Fun with sight words
48 Fun Sight Word Activities That Work
Teachers are always on the hunt for great sight word activities. Sight words are any words readers recognize automatically “by sight”—for fluent readers, that’s almost all words! High-frequency words, the most commonly occurring words in written English like those on the Dolch list, are often thought of as the most crucial sight words.
It’s a myth that blindly memorizing every letter in a sight word is the only way to learn it. The science of reading tells us that linking sounds and letters is the most effective way for kids’ brains to learn any word. Many common words are easy to tackle using beginning phonics skills (like “at,” “can,” “him,” etc.), so staying true to a strong phonics curriculum is one way to support kids’ sight word learning. Even irregularly spelled words have decodable parts, e.g., kids can use the sounds of “s” and “d” to help with “said,” even if the “ai” is unexpected. Experts often call these words “heart words” to call out for kids that they should learn the unexpected word parts “by heart. ” (If all this is unfamiliar to you, it can feel overwhelming, but you’ve got this! Check out teaching guru Jillian Starr’s explanation for more help.)
Check out these low-prep and engaging sight word activities for both teaching and practicing words.
1. Map it and drive it
This is a genius way to introduce words with appealing materials: Say the word, represent each sound with a LEGO brick, write letters for each sound, and “drive” to read it.
Source: @droppinknowledgewithheidi
2. Smush play dough for each sound
Set up a routine that works for any word. Play dough squishing for each sound is the ultimate multi-sensory component.
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Source: @playdough3plato
3. Map words with a magnet wand
It is so super-satisfying to drag those magnetic dots around! Watch the video below for lots of tips on introducing a word using this process.
Source: @warriorsforliteracy
4.
Make a mini bookLots of handy info in one place for your little learners.
Source: @hughesheartforfirst
5. Tap it, pop it, learn it!
Hardwire those words in kids’ brains with this comprehensive word intro routine. (You had us with the pop its!)
Source: @hellojenjones
6. Find and swat words
An oldie but such a goodie. Find a word in an array and WHACK! Swat it with a fly swatter!
Source: @kids_play_learn_laugh
7. Flip word pancakes
Serve up sight word pancakes while practicing spelling them aloud.
Source: @bee_happy_teaching
8. Wear heart word bracelets
Make kids feel like sight word VIPs.
Source: @teachingmoore
9. Search for sight word balls
Write sight words on ball pit balls with a chalk marker or dry-erase marker. Kids can race around hunting for balls to read and toss in a basket, or hunt through a big tub of balls for a certain word.
Source: @preschoolforyou
10.
Start a sight word bandLoud but oh-so-fun! Feel the rhythm while tapping and reading sight words stuck to homemade percussion instruments.
Source: @earlyyears_withmrsg
11. Drive on a sight word path
This is one of many fun ways to use magnetic tiles for learning! Kids love “knocking down” word tiles with a toy car as they read each one.
Source: @travisntyler
12. Use sticky notes to inspire sight word sentences
Have kids stick words on items that give them ideas for sentences. “My Mom said to wear a helmet!” = so good!
Source: @kinneypodlearning
13. Write words on a sensory bag
So easy: Fill a zip-top bag with a small amount of kid-safe paint, seal well, and have kids practice “writing” sight words with their finger or a cotton swab.
Source: @makeitmultisensory
14. Wear a sight word crown
Wear your word proudly and practice reading others’ words. Fun in person or virtually.
Source: @mrsjonescreationstation
15. Play a magnetic-tile board game
We love new ideas for ways to use magnetic tiles for sight word activities. Easy to set up and fun to play.
Source: @twotolove_bairantwins
16. Spell words to a familiar tune
Get sight words stuck in everyone’s head, in a good way. We’d add a line for chanting the sounds in the word!
Source: @saysbre
17. Feed a word monster
Nom, nom, nom.
Source: @ecplayandlearn
18. Search for the pom-pom under sight word cups
Read all the words as you try to find the cup that hides the prize.
Source: @la.la.learning
19. Play sight word KABOOM
This classroom classic is perfect for sight words. If you need a refresher on the rules, Jillian Starr covers them.
Source: @essentiallykinder
20. Roll and write words
Roll, write, repeat.
Source: @mylittlepandamonium
21. Write words with rainbow colors
Bonus points for aromatic markers.
Source: @mylittlepandamonium
22. Trace words with flashlights
Stock up on batteries because kids never get tired of this!
Source: @giggleswithgerg
23. Find words in plastic eggs
Give kids a checklist of words to find as they open each egg.
Source: @blooming_tots1
24. Spy words around the classroom
Just add a magnifying glass and clipboard to make kids feel like supersleuths!
Source: @readingcorneronline
25. Find words in the morning message
Don’t forget about old standbys! This is one of our favorite ways to get kids to recognize sight words in connected text.
Source: @tales_of_a_kinder_classroom
26. Build words with bricks
Such a great use of extra building bricks!
Source: @raysinkinder
27. Write words in sand
Easy-peasy to set up and keep neat if you use plastic pencil boxes.
Source: @teacherhacks
28. Spell words on a construction site
Bulldozing over each word to read it is the best part!
Source: @planningplaytime
29.
Spell words with toy carsDrive on over!
Source: @lozlovesprep
30. Park in a sight word “parking lot”
This one is easy to modify based on whatever toys are available in the classroom or at home.
Source: @msbendersclassroom
31. “Plant” words in play dough
Watch those reading skills grow!
Source: @planningplaytime
32. Build words in a sensory tub
Because spelling is just more fun when your hands are covered in beans!
Source: @coffeeandspitup
33. Write words on a magnetic drawing board
That eraser track makes for a perfect word card holder!
Source: @moffattgirls
34. Or write words on the window!
Everyone wants a turn to write on the window!
Source: @kindergarten_matters
35. Shhh! Discover words written in invisible ink
Write words in white crayon and reveal them with watercolors on top!
Source: @teachstarter
36.
Dot-paint words with a cotton swabCalming and effective.
Source: @sightwordactivities
37. “Type” words on a keyboard
Busy day at the sight word office! Use a keyboard cover or any old keyboard.
Source: @lifebetweensummers
38. Read words before heading through the door
The line leader can double as the word pointer during transitions.
Source: @ms.rowekinder
39. Read the word the teacher’s wearing!
Wait, is there something on my shirt?
Source: @theprimarypartner
40. Take a sight word cakewalk
Choose a winning word when the music stops!
Source: @joyfulinkinder
41. Play sight word hopscotch
If you can’t get outdoors, tape on the floor works just as well.
Source: @wheretheliteracygrows
42. Play tic-tac-toe
I’ll be team “the.”
Source: @create_n_teach
43. Go sight word bowling
No bowling pins? Use half-filled plastic water bottles instead.
Source: @thecreativeteacher_
44. Ready, aim, read
Just throw a beanbag at a word target if foam darts are a no-go.
Source: @laurens_lil_learners
45. Play muffin tin ball toss
Toss and read. It’s easy to use colored muffin cups to prep different sets of words.
Source: @homeschooling_fun_with_lynda
46. DIY sentence flash cards
Authentic use of words in context for the win.
Source: @teachertipsandtales
47. Play sight word checkers
King me! If kids don’t have a partner available, they can “play” with a stuffed animal and get double practice.
Source: @sightwordactivities
48. Play sight word Guess Who?
Set up this game once and use it forever.
Source: @lessons_and_lattes
We’d love to hear—what are your favorite sight word activities? Share in the comments below.
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Plus, what are sight words?
40+ Fun Ways to Practice Sight Words
The challenge with teaching sight words is that children need so much repetition – and that can get boring. So having a big list of fun ways to practice sight words can help you keep your students engaged longer.
adorable pencil clipart credit: Creative ClipsIf you teach kindergarten, then you probably already know that sight words are a big step in early literacy. Yes, phonics is critical too, but learning how to read some common words instantly really helps kids hit the ground running!
Of course, you want to make sure children are really ready to learn sight words so that no one gets frustrated.
These sight word practice ideas are sure to make work time feel more playful! Even better, many of these are multi-sensory activities – which we know actually help children learn better.
Write the Words in Fun Ways
- Trace the word on a sand, kinetic sand, or salt tray.
- Trace laminated sight word cards with finger paint or shaving cream (less mess than paint!).
- Go outside and write words with sidewalk chalk
- Or, stay inside and write the words on an easel or whiteboard. Dry erase markers make everything more interesting!
- Write or trace the words with glitter markers, scented markers, etc.
- Print off these cute worksheets and rainbow write the words!
- Write the words on a Magna Doodle magnetic drawing board.
Build Sight Words with Hands-On Materials
- Use playdough to build words.
- Build words with letter tiles, blocks, or alphabet beads.
- Use magnetic letters to spell out sight words.
- “Write” out the words with letter stamps.
- Create words out of dried macaroni and spaghetti, alphabet shaped pasta, or even letter shaped cookies.
Gross Motor Sight Word Practice Ideas
Active children learn well when they can move around. Plus, providing lots of opportunities for physical activity helps them stay engaged and interested in learning.
Here are some ideas that could work in a larger classroom or nearby hallway:
- Set up a sight word scavenger hunt where kids have to find the words and read them aloud.
- Make a sight word bean bag toss game: place words on the floor and try to toss a beanbag onto them. Read the words as part of playing.
- Try having kids jump over to the words on the floor instead of tossing a beanbag onto them.
- Play a matching game with 2 identical decks of word cards. Keep the first deck in a stack on one side of the classroom. Then, on the other side of the room, spread out all of the cards from the other deck. Students draw a card, read it, then walk across the room to find its match. Repeat until each sight word card has a match.
- Play a balancing game where students walk across a long strip of masking tape on the floor. Place word cards along the line for children to stop and read. Encourage them to use their imaginations and pretend they’re walking across a log bridge, tightrope, etc.
- Pretend to write the word in the air with their finger as a “pen. ”
Imaginative Play Sight Word Practice
When attention is lagging, some kids may respond to using imaginative play in their sight word practice!
- Have dolls, stuffed animals, or action figures “search” for certain sight words. (Ages ago my kids practiced sight words with toy animals).
- Similarly, you can have toy vehicles drive around to read and collect sight word flashcards.
- Give the child puppets to read out words. It’s fun to ready your words in a silly voice!
- Play police or fire dispatcher: say something like “there’s an emergency at the word have“! Then the child races to find that word card and pretend to help.
- Involve the kids in inventing a simple sight word game with favorite themes or characters.
Musical Sight Words
A quick search on youtube will bring you lots of sight word songs. Jack Hartman’s high-energy interactive songs are super popular. If you want some sweet, calming sight word songs, then Molly Songs may be for you:
You can also just make up songs on the fly using familiar tunes and popular songs.
If you want your students to focus more on the sounds of each letter, and notice which words are irregular – a la Science of Reading – then you might like this newer playlist that I found from Nitty Gritty Phonics. There is more silly/engaging acting than singing, and the production value isn’t as high, but I think the educational value is fantastic.
Practice with Sight Word Apps
Practicing sight words with an app can be another easy way to keep kids interested in learning.
Some popular sight word apps include:
- ABC Mouse (ad)
- Reading Eggs
- Learn Sight Words (ipad, iphone only)
- Sight Words from RV App Studios
You can also practice with Boom Cards, which are wonderful because they can give teachers data about exactly which words students are struggling with.
Hands-On Sight Word Worksheets
Sight word worksheets don’t have to be boring. Many good ones incorporate interesting materials, such as dot markers, stamp markers, etc.
Here are a few from this site and in my store that you might like:
Easy Prep Sight Word Center Activities
You also can print off and prepare cute sight word puzzles, feed the sight word activities, and more.
- Swat the Sight Word
- Sight Word Fishing Game
- Popsicle Stick Sight Word Puzzles
- Feed the Cow Sight Word Activity
In conclusion, young children can practice sight words in so many ways! You really don’t need to bore them with flashcards and drills. They’ll learn by having fun!
New words from the word FUN
We managed to find 21 new words (anagrams) for the word "fun" up to 5 letters long
5
- Veles
- wels
- village
4
- wels
- val
- whole
- evle
- spruce
- leve
- forest
- village
3
- weight
- all
- barely
- spruce
- Yes
- lion
- forest
- leagues
- sev
- ce
Meanings of found words
- ship's freeboard
- city in Austria
- Freeboard
- (hair) ancient Slavic god of the earth, patron of livestock, trade and protector of the dead (mythical)
- Slavic god - patron of livestock, wealth, trade
- who in Kievan Rus was revered as the god of all Rus'?
- Canadian pathologist, introduced the concept of stress
- Canadian pathologist who formulated the concept of stress
- who introduced the concepts of adaptation syndrome, adaptation diseases?
- (well “well”) space in the hold where pumps and pumps are stored
- (well "well") space in the hold where pumps and pumps are stored
- m. a separate space in the hold, near the mainmast, where water flows and pumps are inserted; lyalo, volzhsk. lyac
- god of the underworld and cattle in Baltic mythology
- a small rural settlement among the Slavs
- administrative-territorial unit in the Russian Empire
- settlement among the Slavs
All words alphabetically
- A
- B
- B
- D
- D
- E
- F
- W
- and
- Y
- K
- L
- M
- H
- O
- P
- P
- C
- T
- W
- F
- X
- C
- H
- W
- W
- S
- E
- Yu
- I
What does fun mean - Meanings of words
fun in the crossword dictionary
fun
- Joyful pastime
- His sign is laughter
- Joyful mood
- Not boring time
- Jokes, laughter and good mood
- Rejoicing in rhyme with housewarming
- The atmosphere in the company, accompanied by laughter
- Fun
- Reigns at the feast
- "Saturday to work, Sunday to . .." (last)
- “The first cup of wine is for health, the second for ..., the third for joy, and the fourth for drunkenness”
- On Saturday for work, on Sunday for ... (last)
- "Saturday to work, Sunday to..." (last)
- Joyful revelry
- Lively, joyful pastime
- Carefree joyful mood
- Good mood
- Carefree-joyful mood, joyful pastime
- Carefree-joyful mood, lively, joyful pastime
- Synonym for joy
- Human condition
- "The first cup of wine is for health, the second for . .., the third for joy, and the fourth for drunkenness"
- Mood uplift
Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov
fun
fun, r. pl. cheerful, cf.
-
unit only Carefree-joyful mood (with its external manifestations), gaiety. He infected society with his joy.
-
(pl. obsolete). Entertainment, fun, amusement. Indulge in fun. A fun-loving person.
-
only PU An object of joy, joy (book rhetoric.). She is the joy of my heart.
Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language.
S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova.fun
th, cf. Carefree-joyful mood, lively, joyful pastime. Indulge in fun.
New explanatory and derivational dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.
fun
cf.
-
Carefree and joyful mood, joyful revival.
-
Lively, noisy entertainment, amusement.
Examples of the use of the word fun in the literature.
Junior Lieutenant Alyoshin, leaning his chest on the table, pressing his fist to his mouth, looked at Novikov with eyes reddened from tension, splashing with merriment - he choked with laughter.
They differ from them only in that they can feel sadness, disappointment and grief, love, fun and joy, ambition, anger or pity.
This subject seems to have imposed on himself the difficult skill of entertaining the public with jokes, in which there was very little humor, even less fun, and there was no point at all.
With her laughter she infected the Snipe, then the Red mullet giggled, the Goby laughed after her, and, finally, the fun touched the Brave Ruff.
Wrolf and Periwinkle, too solid to dance or jump, also took part in the general fun - Wrolf wagged his tail, and Periwinkle neighed with joy at the highest note.
You have to live without music and fun, and even the barony is not given until the end of days, but requires an annual renewal at the Council!
Admiring the merriment of the batteries, Aleksey felt that his good mood was gradually returning to him.
And with the onset of darkness, lay out, as in the days of joy, cheerful bonfires in front of your houses, gather on your flat roofs, light oil lamps and torches and, by their light, under a canopy of stars, sing, call the musicians, let the bayadères go around the temples at home they dance tirelessly, thanks to the joy of the ever-rejoicing gods.
Youth needs its own - music, dancing, fun, but there is no accordion player in the regiment.
Petersburg, under its gray sky, lying low on the roofs of houses, anxiety and expectation of coming terrible changes were poured Feverish, crazy, mixed with blood and debauchery, merriment raged in the city In chandeliers shining with crystal and bronze, diamonds of bare women's shoulders and hands in high-society salons , permeated with cocaine fog, shaking with crazy disputes and insane verses of bohemian gatherings, dirty smelly taverns of dark working outskirts - everywhere they had fun the same way, trampling all the rules, norms, morality, as if this night, cursed and the last not only in life, but also on the whole planet, and then - darkness, chaos and non-existence will envelop the world and there is nothing in it, neither eternal life, nor retribution, nor the Last Judgment, and there is no more Great Judge over them, and there is nothing but dark cold, filled with fear and vice nights.
The old Borja himself, despite being seventy years old, healthy and powerful, like a seasoned bull, seemed to be a descendant of his heraldic beast, the golden-purple bull, the god of the sun, fun, voluptuousness and fertility.
It was my idea - to visit the living levels of the Labyrinth at night, in places where the frolic and fun did not stop at night.
It was only a little later that Rather realized the true reason for his merriment: Booce had finally found at least one weak point in this frightening science of the Citizen Tree.
After all, he managed to convince Murad and the viziers imperceptibly - now in the midst of fun, then in business conversations, that it was dangerous to postpone the campaign three times, it was necessary that with the onset of spring the preparations be completed.
Certain mental symptoms, which are worse in the morning on waking, and are accompanied by great melancholy, are replaced in the evening by a cheerful and joyful mood, up to wild merriment.