Sight Words

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    Voice accent (grown-ups)

    Pick Australian, British, or American. Kids hear this on Listen / Play the sound.

    Learn Common Sight Words!

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    Hard

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    About Sight Words

    Help early readers master the most common English words that cannot easily be sounded out. Sight word recognition is a cornerstone of reading fluency. Audio support lets children hear each word spoken aloud, reinforcing the connection between the written and spoken form.

    Skills Practised

    • High-frequency word recognition
    • Reading fluency foundation
    • Visual word memory
    • Listening comprehension
    • Automatic word recall

    How to Play

    Listen to the word spoken aloud, then find and select it from the options shown. Each correct answer builds your sight word vocabulary and earns stars.

    Top Tip

    Read the word, say it out loud, and try to use it in a sentence. The more ways you interact with a word, the better you will remember it.

    In the real world

    The 100 most common words in English make up approximately 50% of all words in printed text. Children who can recognise these words instantly, without needing to sound them out, dramatically reduce their reading effort and can focus their attention on meaning rather than decoding. Sight word fluency is one of the strongest predictors of overall reading fluency in the early years.

    Who Should Play This?

    Sight words games are most valuable for children in Kindergarten through Grade 2 (ages 5-8). By the end of Grade 1, most children should recognise at least the first 50 high-frequency words automatically. Grade 2 learners extend to the next 50. This game can also benefit older children who are still developing reading fluency.

    Tips for Parents and Teachers

    • Play 'snap' or 'flashcard races' with sight words written on index cards — the game format speeds up automatic recognition
    • Point out sight words in books as you read together: 'There is the word THE again — how many can you find on this page?'
    • Exposure in context is more powerful than drilling in isolation — encourage your child to find sight words in signs, menus, and magazines
    • Make word walls at home: stick common words on the fridge, in their bedroom, wherever they are regularly seen

    Common Difficulties

    Many sight words (like 'said', 'was', 'come', 'their') do not follow standard phonics rules, which means children cannot decode them by sounding out — they must be remembered by sight. Children who rely heavily on phonics will often mispronounce these words ('said' as 'said to rhyme with paid'). Regular repeated exposure — seeing and hearing the correct pronunciation many times — is the only reliable way to build automatic recognition.