Sight Word Activities

 

Got the sight word practice blues? Do you practice and practice and still see no improvement? The following activities may help your child in learning their sight word list - if not, at least it will be more fun!!!!! Try to find activities that appeal to as many of the five senses as you can - this stimulates interest and learning...............

•Spell the words out in sand, shaving cream, playdough, paint, pudding, foam, soap, salt, sand, cooked spaghetti noodles, cereal, etc.

 

•Make a word die. Cover a small square box or use a wooden cube or block and write a word on each side. Throw the die and read the word. Keep score if desired.

 

•Keep a tally of the sight words in all the books you read together. Always try to point out these words as you read.

 

•Play sight word tic- tac- toe or bingo. Make the grids with the words written on them. (the kids can help) and then cover them with chips as chosen or called.

 

•Play a memory game. Put the words on cards on a table. Name them, then have your child close their eyes. Remove one and see if your child can figure out which one left. You could use this with a chalkboard or whiteboard, also. You also could duplicate the cards to play a 'match' game or 'concentration' game.

 

•Put the word cards in a paper bag. Have your child pull them out and read them. Throw them back in to read again until they succeed.

 

•Play "Call Ball". Put the word cards on the ground. Either bounce a ball on a word card, or throw the ball into the air, calling out a word, and have your child read, or find that card.

 

 •"Climb the Stairs" or "Across the Room". If you have stairs in your house, place word cards on each step. 'Time' how quickly your child can reach the top reading each word. (Or go from one end of the room to the other.)

 

•Riddles. Using word cards, give clues about one of the words you are thinking of. Your child could do the same for you. Take turns. (e.g. "It begins with 'm' and ends with 't')

 

•Do word cheers, word karate, or word ballet. Using lower case letters, think of their heights on writing lines. Then use your bodies to spell out the word - be 'high' for 'tall' letters, 'mid- body' for letters that touch the 'middle line, and touching toes, or using feet for letters that have a tail (go under the bottom line). Say and look at the word before and after acting it out.

 

•Tape words on cars, ponies, action figures, anything that your child is interested in, and have them read the words .

 

•If you've had success with a special activity which helped your child, and it's not listed, please share!!!! GOOD LUCK AND KEEP READING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!