HELPFUL HINTS FOR LEARNING SIGHT WORDS!

Today I would like to introduce Lauren from Teacher Types as a guest blogger giving us some helpful hints for learning sight words! ​ Lauren is a mother of two, Early Years teacher, proud Adeladian and blogger at www.teachertypes.com.  Parents and teachers of young children can be inspired with her play based activity ideas and parenting stories.  A big thanks to Lauren for this great article to help your children with learning sight words!
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Many parents are looking for new and interesting ways to help their children learn sight words at home, so today I've compiled a list for Cindy and her readers (I hear Cindy's son is getting close to the learning to read stage!).
 
Firstly, I just want to explain a bit about how the whole 'learning to read' process happens. Basically there are three skills a child needs;

• alphabet knowledge,
• sight word recognition
• a general understanding of print (e.g. left to right, look at picture clues, repetition, making predictions of what comes next etc).

 
The English language is a tricky one for little people to master - words like 'they', 'said', 'put' and 'was' are not easy to sound out by using your alphabet knowledge. Hence, sight words (or ‘tricky words’ as we call them when using the Jolly Phonics program) are a vital part of the learning to read jigsaw puzzle.
 
Each school may have a different system for teaching/learning sight words, however generally speaking your child will probably be given a list of words weekly or fortnightly to learn, and once they master this list, they move up to a new one.

In the image above you can see a few examples of 'word building' - which is the skill of putting letters together to sound out and make words. Children love using hands on materials rather than just looking at words on paper. You can…

• cut out letters from magazines (or better yet - find the sight word in magazines or newspapers)
• make sight words with magnets on your fridge or use an oven tray to make it portable
• glue foam letters on paper or card
• make sight words using letters on bottle tops
• make words in the bath using bath tub sticky letters
• write letters on duplo bricks to build sight words
• use alphabet pebbles to make sight words 

​In the image above more great ideas to learn sight words!

• If your child is one who enjoys sitting quietly and writing/colouring - these extra worksheets may be what you're looking for. Teachers Pay Teachers is my first stop when I'm looking for these kinds of things - here's just one example I purchased in the past and would highly recommend. Simply buy the set and find the right word that your child needs to practise.
•  I love this idea from Nurture Store (there are lots of other good ideas if you click this link by the way). Write the sight words with chalk on a black board and get the children to paint over them with water to make them disappear!
• A nifty use for paint samples you get for free at hardware shops is to write your child’s sight words in on them which instantly makes them more appealing. Cut them up, mix them up, stick them around the house or on the fridge… lots of possibilities!
•  This is another fantastic idea to encourage partner work in the classroom, or with siblings/parents or friends at home.
• Finally – I remember loving these ‘chatterboxes’ as a child, and they make practicing sight words fun! Parents of younger children can make them, and older children can have a go making it themselves.

 
Learning to read can be challenging for some children, where as for others it comes naturally. But it’s so magical when you see the light bulb go on and they just ‘get it’. The key is to make it a fun experience rather than like ‘pulling teeth’. If you child is excited about reading – you’re half way there!
 

Lauren Hunt
Mother of two & Early Years Teacher
Blogger at www.teachertypes.com
 
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