Sight Words and Reading Simple Sentences: Kindergarten Study Guide
Some words appear so often that children should know them at a glance. These are called sight words.
A large part of everyday reading is made up of a small group of words: the, a, I, is, to, and, you, my, we, see, can, go. Many are not spelled the way they sound, so children learn them by sight with lots of repetition. This frees their attention for the harder words in a sentence.
Kindergarteners also learn print concepts: books are held the right way up, we read left to right and top to bottom, and words are separated by spaces.
First sight words
Start with a few words at a time, such as two or three a week. Say the word, point to each letter, and use it in a sentence. Review the old words often.
| Set | Words |
|---|---|
| Set 1 | I, a, the, and, is |
| Set 2 | to, you, we, my, see |
| Set 3 | can, go, like, look, said |
| Set 4 | he, she, was, are, with |
Reading a simple sentence
Decodable sentences use sight words plus letters children can sound out: I can see a cat. The dog is big. Point under each word as you read. After reading, ask what happened: 'What can I see?'
What might the page be about?
Say one word for each word on the page.
c-a-t, cat.
Read the sentence again like talking.
Print awareness
Check that your child can find the front of a book, the title, the first word on the page and the end of a sentence (the full stop). Notice capital letters at the start of a sentence and for names. Let your child turn the pages and point to the words as you read aloud.
Worked examples and common mistakes
Read: We can go to the park. Sight words: we, can, go, to, the. Sound-out word: park. Common mistakes: guessing a word from the picture instead of the letters, skipping small words, and mixing up look-alikes such as was and saw. Gently ask the child to look at the first letter again. Short, daily practice of five to ten minutes works better than a long weekly session.
Check your understanding: model answers
1. I, can, see and the. 'Dog' is a word to sound out. 2. you, you, you. 3. The front cover faces you, the spine is on the left, and you begin at the top left of the page.
✨ Key Takeaways
- Sight words are common words to recognize on sight.
- Point to each word as you read.
- Read left to right, top to bottom.
- Short daily practice builds fluency.
💬 Questions for Discussion & Reflection
- Read: 'I can see the dog.' Which words are sight words?
- Write the sight word 'you' three times.
- Show how to hold a book and where to start reading.