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    BlogELA for Kids250+ Sight Words for First Graders That Kids Can Easily Learn

    250+ Sight Words for First Graders That Kids Can Easily Learn

    In Grade 1, children’s language skills develop rapidly. They learn to use more words and start putting them together to form simple sentences. As their vocabularies grow, they encounter more sight words. They are called ‘sight words’ because children should recognize and understand them as soon as they see them – without having to decode or use sounds to identify them. But what are they and which are the sight words for first graders?

    What are Sight Words?

    Sight Words for first graders are the most common words that children come across. They are usually short words, such as the, and, of, to, you, and I. These are high-frequency words that appear in any English text very often. Knowing these words helps children to improve their reading fluency and comprehension skills. It also hones their vocabulary development.

    By the end of the first grade, children should know around 200 sight words – with spellings. The kids will often come across these words in the texts they read or speeches they hear. Creatively incorporating these sight words in different activities can help kids become better readers and writers.

    Discover some online reading games to educate and engage your kids!

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    250 Most Common Sight Words for First Graders

    Dr. Edward William Dolch, an educator, studied children’s books of his time and came up with 220 ‘service words’ that occurred most frequently in those books. He developed the list in the 1930s-40s and suggested the following sight words for 1st graders:

    1. after11. from21. know31. round
    2. again12. give22. let32. some
    3. an13. going23. live33. stop
    4. any14. had24. May34. take
    5. as15. has25. of35. thank
    6. ask16. her26. old36. them
    7. by17. him27. once37. then
    8. could18. his28. open38. think
    9. every19. how29. over39. walk
    10. fly20. just30. put40. were
    41. when

    Dr. Edward Fry prepared his list of 1,000 most common words in the 1950s, which was updated in 1980. The list of 100 sight words for first-grade students by Fry covers almost 90% of the words 6-7 year-olds will come across in stories, poems, and informational texts:

    1. a26. from51. more76. there
    2. about27. get52. my77. these
    3. all28. go53. no78. they
    4. am29. had54. not79. this
    5. an30. has55. now80. time
    6. and31. have56. number81. to
    7. are32. he57. of82. two
    8. as33. her58. on83. up
    9. at34. him59. one84. use
    10. be35. his60. or85. was
    11. been36. how61. other86. water
    12. but37. I62. out87. way
    13. by38. if63. part88. we
    14. called39. in64. people89. were
    15. can40. into65. said90. what
    16. come41. is66. see91. when
    17. could42. it67. she92. which
    18. day43. its68. so93. who
    19. did44. like69. some94. will
    20. do45. long70. than95. with
    21. down46. look71. that96. words
    22. each47. made72. the97. would
    23. find48. make73. their98. write
    24. first49. many74. them99. you
    25. for50. may75. then100. your

    As you’ll notice, almost 18 words are common between these Dolch and Fry lists of sight words for first-grade students. Between them, we have a list of 123 first-grade sight words.

    SplashLearn experts also recommend a list of 130 more sight words first graders can quickly learn:

    1. before26. animal51. frog76. stomach
    2. funny27. dog52. crab77. thigh
    3. hers28. cat53. fox78. knee
    4. high29. cow54. camel79. leg
    5. jump30. sheep55. lion80. feet
    6. keep31. rabbit56. elephant81. eat
    7. learn32. duck57. girl82. run
    8. much33. hen58. boy83. drink
    9. only34. horse59. toy84. walk
    10. thing35. pig60. ball85. chop
    11. want36. turkey61. doll86. sing
    12. yours37. chicken62. ears87. act
    13. color38. donkey63. eyes88. kick
    14. yellow39. goat64. head89. mix
    15. orange40. mouse65. nose90. sit 
    16. pink41. deer66. mouth 
    17. green42. moose67. teeth 
    18. blue43. koala68. neck 
    19. red44. wolf69. shoulder 
    20. black45. bear70. arm 
    21. white46. snake71. elbow 
    22. silver47. bird72. hand 
    23. gold48. fish73. fingers 
    24. brown49. bat74. thumb 
    25. purple50. tiger75. chest 

    Sight words for first graders to help with their math vocabulary include the following:

    1. zero11. nine21. match31. before
    2. digit12. ten22. size32. less
    3. one13. number23. compare33. plus
    4. two14. input24. less than34. minus
    5. three15. output25. opposite35. add
    6. four16. similar26. more than36. subtract
    7. five17. object27. near37. ones
    8. six18. sort28. half38. tens
    9. seven19. different29. after39. place value
    10. eight20. alike30. equal40. rule

    5 Fun and Effective Ways to Help Grade 1 Students Learn Sight Words

    Child raising hand in class

    Whether you are a parent or a teacher, you can use plenty of fun and effective ways to help first graders learn sight words. Below are some creative ideas:

    1. Word Walls: Word walls are an excellent way for kids to see the words they are learning visually. You can create a word wall in your home or classroom by putting up posters with all the sight words. As your child learns each word, you can highlight it or put a checkmark next to it.

    2. Memory Games: Memory games are fun for kids and help them learn new words while improving their memory skills. There are many different ways to play memory games with sight words. For example, you can write the words on slips of paper and put them face down. Then, have your child take turns flipping over two pieces of paper at a time to try to find a match. They can keep the pair if they find a game; if not, they should flip the papers back over and try again.

    3. I Spy: I Spy is another fun game kids can play with sight words. To play, you can choose a sight word and then say, “I spy something that starts with the letter…” For example, if the word is “ball,” you would say, “I spy something that starts with the letter b.” Then, your child would look around the room and try to find an object that starts with the letter b. Once they find it, they can say what it is.

    4. Flashcards: Flashcards are a classic way to help kids learn new words. You can make flashcards by writing the sight words on paper or index cards. Or, you can purchase pre-made flashcards. To use the flashcards, you can hold up each card and have your child read the word out loud. As they become more familiar with the words, you can time them to see how fast they can read them.

    5. Sight Word Books: Sight word books are books that contain a lot of repetition of sight words. These books can help kids learn new words by seeing them repeatedly. There are many sight word books available, or you can make your own by finding a book with a lot of repetition and replacing some words with sight words.

    8 Sight Word Games for First-Graders to Play at Home or in Class

    1. Hide and Seek (Find the Sight Words) Game:

    You will need:
    • A list of 1st-grade sight words
    • A stopwatch
    Instructions:

    This is a great game to get the kids up and moving while they learn their sight words. It’s also a good way to get them to recognize sight words in different contexts.

    1. Print out the list of sight words on individual slips of paper.
    2. Stick them up around the room at different heights, ensuring they are within reach of the kids.
    3. When you say “go,” the kids have to find as many sight words as they can and bring them to you in the allotted time.
    4. The kid with the most sight words at the end of the game wins!

    2. Word Ladder:

    You will need:
    • A list of sight words for first graders
    • A whiteboard or blackboard
    Instructions:

    This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context.

    1. Choose a sight word from the list.
    2. Write it on the board.
    3. Ask the kids to come up with a sentence that uses the word.
    4. Write it down on the board.
    5. Repeat with another sight word.

    3. Make a Sight Word Book:

    You will need:
    • A first-grade sights word list
    • Construction paper or cardstock
    • Scissors
    • Glue
    • Pencils or crayons
    Instructions:

    This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context.

    1. Choose a sight word from the first-grade sight words list.
    2. Write it on a piece of construction paper or cardstock.
    3. Ask the kids to come up with a sentence that uses the word.
    4. Write it down under the sight word.
    5. Ask the kids to illustrate their sentences.
    6. Repeat with another sight word.

    7. Once all the sight words have been used, cut out each page and staple them together to make a book.

    8. Encourage the kids to read their books aloud in the class to you or somebody else.

    4. Roll, Read, and Race Board Game:

    You will need:
    • A list of sight words for Grade 1 students
    • A dice
    • A game board (you can make your own or use a commercially available one)
    • Pawns or markers
    Instructions:

    This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context. Reviewing math concepts such as numbers, addition, and subtraction is also fun.

    1. Design the board game using a list of sight words.
    2. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their pawns or markers around the board.
    3. If they land on a space with a sight word, they have to read it aloud. If they get it right, they can stay in that space. If they get it wrong, they have to move back to the previous space.
    4. For Math, use numbers on the dice and spaces on the board. Players must add or subtract the numbers they rolled and move their pawns or markers to the new space.
    5. The first player to reach the “Finish” space is the winner!

    5. Simple and Easy Crossword Game:

    You will need:
    • A list of sight words for 1st graders
    • A whiteboard or blackboard
    • A marker or chalk
    Instructions:

    This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context.

    1. Make a simple crossword puzzle using the list of sight words.
    2. Call out a sight word and ask the kids to find it in the puzzle and read it aloud.
    3. Repeat with another sight word.

    6. Bingo:

    You will need:
    • A list of Grade 1 sight words
    • Bingo cards (you can make your own or use a commercially available one)
    • Markers or chips
    Instructions:

    This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context.

    1. Make a simple bingo card using the list of sight words.
    2. Call out a sight word and ask the kids to find it on their bingo card and mark it with a marker or chip.
    3. Repeat with another sight word until someone gets five in a row and calls out “Bingo!”.

    7. Read Stories:

    You will need:
    • A list of sight words you want to teach to first graders
    • Stories that contain the sight words
    Instructions:

    This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context.

    1. Choose a story that contains several of the sight words on your list.
    2. Read the story aloud to the kids.
    3. Ask them to listen for the sight words and point them out as you read.
    4. Repeat with another story.

    8. Act It Out:

    You will need:
    • A list of sight words 1st-grade students need to learn
    • A whiteboard or blackboard
    • A marker or chalk
    Instructions:

    This is a great way to help the first graders make connections between the words and their meanings.

    1. Choose an action-oriented sight word from the list.
    2. Call it out, and kids have to act it out. For example, if you say “jump,” the kids must jump up and down.
    3. This action-oriented game is fun and interactive and helps the kids learn sight words in a meaningful way.
    4. Repeat with another sight word.

    5 Online Games to Promote Learning of Sight Words in First-Grade

    Online games to teach sight words for first graders

    1. Sight Words Games for 1st Graders at SplashLearn

    Let your child join millions of learners at SplashLearn to practice sight words, identify them by sounds, decode them instantly, and get tested on their knowledge of words. As they play exciting games, they pick up new words, and their confidence in reading grows manifold.

    The learning program is free for teachers, while parents have a 7-day free trial and can then subscribe. The subscription plans start at just $4.99 per month.

    2. Bingo Card Creator at SightWords

    You can create Bingo cards using the sight word for first graders using this web app for the game mentioned above. You can choose how many Bingo cards you want to create, their layout, the grade of your child whether you want to create Dolch sight words or Fry sight words. 

    Print out the Bingo cards displayed on the screen in PDF format. This site is free for everyone.

    3. Sight Words Hopper at Education.com

    Kindergarten and Grade 1 students love to help Cuz-Cuz jump over mud puddles. As the narrator reads the high-frequency words or sight words lying in puddles, kids have to jump over the right puddle.

    You can try it for free, but to get unlimited access to all its fun and interactive games, you have to subscribe to it. The subscription starts at $5 per month.

    4. Illustrated Story at Edoki Academy

    Meant for gifted students, the children must read words, understand their meanings, and choose the correct pictures to illustrate the simple sentences they see. After all, this is how elementary school students can develop reading skills.

    You can try it for free for one week and then subscribe. The subscription to Edoki Club starts at $3.50 per month.

    5. Out of Sight Words at ABCya.com

    This quirky game asks children to read a sight word and find a corresponding image. This game uses 220 words from the Dolch Word List and includes nouns, pronounces, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions.

    You can use it for free but have to subscribe to it for an ad-free experience. The premium version also offers several other features, such as setting a timer for the games, controlling the access of games, etc. The subscription starts at $5.83 per month.

    We hope you and your first graders enjoy these games and activities to learn new sight words. Learning sight words is an important step in a child’s reading development, and these activities will give them a head start!

    Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. We would love to hear from you!

    Explore more educational resources for kids that will help with their learning experience and make them smarter.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why do we teach students sight words?

    Sight words frequently occur in the text but are difficult to sound out using phonics rules. They must be learned by sight to become fluent readers.

    What are some tips for teaching sight words at home?

    There are many ways to incorporate sight words into your everyday routine at home. Read aloud to your child daily and point out sight words as you come across them. With time, you can ask them to read the sight word when you come across one.

    You can also make a game out of it by hiding sight words around the house and having them search for them. Finally, you can create a sight word wall in your home where you post new words for your child to learn.

    Can I skip sight words for my first grader if they are already good at reading?

    Sight words should not be skipped, as they are important to a child’s reading development. If your child is already good at reading, you can challenge them by asking them to read longer texts incorporating more sight words. You can also ask them to use the words in their sentences.

    AUTHOR
    Amy Paige
    Amy Paige has been teaching for the last 12 years. She’s a late tech convert who loves to utilize technology in her classroom to motivate students and prepare them for the 21st century.

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