SMMARTideas

SMMART READING: Sight Words

There are many hundred words that young people learn to read automatically by familiarity. These are called "Sight Words"...if, not, the, and, like... You can check out Fry's 300 Instant Sight Words.

So, a simple, simple way to practice sight words is to read a book with your child. Follow each word with your finger and whenever "the" appears on the page, let your child read it. She may need to sound it out the first few times, but she'll soon understand that this is the word that she needs to look out for. Repetition, repetition, repetition...

Slowly add another sight word for her to read as well. So your finger stops and hovers on every "the" and "it" until your child reads the word. You don't even have to read the whole book at first. This exercise may tire your child at first, but soon she'll be cruising...and you know it's time to give her more sight words to be responsible for as you read together.

Tell me what you do to practice sight words together.