| Below are some fun activities to familiarize your child | | | | WHICH IS WHICH? |
| with sight words and help him or her to better | | | | • With the children in two teams in front of you. |
| remember them. The games are intended for use with | | | | • Line the teams up so that the two children in the |
| Child1st's stylized sight words, each of which includes a | | | | front of the line compete first. |
| picture embedded into the plain word. Many of the | | | | • Hold up two cards at a time, asking "Which one is |
| games also require a chart to display the sight words. | | | | [say one of the words]?" |
| They may be played with kindergartners and beyond. | | | | • When the pair of children have answered, they go |
| For information on Child1st's sight words or to purchase | | | | to the end of the line. |
| a pocket chart, visit Enjoy the learning experience with | | | | • Give the teams points for calling out the correct |
| your children using these activities! | | | | word. |
| INTRODUCING NEW WORDS: | | | | AROUND THE WORLD: |
| • Choose 1-5 sight word cards...display in pocket | | | | • Display one card to a child for him to identify. |
| chart. | | | | • That student will read the word, then choose a |
| • Talk about each picture as it relates to the word it | | | | word card to display to another child. |
| depicts. Let the children share what they see. | | | | • Continue through the group until all the words have |
| • Do the body motion together found on the | | | | been reviewed. |
| reverse side of the cards. | | | | • This activity may be concluded by turning the |
| • Use the word in the sentence provided. | | | | cards to the back so that the children are reading the |
| • Identify the sounds in the word, whether single | | | | plain dolch sight words. |
| letter spellings, or multi-letter spellings, such as "ow" or a | | | | WORD FLIP: |
| two-vowel spelling such as "ai." | | | | • Have students vote on which words, one at a |
| • After introducing each word, check to be sure the | | | | time, they think they can recognize without using the |
| children correctly read each word while looking at the | | | | picture. |
| fronts of the cards. | | | | • Flip those words over as they are voted on so |
| "POP UP" GAME: | | | | that the plain word is displayed on the reverse. |
| • With the class near you, explain that you are | | | | • Take five minutes to review all the words per |
| going to play a game in which they will "pop up" when | | | | day. |
| they hear their name, and will come up to the pocket | | | | • Limit the number of words flipped over to a |
| chart to choose a word they can correctly read. | | | | couple of day depending on your group and their |
| • This game works best when the pocket chart is | | | | progress in recognition of the plain words. |
| full of words, rather than displaying only a handful of | | | | • The goal to keep in mind when using the stylized |
| words. | | | | sight words is to use the visual, motion and language |
| • Encourage children to be selecting a word when it | | | | as learning tools, then to progress to the plain side of |
| is not their turn so they are ready to pop up quickly | | | | the card as soon as possible. |
| when their name is called. | | | | • You may determine what is helping each child |
| • Do not use this activity for teaching; rather keep it | | | | learn their words by asking "How did you remember |
| moving quickly so that no child gets bored. Stop the | | | | that?" when they correctly and instantly read a word |
| game as soon as interest begins to wander. | | | | unstylized. Some will say they can still "see" the picture |
| "WHERE'S Word-O?" | | | | in their minds, some will remember because of the |
| • Display a group of words in the pocket chart. | | | | motion they have come to relate to the word. Asking |
| • Call one word at a time, saying, "Where's?" | | | | your children this question frequently will guide them |
| • Children will take turns trying to quickly point out | | | | into learning about how they learn best. |
| the word called by the teacher. | | | | For more information, visit Child-1st. |
| • Do not use this as a teaching time, but rather as a | | | | Child-1st Publications LLC is a publisher of children’s |
| review activity. | | | | sight words books and special needs learning materials. |