What are Sight Words?

Outta Sight Words (taken directly from the Dolch Sight Word list) is the most commonly used set of sight words practiced in most elementary schools. Once a child knows this list of words, it makes reading much easier, because the child can then focus their attention on the remaining words. They are called “Sight Words” because most of these words cannot be sounded out using the common sound-to-letter phonics patterns and also cannot be learned through the simple use of pictures, therefore, must be learned by sight. Once these words are recognized easily, individuals are able to achieve reading fluency in the English language.

The “Dolch” In the Dolch Sight Word List
In 1936 educator Edward William Dolch put together a list of 220 “service words” (pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and verbs) that he found by studying the most frequently occurring words in children’s books. These make up 80% of the words you would find in typical children’s books and even 50% of words found in young adult literature and writing for adults. These 220 words were further organized into 5 list levels of Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Grade One, Grade Two, and Grade Three for more age-appropriate reading progression.