Sight Word Safari ~ A Meaningful Journey ~

Lillah Martin

Sandra Ball

January 2013

Agenda

• Our Learners

• Research

• Learning Sight words

• Assessment

• Next Steps

Who are our learners?

curious

eager

playful

social

full of ideas

The Early Learner is . . .

What makes a ‘good’ reader?

• Strong understanding of alphabetic system

• Fluency of sight words

• Reading has a purpose/meaning

• Confident problem solvers

• Engaged in their own learning

• Curious about their world

Sight Word Search

• Choose a book

• Look for the sight words

• Tally the number of sight words

What do you notice?

Father of Sight Words

“These words represent over half of English text.

Hence, every child should learn to recognize them instantly by sight.

Learning to read is at the core of any curriculum; a skill that will determine a child’s academic success.

A child’s language development is, next to his

character, the most important part of his school

experience.”

Dr. William Dolch

What are they called?

• Anchor words

• High-frequency words

• Core words

• Islands

• Glue words

• For sure words

• Popcorn words

• Instant words

• Quick and easy words

… All are sight words!

Research Says …

• 300 words account for 65% of words in text

• 40 – 50 % of the words cannot be ‘sounded out’

• Once 10 – 15 are mastered the ability to learn is easier

• If a student does not master 100 sight words before the end of Grade 3 … they will struggle as readers

• Knowledge of sight words produces confident readers

How to improve memory?

• students need to understand how their brain works and how they learn

• Connections need to happen between the visual, auditory and kinesthetic/tactile

• Meaningful practice needs to occur

“By using various techniques, educators reach children

through the three major learning styles:

• Auditory

• Visual

• Kinesthetic or tactile

Children also enjoy the variety found in sight word

games. When classroom exercises seem like play, children

respond well. Sight word games easily fit the bill through

enjoyable, creative lessons.”

Dr. William Dolch

“Ideally, high-frequency words are harvested from shared reading and writing experiences, so students can see the words both in context and in isolation.

We teachers also should used different modes of learners – visual, auditory, and kinesthetic - to reinforce each word.”

Lori Jamison Rog

TBC 164860

How might we ‘teach’ sight words?

• Introduce through shared reading and writing experiences

• Explicitly teach the words in context and in isolation

• Practice the words in playful ways

Introducing Sight Words

• Identify why they are special

• Look for them in context

http://www.google.ca/imgres?start=106&num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1008&bih=563&tbm=isch&tbnid=ZcRBV1y9nkvnZM:&imgrefurl=http://thisreadingmama.com/2011/08/11/sight-words-when-they-just-dont-stick/&docid=84Y59V02qEE-BM&imgurl=http://thisreadingmama.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/learning-words-by-sight-2.jpg&w=1136&h=852&ei=_8XkUIy7KevDiwKrmYG4Dg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=619&vpy=189&dur=62&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=172&ty=108&sig=115648992426463537524&page=6&tbnh=134&tbnw=202&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:21,s:100,i:67

Explicitly teach the words

• Show a model of the word

• Say the word

• Identify the letters in the word

• Identify the shape of the word

• Ask for connections

http://www.google.ca/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1120&bih=608&tbm=isch&tbnid=CYA652LJSykbhM:&imgrefurl=http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2012/03/learning-sight-words/&docid=KzlCVtLy0BFqjM&imgurl=http://www.icanteachmychild.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sight-word-practice.jpg&w=3504&h=2336&ei=-8jkUKi2AsbKiwLYhYBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=2&vpy=300&dur=141&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=115&ty=110&sig=115648992426463537524&page=2&tbnh=135&tbnw=183&start=23&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:30,s:0,i:180

http://www.google.ca/imgres?start=374&num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1120&bih=608&tbm=isch&tbnid=KF2ZedU0TeUo9M:&imgrefurl=http://www.parents.com/blogs/homeschool-den/2012/08/23/reading/sight-word-game/&docid=sAqnUee_eyKKxM&imgurl=http://blogs.mydevstaging.com/blogs/homeschool-den/files/2012/08/SightWordGame-675x256.jpg&w=675&h=256&ei=zcnkUKbtJobmiwLmuoDYDA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=609&sig=115648992426463537524&page=14&tbnh=122&tbnw=262&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:95,s:300,i:289&tx=188&ty=100

Practice Sight Words

• Chant the words

• Air spelling

• Carpet spelling

• Arm spelling

• Back spelling

• Camera spelling

• Search and Read

• Word Wallet

• Literacy Centres

http://pinterest.com/pin/89720217546338737/

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UeUT357LC6c/TpzGFK_t9WI/AAAAAAAAAHo/PeU1GMpAVAI/s1600/school+stuff+blog10.jpg

http://pinterest.com/pin/89720217546177102/

http://katherinemariephotography.com/blog/archives/7894

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KE4rp8Wxpm0/TpPLLOKmwDI/AAAAAAAAr4E/NKDa_K_WiyA/s1600/IMG_1397.jpg

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/ChristmasTreeSightWordPuzzles.htm

http://sprinklestokindergarten.blogspot.com/2012/01/wheres-bear.html

Enchanted Learning

http://www.google.ca/imgres?start=789&num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1120&bih=608&tbm=isch&tbnid=SAgkUkqFIfMGLM:&imgrefurl=http://pinterest.com/shamp69/sight-words/&docid=uDtd1NlMIQIcoM&imgurl=http://media-cache0.pinterest.com/upload/287386019941676996_wpQHUzCU_b.jpg&w=192&h=192&ei=N8jkULrFCuKOiAK-h4HwBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=78&sig=115648992426463537524&page=32&tbnh=142&tbnw=143&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:95,s:700,i:289&tx=108&ty=103

http://www.google.ca/imgres?start=374&num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1120&bih=608&tbm=isch&tbnid=mLklsF3e1242uM:&imgrefurl=http://www.juxtapost.com/site/permlink/c6a6afe0-144e-11e2-a7d8-11515d7496f7/post/mrs_morrow39s_kindergarten_popcorn_word_activitiesgreat_sight_word_ideas/&docid=DfX8549hLUxSPM&imgurl=http://jp6.r0tt.com/l_c5d04400-144e-11e2-9a62-6fbb4de00006.jpg&w=400&h=300&ei=zcnkUKbtJobmiwLmuoDYDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=293&vpy=250&dur=15&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=146&ty=138&sig=115648992426463537524&page=14&tbnh=131&tbnw=139&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:82,s:300,i:250

http://www.google.ca/imgres?start=439&num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1008&bih=563&tbm=isch&tbnid=-7xQCkXKAI3v8M:&imgrefurl=http://indulgy.com/post/9i7do31cF1/game-for-sight-words-canister-is-filled-with-cup&docid=46Oo-pW60FYPtM&imgurl=http://cdn.indulgy.com/O1/46/U1/19140367136183035xdWkC28zc.jpg&w=300&h=225&ei=08bkUPGdEu7aigLfhoBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=721&vpy=197&dur=2277&hovh=180&hovw=240&tx=157&ty=104&sig=115648992426463537524&page=20&tbnh=139&tbnw=173&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:60,s:400,i:184

http://www.google.ca/imgres?start=470&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1113&bih=608&tbm=isch&tbnid=xiY9ZsNQ7wnWGM:&imgrefurl=http://ourfeministplayschool.ca/sightwordroundhouse/&docid=LoGdQK6nldiJvM&imgurl=http://ourfeministplayschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/sightwordroundhouse.jpg&w=500&h=288&ei=383kUOaLLOaWiALEiYCgCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=206&vpy=275&dur=530&hovh=170&hovw=296&tx=196&ty=107&sig=115648992426463537524&page=18&tbnh=150&tbnw=246&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:80,s:400,i:244

http://www.google.ca/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1113&bih=608&tbm=isch&tbnid=F8PgGCjO8ystPM:&imgrefurl=http://izziemacandme.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-sight-words-printables.html&docid=sWEeDhymojoQ8M&imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gfM_SU3KqYU/TtYsOEZHP6I/AAAAAAAAG0c/QCMKPW-OWWw/s1600/2011-10-18+2011-10-18+001+011.JPG&w=1600&h=1200&ei=dcvkUP6pKeGCjAL_i4Fg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=130&vpy=251&dur=2293&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=162&ty=107&sig=115648992426463537524&page=3&tbnh=144&tbnw=221&start=45&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:46,s:0,i:228

http://www.prekinders.com/pattern-blocks/

http://pinterest.com/pin/89720217546214931/

Assessment

• After explicit teaching and meaningful practice time…

flash the word

• If they attempt to ‘sound out’ the irregular sight words

… they don’t know them

• Ask the student how they learn sight words

• Word Wallet - an assessment tool

• Transfer to Reading and Writing

“Stories are one of the ways children try the world on

for size. The best of stories show children who they

are and as importantly, who they might become.”

Diane W. Frankenstein

One Size Does Not Fit All!

“In the midst of teaching the practicalities of words, we

do not forget their magic.

The anchors of sight words can go a long way toward

producing confident early readers.

Our literacy curriculum must be designed to foster

interest and joy in words and their use.”

Fountas and Pinnell

Where to Next?

• Sight words Safari – January 22

Vocabulary Ventures

Early Writing

Guided Reading