How to Teach Sight Words (And Which Ones First)
Teach sight words the efficient way: start with the 40 highest-frequency words, use flash cards for 5 minutes daily, and mix in real reading.
Sight words are the 100 or so English words that break phonics rules or appear so often that children should recognise them instantly — words like "the", "was", "said", "one". The 40 most common of these make up nearly half of everything a child will read in year 1, so teaching them well is an enormous leverage point.
The Dolch list (American) and the High Frequency Words list (UK) both work; pick one and stick with it. Teach five words at a time, revisit yesterday's five daily, and don't add new words until all five are recognised instantly — not decoded, instantly. That's the definition of a sight word.
The single biggest mistake: treating sight-word drill as a replacement for reading. It isn't. Use it as a 5-minute daily warmup, then read actual books together. The books are where the words become permanent.
Practise With These Free Games
Printable Worksheets to Go With This Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between sight words and high frequency words?+
Sight words are words recognised on sight without decoding (often because they're irregular, like 'said'). High frequency words are the most common words in print. There's heavy overlap. For practical purposes you can treat them as the same list.
How many sight words should a 5-year-old know?+
By the end of Reception / Kindergarten most children recognise 20 to 40 sight words. By end of Year 1 this typically grows to 80 to 100.
Should sight words be taught before phonics?+
No — teach phonics first, then layer sight words on top. Phonics gives the child a tool to decode unfamiliar words; sight words are just the words phonics can't easily handle.
Do flash cards actually work?+
Yes, for sight words specifically. Flash-card drill in 5-minute sessions with spaced repetition is well-supported by research. It does not work for comprehension or vocabulary — only recognition.