Today I’m sharing some simple sight word activities that you can prepare in minutes!
(This post contains affiliate links.)
So what are sight words, anyway?
Some people will tell you that sight words are words that kids can’t sound out; they just have to learn themby sight. Others tell you that sight words are the high frequency words: the words that kids encounter the most when they read.
I likeThis Reading Mama’s definition:Sight words are words we want our kids to know automatically by sight because they occur so frequently in their reading and writing.
Sometimes we can sound those words out. Sometimes we can’t. Either way, we need quick ways to teach sight words.
That’s why I put together this list of easy-to-set-up sight word activities.
These are low prep sight word activities that you can put together in under 15 minutes!
Low prep sight word activities
1- It takes just 5 minutes to set upSight Word Sticky Note Match.Just write the words on sticky notes and have your child cover the words on a dry erase board!
2 – Grab your alphabet stamps and some play dough forthis simple sight word activity.
3 – Write the words on sticky notes. Then have your childwrite them in sand.
4 – Teach sight word songs. We are big fans of the collection of thesight word DVD’s and CD’s from Heidisongs. Listen to them as you’re driving to school or during transitions in the classroom.
5 – Write the words on sticky notes. Then have your childswat each sight wordwith a fly swatter as you name it!
6 –Dofun actionswith your sight words with This Reading Mama’s free action cards.
7 –Write sight words in play doughwith a stick or wooden skewer.
8 – Trychanting sight wordsin a variety of different ways – like a robot, a cheerleader, and more! You can get free sight word chants on TPThere.
9 – Make asight word memory game. Just write each sight word on two different index cards. Then turn the cards over and invite your child to find the matches.
10 – Print thesefree sight word cardsand build the words with letter tiles. When you join This Reading Mama’s free email list, you’ll get lots of free sight word cards! Learn morehere.
11- Learning is always more fun with dice! Grab thesefree rainbow roll & write pagesfor a variety of sight words. Kids roll a die, check the key at the top of the page, and write the word in a particular color.
12 – This is such a creative way to practice writing sight words!Find the words with a magnifying glassand write them on the lines. Get the freebiehere.
13 – Are you students learning beginning sight words? Print and playsight word blackout.
14 – Simply write your child’s sight words on a piece of paper and have himstamp them with alphabet stamps.
15. Grab the play dough, a sheet protector, and a dry erase marker. Your child can build the word with play dough and write it on the lines below. Get the freebiehere.
16 – Grab these freecolor-by-sight-wordpages.
17 – Get some colorful craft sticks and write the words with a permanent marker for somesimple sight word puzzles.
18-Sight Word Showdownis both simple and genius! Just grab a stack of index cards and write each word twice.Then follow the directions in this post.
19 – Write sight words in muffin tin liners and play a simple game ofThree in a Row.
20 – Bury magnetic letters in a sensory material. Have childrendig out the letters to build words.
21 – Make asight word parking lot. Draw tiny parking spots on a piece of poster board, and write a sight word in each one. As you name the words, have your child park a toy car in each spot. Learn morehere.
22- Practice writing sight words using adry erase markeron a dry erase board.
23- Write sight words on craft sticks and provide some magnetic letters for thisportable sight word activity.
24 –Where’s the bear?Write the words on paper cups and hide a small bear or other tiny object. Your child guesses where the bear is hiding by naming the word on the cup.
25 – Go on a simplesight word huntby matching the sticky note sight words to the words on a clip board. (This one’s a favorite at our house.)
And there you have it! 25 low-prep ways to practice sight words!
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tammy
谢谢你!for sharing all of your wonderful ideas and resources. I am always amazed and grateful!
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Tammy!
Mary
It is so nice for you to share your games. I was just looking us long vowel games. Your site was a great find. Thanks so much from a teacher in Oklahome.
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Mary – I’m so glad you found my site!
Mai
Thank u so much!!!
Anna Geiger
You’re welcome, Mai!
Mary
谢谢你!so much for your wonderful activities and games that you share
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Mary, and thank you for reading!
Becki
Very nice !! Thank you!
Anna G
You’re welcome, Becki!
Renata Cottone
Anna, you are amazing! I am a Special Education Resource Teacher and I use so many of your activities on a daily basis! You have inspired me as a teacher and the success is remarkable. Thank you! God bless you!
Anna G
谢谢你!SO much for your kind words, Renata!
Lily
I just printed your free pre-primer sight words worksheets and am excited about using them with my kindergartner, who is struggling with these. My only disappointment is that the collection did not include all 60 of the Dolch pre-primer words. Any chance they will be available in the future?
Anna G
Every list I’ve found has 40 preprimer sight words, so that’s what I’ve included in the free preprimer pack in the subscriber library.
Amanda
Great ideas! thank you so much for sharing! Sometimes people like me are not that creative and when you see posts like this, your world improves
Anna G
I’m glad you liked this, Amanda!
Ashley
I love the sight word books! It is exactly what I was looking for to help teach them to my 5 year old. I was disappointed to see that there was not a book for the word “like” that I could find. I will definitely be using this site often!
Joyce
I have been teaching for a long time. These are some of the same activities I have used with my students, however, I have not put them in a worksheet format. Thank you for this great website, for sharing these activities.