Sight Words
Sight words are common words we learn to read by sight — without sounding them out!
👁️ What Are Sight Words?
Sight words are very common words that appear again and again in books. Because they appear so often, we learn to read them straight away — by sight!
Why are they called "sight" words?
We see them so often that our brain remembers them as a whole picture — just like recognising a friend's face!
Some sight words are hard to sound out using phonics rules. For example, the word "the" doesn't follow the usual sounds. So we just need to learn and remember it!
⭐ Our 10 Sight Words
Here are 10 very important sight words. Read each one, say it aloud, and try to remember it!
the
The dog ran.
is
It is hot.
and
Mum and Dad.
a
A big cat.
to
Go to school.
in
In the box.
it
It is mine.
you
I see you.
he
He can run.
she
She is kind.
Worked Examples
Can you spot the sight words in these sentences?
"The cat sat on a mat."
Sight words: the, a
"He and she went to school."
Sight words: he, and, she, to
"It is in the bag and you can have it."
Sight words: it, is, in, and, you, it
Key Vocabulary
Sight Word
A common word that is recognised immediately by sight, without needing to sound it out.
High-Frequency Word
A word that appears very often in texts. These words are usually sight words.
Recognise
To know something straight away. We recognise sight words the moment we see them.
Sentence
A group of words that makes a complete meaning, for example: She is here.
Knowledge Check
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Key Concepts Summary
- ●Sight words are very common words we learn to recognise immediately.
- ●The 10 key sight words are: the, is, and, a, to, in, it, you, he, she.
- ●Knowing sight words helps us read faster and more fluently.
- ●Practise by looking, saying, and writing each word every day.