your child can see them.
• Find it: point to a sight word in a book and ask your child to find three more.
• Rainbow write: write a word in red, then orange, then yellow on top of it.
• Word hunt: search books and signs for the week’s words.

Practice with the exercises above, then download the free printable kindergarten sight words worksheet.