Date : February 11, 2023
If your child is in Prep and struggles with reading, learning and mastering sight words, it might seem like an insurmountable challenge. But there are so many things you can do at home that will help – it just takes a bit of patience and perseverance. Follow these easy tips and help your child increase their reading fluency and feel more confident overall.
What are sight words? Why does my child need to learn them?
Sight words are whole words such as ‘the’ and ‘all’ that appear repeatedly in reading texts. They are the most common words in the English language. These words can be quite challenging to learn as they often can’t be sounded out. Once your child has memorised them, they can recognise these words instantly in a sentence, and then concentrate on deciphering the other unknown words in the text. Essentially, sight words are building blocks in a sentence that help your child develop reading comprehension.
How can I help my child master sight words?
In Australian schools, children are taught to read phonetically. They learn their letters and the sounds these letters make, both individually and in combinations like ‘ch’, ‘th’ and ‘sh’. They are also given lists of ‘sight words.’ Many children have problems memorising these lists of words because they can’t learn them by sounding them out. At home, there are things you can do that will help these words settle into their minds and make learning them so much easier.
Start with 2 letter sight words
Every child knows how to say the word ‘no,’ so maybe start there with learning to recognise the word on the page. Two letter words are obviously easier to remember than three or four letter words, so next time you’re reading a story, point out the word you’re trying to encourage them to remember and show them what it looks like. Words like of, to, is, and it will appear in almost every picture book, so it will be easy to find examples.
Choose sight words in your child’s favourite books
All children have favourite books, and these books will be the ones that help the most when they’re learning to read. If your child is showing signs of frustration or a lack of willingness to learn, pull out their favourite book. Choose sight words in this book and re-read it often. Show your child what these words look like and ask them to think about what word comes next. Your child will be so proud when they finally memorise a word that they will be excited to learn more.
Practise daily
Repetition is key to learning anything, especially reading. Kids often want to read the same books over and over again – this will make your task easier. Point out the same sight words until they can do it themselves.
Build sentences with sight words
Building a sentence with sight words shows your child how these words are used in everyday life. You can do this verbally, or you can do it in a more interactive way – try magnetic letters on your fridge, or words cut out of a magazine. Encourage your child to choose the sight words they know, and then build a sentence together using these words.
Add a new word each day
Once your child has mastered recognising a few words, add a new word. Learning one new word a day is perfect for kids at Prep/Foundation age – but be guided by your child and go at a pace that suits them best. When you introduce a new word, review past sight words to make sure your child doesn’t forget them. Do your best to keep things light and as fun as possible. You want your child to be excited to learn.
For more fantastic early learning activities,
check out May Gibbs!
Librarian Bec
Right now, Librarian Bec’s hard at work at your local library, sharing a passion for reading with little people and big. Bec writes about inspiring little readers and embracing lovely literature.
