A Science-Based Guide for Parents and Teachers
Table of Contents
- What Are Sight Words?
- Why Sight Words Matter for Reading Fluency and Comprehension
- Dolch Sight Words—The Best Word List
- How to Teach Sight Words Effectively
- Sight Words Are Best Learned in Context
- Dolch Sight Word Phrases
- Dolch Sight Word Stories
- Decodable Dolch Sight Word Stories (Pre-Primer–Grade 3)
- Spelling the Dolch Sight Words
- What Are Heart Words?
- Why Repetition Is Essential for Sight Word Mastery
- Fry Sight Word Lists (Fry Instant Words)
- Fry Sight Word Levels Explained
- Fry Sight Word Phrases
- Final Recommendations for Parents and Teachers
- Optional Tools to Use
- Optional Editable Document of This Page
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1. What Are Sight Words?
Sight words are the most frequently used words in printed text. Students must recognize them automatically and instantly so they can read fluently and understand what they are reading.
Different reading programs use different terms:
- Fundations calls them trick words
- UFLI refers to them as heart words
- Some programs call them flash words
- Traditional programs use the term “sight words.”
Although the names vary, the word lists overlap significantly, and the instructional goal is the same: instant word recognition.
2. Why Sight Words Matter for Reading Fluency and Comprehension
If a child spends too much time decoding common words, comprehension breaks down. Automatic recognition of sight words allows the brain to focus on meaning rather than decoding.
Research shows:
- Sight words make up 50–75% of the words in children’s books
- They account for 50–70% of all words in English text
- Many are function words (the, was, said, have) that hold sentences together
Fluent reading cannot occur without automatic sight word recognition.
3. Dolch Sight Words—The Best Word List
Why I Recommend the Dolch Sight Word List
The Dolch Sight Word List (1936) includes:
- 220 core sight words, divided by grade level
- 95 common nouns
Together, these words form the foundation of early reading and spelling:
- ✔ Appear most frequently in children’s texts
- ✔ Support fluency, comprehension, and writing
- ✔ Ideal for systematic instruction
If a child masters the Dolch words in both reading and spelling, they are in excellent academic shape.
4. How to Teach Sight Words Effectively
Use Flashcards for Automatic Recognition
- Write words on index cards, or consider purchasing a set.
- Have your child read each word “in a flash.”
- Short, frequent practice works best.
Tip: Avoid guessing. Words should be read accurately and instantly.
Click here for a printable download of the above chart.
5. Sight Words Are Best Learned in Context
Sight words should not be practiced in isolation. Students improve recognition, fluency, and comprehension when they repeatedly read:
- Phrases
- Sentences
- Short texts
6. Dolch Sight Word Phrases
Dolch phrase cards contain short phrases built from high-frequency words.
How to Use Dolch Phrases
- Teach 5 phrases per day
- Echo read first
- Read chorally together
- Re-read throughout the day
Repeated reading builds automaticity and confidence.
7. Dolch Sight Word Stories
- This story contains all Dolch words
- Read → reread → reread → reread
- For beginning readers, focus on one sentence per day
Reading Dolch stories daily is one of the fastest ways to build fluency.
8. Decodable Dolch Sight Word Stories (Pre-Primer–Grade 3)
These decodable Dolch sight-word stories, organized by grade, are available as an editable Word document.
- Have students illustrate sections
- Use for guided or independent practice
- Reread daily for fluency
- Here are even more sight word stories
9. Spelling the Dolch Sight Words
Many Dolch words have irregular spellings, making them difficult to sound out fully. This is where the heart word method comes in.
10. What Are Heart Words?
Heart words are high-frequency words with irregular spelling patterns that must be learned “by heart.”
Examples:
- said
- are
- do
- where
37% of the Dolch 220 words are heart words
- Sound out the decodable part
- Memorize the irregular part explicitly
- Use orthographic mapping
Reading Rockets categorizes sight words as decodable flash words, advanced vowels, 2-syllable decodables, and heart words.
11. Repetition Is Essential for Sight Word Mastery
- Builds automaticity
- Improves fluency
- Increases comprehension
Once high-frequency words are mastered, reading becomes smoother and more meaningful.
12. Fry Sight Word Lists (Fry Instant Words)
In 1996, Dr. Edward Fry expanded the Dolch list into the Fry 1000 Instant Words.
- The first 300 Fry words appear in 65% of all written material
- Many Fry words overlap with Dolch words
Combined, the Dolch and Fry lists account for approximately 90% of words in typical English texts.
13. Fry Sight Word Levels Explained
Dr. Fry organized the words into 10 levels, each containing 100 words, based on frequency and difficulty.
Students should work toward automatic recognition of these words:
- Fry 1st 100
- Fry 2nd 100
- Fry 3rd 100
- Fry 4th 100
- Fry 5th 100
- Fry 6th 100
- Fry 7th 100
- Fry 8th 100
- Fry 9th 100
- Fry 10th 100
14. Fry Sight Word Phrases
Fry phrase sets help students practice sight words in a meaningful context.
- Phrase Set 1 includes the first 100 Fry words
- These words make up approximately 50% of elementary reading vocabulary
Repeated phrase reading improves: ✔ Fluency ✔ Accuracy ✔ Comprehension
15. Final Recommendations for Parents and Teachers
✔ Teach phonics first
✔ Use Dolch sight words for early reading and spelling
✔ Add Fry words as students progress
✔ Practice orthographic mapping to help non-decodable words “stick”
✔ Practice words in context using phrases and stories
✔ Read and reread daily
When sight words become automatic, real reading begins.
Consider these fun ways to practice sight words!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. These tools are optional supplements. Many educators also create their own flashcards using index cards.
16. Optional Tools to Use
Grade-level sight word flashcards This set includes 305 Dolch and Fry words, with each sight word used in a sentence on the reverse side. Cards are organized by grade level for easy instruction and review.
Grade K-4 sight words – 600 word set with games This comprehensive set covers kindergarten through fourth grade, with 60 cards per grade and engaging games to reinforce word recognition.
Set of 520 words from K-3 These large, durable cards are divided by grade level and stored in a compact filing box, making them easy to organize and reuse.
Sight word game This hands-on sight word game, featured on Shark Tank, includes 220 Dolch sight words and uses popping mats to make practice active and engaging.
158-page sight word storybook This book contains 25 decodable stories featuring 50 high-frequency sight words, designed to build fluency through repeated reading.
17. Optional Editable Version
Download a customizable Word version of this Sight Words page in my Instant Downloads store.
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This page was last updated on January 13, 2026.