Sight Words
Definition: Sight words are words that are immediately recognizable and do not need to be decoded.
Sight Word Facts:
- Sight words are the most frequently used words in the English language.
- Sight words make up about 50% of any written text.
- Students will be able to read more fluently if they have learned to recognize sight words instantly.
Heidi Songs Sing and Spell vols. 1-5
One of the most important things to remember when teaching sight words is to make it both fun and memorable; Heidi Songs Sing and Spell the Sight Words DVD’s offer a unique way to do just that. Heidi has a song for every sight word and each song is so catchy your kids will beg to sing them again and again. What makes Heidisongs unique is the multi-sensory aspect. Each song features movements that the students make with their bodies as they sing the songs. This method works well because it incorporates the different learning styles. When children are seeing, hearing, saying, and moving they are more likely to remember.
I have had such great success using Heidi Songs with my classes I can hardly believe it. The parents could hardly believe it either, their children were learning the sight words so quickly and were singing the songs non-stop day and night. Many parents asked for the lyrics to the songs so they could help their children practice the words at home.
Heidi Songs was such a big hit I decided to incorporate the songs into our homework routine to spice it up. Using flashcards, the students sing the corresponding HeidiSongs each night to their parents. I also incorporated Heidisongs into my Rainbow Words program (see pictures and explanation below).
Rainbow Words
Rainbow Words is a unique combination of a sight word motivational tool, an organizational system, and a tracking system all rolled into one. It is difficult to remember which words each student knows. I use assessment checklists but it is difficult to go around the room and look at the list, then figure out what each student needs to be doing. Rainbow Words is a fantastic solution to this problem.
Basically, it’s a large rainbow you place on your wall, each color of the rainbow is assigned certain words that stick on the rainbow with Velcro. Their words follow a certain sequence that our district does not so I just re-arranged the words on the rainbow to suit my needs. You don’t even have to use their words, you can make your own and stick them on the rainbow. I color coded all of my sight word cards to match the words on the rainbow.
Now during word work time each student has their own ring of color coded sight word cards (see picture below) and I know that they are working on the words that they should be. It’s also easy enough for the kids to follow too, they always know which color they are working on.
Rainbow Word Cards
I purchased the matching colored baskets at Really Good Stuff
The motivational aspect of Rainbow Words is another great feature. The students start out at the bottom of the rainbow on purple with words like “I”. They are highly motivated to move up the rainbow to the next level and so on. Each time they reach their goal and learn all the words of one color they get a certificate of achievement in that matching color. There is also a cloud and raindrop bulletin board motivational system you can create.
Learning Workshop Little Words Are Everywhere CD and Chart
The Little Words CD from Learning Workshop is a fantastic tool to introduce sight words to your students. I begin teaching sight words by introducing the Little Words song and corresponding chart. It helps if your students know at least one or two words when you introduce the chart so they will be excited about knowing some of the words but yet still be motivated to learn more. The Little Words tune is very catchy and easy for the children to learn, but the corresponding chart is what really makes it work. The chart is unique and lends itself well to playing games. I created a Little Words chart in Word and placed it under my ELMO so the students could play games with it in a larger format. I also printed out the Word document, copied it on cardstock- one per child, laminated, and sent it home for homework. Students could practice singing the song and pointing to the words each night. I also created the Little Words chart in flipchart format so we can play interactive games with it on our ACTIVboard. Due to copyright laws I cannot share the charts with you, but you can see a sample chart at the Learning Workshop link in the resources section.
Sight Word Books vol. 1
The Sight Word Books vol. 1 by Kim Jordano is a great resource. Each reproducible book focuses on a different sight word and a different theme. You simply copy the books, staple, and you have instant books to use with your students for guided reading. You can copy different books for different reading levels. After you read these with your students in class they can add them to their leveled browsing boxes or take them home to read to their parents.
Sight Word Links
Sight Word Resources:
Pinterest