Words that a first grader should know


First Grade Sight Words List

Sight words are words that appear frequently in most of the text kids read, but can't easily be sounded out. Learning to recognize sight words through—you guessed it—sight is the easiest and quickest way for early readers to progress and become confident.

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These two tables list common sight words and cover not only words that first graders should recognize on sight by the end of the year, Table 2 includes words that they should be able to read, write and spell. So get crackin'!

Sight Words for 1st Graders to be Able to Read by the End of 1st Grade
about
each
if
nice
than
walk
after
every
jump
now
thank
want
again
find
just
old
their
way
also
first
keep
only
them
went
another
from
kind
or
then
were
any
funny
know
other
these
when
ask
give
learn
over
thing
where
back
going
live
people
think
which
because
great
long
put
use
word
been
had
many
rain
very
work
before
hers
may
right
 
would
by
high
more
should
 
write
could
house
much
some
 
your
day
how
 
 
 
yours

 

Use these lists of common words to help children improve reading skills quickly by using the words in games. A sight words memory game is easy to make with paper and markers, or, make a hopping good time out of it with a physical word game that's good for outside and can be adapted to indoors.

Words for 1st Graders to be Able to Read, Write, and Spell by the End of 1st Grade
a
came
had
make
people
ten
walk
all
can
has
many
play
than
want
am
come
have
me
please
thank
was
an
day
he
more
pretty
that
we
and
did
her
much
purple
the
were
any
do
here
must
put
them
what
are
down
hers
my
ran
then
when
as
eat
him
new
red
there
where
ask
eight
his
nice
run
these
which
at
find
how
nine
said
they
white
ate
five
if
no
saw
thing
who
away
for
in
not
say
this
why
be
four
into
now
see
three
with
because
from
is
of
seven
to
went
been
get
it
on
she
too
work
before
girl
jump
one
six
two
yellow
big
go
like
only
small
up
yes
black
going
little
or
so
very
you
blue
good
look
orange
some
 
your
boy
great
 
other
soon
 
 
brown
green
 
our
 
 
 
but
 
 
out
 
 
 
by
 
 
over
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Need more sight words practice? Download our sight words flashcards to help your child master over 100 new words.  

Learning sight words doesn't have to be all rote memorization. Our free online sight words games help make mastering new words fun, with silly interactive games full of themes and gameplay every kind of kid will love.

Check out our first grade resources page for more games, lesson plans, and worksheets that focus on literacy and word practice.

Next Article: Sight Words

250+ Sight Words for First Graders That Kids Can Easily Learn

In Grade 1, children’s language skills develop rapidly. They learn to use more words and start putting them together to form simple sentences. As their vocabularies grow, they encounter more sight words. They are called ‘sight words’ because children should recognize and understand them as soon as they see them – without having to decode or use sounds to identify them. But what are they and which are the sight words for first graders?

What are Sight Words?

Sight Words for first graders are the most common words that children come across. They are usually short words, such as the, and, of, to, you, and I. These are high-frequency words that appear in any English text very often. Knowing these words helps children to improve their reading fluency and comprehension skills. It also hones their vocabulary development.

By the end of the first grade, children should know around 200 sight words – with spellings. The kids will often come across these words in the texts they read or speeches they hear. Creatively incorporating these sight words in different activities can help kids become better readers and writers. 

250 Most Common Sight Words for First Graders

Dr. Edward William Dolch, an educator, studied children’s books of his time and came up with 220 ‘service words’ that occurred most frequently in those books. He developed the list in the 1930s-40s and suggested the following sight words for 1st graders: 

1. after11. from21. know31. round
2. again12. give22. let32. some
3. an13. going23. live33. stop
4. any14. had24. May34. take
5. as15. has25. of35. thank
6. ask16. her26. old36. them
7. by17. him27. once37. then
8. could18. his28. open38. think
9. every19. how29. over39. walk
10. fly20. just30. put40. were
41. when

Dr. Edward Fry prepared his list of 1,000 most common words in the 1950s, which was updated in 1980. The list of 100 sight words for first grade students by Fry covers almost 90% of the words 6-7 year-olds will come across in stories, poems, and informational texts:

1. a26. from51. more76. there
2. about27. get52. my77. these
3. all28. go53. no78. they
4. am29. had54. not79. this
5. an30. has55. now80. time
6. and31. have56. number81. to
7. are32. he57. of82. two
8. as33. her58. on83. up
9. at34. him59. one84. use
10. be35. his60. or85. was
11. been36. how61. other86. water
12. but37. I62. out87. way
13. by38. if63. part88. we
14. called39. in64. people89. were
15. can40. into65. said90. what
16. come41. is66. see91. when
17. could42. it67. she92. which
18. day43. its68. so93. who
19. did44. like69. some94. will
20. do45. long70. than95. with
21. down46. look71. that96. words
22. each47. made72. the97. would
23. find48. make73. their98. write
24. first49. many74. them99. you
25. for50. may75. then100. your

As you’ll notice, almost 18 words are common between these Dolch and Fry lists of sight words for first-grade students. Between them, we have a list of 123 first grade sight words.

SplashLearn experts also recommend a list of 130 more sight words first graders can quickly learn:

1. before26. animal51. frog76. stomach
2. funny27. dog52. crab77. thigh
3. hers28. cat53. fox78. knee
4. high29. cow54. camel79. leg
5. jump30. sheep55. lion80. feet
6. keep31. rabbit56. elephant81. eat
7. learn32. duck57. girl82. run
8. much33. hen58. boy83. drink
9. only34. horse59. toy84. walk
10. thing35. pig60. ball85. chop
11. want36. turkey61. doll86. sing
12. yours37. chicken62. ears87. act
13. color38. donkey63. eyes88. kick
14. yellow39. goat64. head89. mix
15. orange40. mouse65. nose90. sit 
16. pink41. deer66. mouth 
17. green42. moose67. teeth 
18. blue43. koala68. neck 
19. red44. wolf69. shoulder 
20. black45. bear70. arm 
21. white46. snake71. elbow 
22. silver47. bird72. hand 
23. gold48. fish73. fingers 
24. brown49. bat74. thumb 
25. purple50. tiger75. chest 

Sight words for first graders to help with their math vocabulary include the following:

1. zero11. nine21. match31. before
2. digit12. ten22. size32. less
3. one13. number23. compare33. plus
4. two14. input24. less than34. minus
5. three15. output25. opposite35. add
6. four16. similar26. more than36. subtract
7. five17. object27. near37. ones
8. six18. sort28. half38. tens
9. seven19. different29. after39. place value
10. eight20. alike30. equal40. rule

Fun and Effective Ways to Help Grade 1 Students Learn Sight Words

Whether you are a parent or a teacher, you can use plenty of fun and effective ways to help first graders learn sight words. Below are some creative ideas:

1. Word Walls: Word walls are an excellent way for kids to see the words they are learning visually. You can create a word wall in your home or classroom by putting up posters with all the sight words. As your child learns each word, you can highlight it or put a checkmark next to it.
2. Memory Games: Memory games are fun for kids and help them learn new words while improving their memory skills. There are many different ways to play memory games with sight words. For example, you can write the words on slips of paper and put them face down. Then, have your child take turns flipping over two pieces of paper at a time to try to find a match. They can keep the pair if they find a game; if not, they should flip the papers back over and try again.
3. I Spy: I Spy is another fun game kids can play with sight words. To play, you can choose a sight word and then say, “I spy something that starts with the letter…” For example, if the word is “ball,” you would say, “I spy something that starts with the letter b. ” Then, your child would look around the room and try to find an object that starts with the letter b. Once they find it, they can say what it is.
4. Flashcards: Flashcards are a classic way to help kids learn new words. You can make flashcards by writing the sight words on paper or index cards. Or, you can purchase pre-made flashcards. To use the flashcards, you can hold up each card and have your child read the word out loud. As they become more familiar with the words, you can time them to see how fast they can read them.
5. Sight Word Books: Sight word books are books that contain a lot of repetition of sight words. These books can help kids learn new words by seeing them repeatedly. There are many sight word books available, or you can make your own by finding a book with a lot of repetition and replacing some words with sight words.

Sight Word Games for First Graders to Play at Home or in Class

1. Hide and Seek (Find the Sight Words) Game:

You will need:
  • A list of 1st grade sight words
  • A stopwatch
Instructions:

This is a great game to get the kids up and moving while they learn their sight words. It’s also a good way to get them to recognize sight words in different contexts.

  1. Print out the list of sight words on individual slips of paper.
  2. Stick them up around the room at different heights, ensuring they are within reach of the kids.
  3. When you say “go,” the kids have to find as many sight words as they can and bring them to you in the allotted time.
  4. The kid with the most sight words at the end of the game wins!

2. Word Ladder:

You will need:
  • A list of sight words for first graders
  • A whiteboard or blackboard
Instructions:

This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context.

  1. Choose a sight word from the list.
  2. Write it on the board.
  3. Ask the kids to come up with a sentence that uses the word.
  4. Write it down on the board.
  5. Repeat with another sight word.

3. Make a Sight Word Book:

You will need:
  • A first grade sights word list
  • Construction paper or cardstock
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Pencils or crayons
Instructions:

This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context.

  1. Choose a sight word from the first grade sight words list.
  2. Write it on a piece of construction paper or cardstock.
  3. Ask the kids to come up with a sentence that uses the word.
  4. Write it down under the sight word.
  5. Ask the kids to illustrate their sentences.
  6. Repeat with another sight word.

7. Once all the sight words have been used, cut out each page and staple them together to make a book.

8. Encourage the kids to read their books aloud in the class, to you, or somebody else.

4. Roll, Read, and Race Board Game:

You will need:
  • A list of sight words for Grade 1 students
  • A dice
  • A game board (you can make your own or use a commercially available one)
  • Pawns or markers
Instructions:

This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context. Reviewing math concepts such as numbers, addition, and subtraction is also fun.

  1. Design the board game using a list of sight words.
  2. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their pawns or markers around the board.
  3. If they land on a space with a sight word, they have to read it aloud. If they get it right, they can stay in that space. If they get it wrong, they have to move back to the previous space.
  4. For Math, use numbers on the dice and spaces on the board. Players must add or subtract the numbers they rolled and move their pawns or markers to the new space.
  5. The first player to reach the “Finish” space is the winner!

5. Simple and Easy Crossword Game:

You will need:
  • A list of sight words for 1st graders
  • A whiteboard or blackboard
  • A marker or chalk
Instructions:

This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context.

  1. Make a simple crossword puzzle using the list of sight words.
  2. Call out a sight word and ask the kids to find it in the puzzle and read it aloud.
  3. Repeat with another sight word.

6. Bingo:

You will need:
  • A list of Grade 1 sight words
  • Bingo cards (you can make your own or use a commercially available one)
  • Markers or chips
Instructions:

This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context.

  1. Make a simple bingo card using the list of sight words.
  2. Call out a sight word and ask the kids to find it on their bingo card and mark it with a marker or chip.
  3. Repeat with another sight word until someone gets five in a row and calls out “Bingo!”.

7. Read Stories:

You will need:
  • A list of sight words you want to teach to first graders
  • Stories that contain the sight words
Instructions:

This is a great way to help kids learn to recognize sight words in context.

  1. Choose a story that contains several of the sight words on your list.
  2. Read the story aloud to the kids.
  3. Ask them to listen for the sight words and point them out as you read.
  4. Repeat with another story.

8. Act It Out:

You will need:
  • A list of sight words 1st grade students need to learn
  • A whiteboard or blackboard
  • A marker or chalk
Instructions:

This is a great way to help the first graders make connections between the words and their meanings.

  1. Choose an action-oriented sight word from the list.
  2. Call it out, and kids have to act it out. For example, if you say “jump”, the kids have to jump up and down.
  3. This action-oriented game is fun, interactive, and helps the kids learn sight words in a meaningful way.
  4. Repeat with another sight word.

Online Games to Promote Learning of Sight Words in First Grade

1.

Sight Words Games for 1st Graders at SplashLearn

Let your child join millions of learners at SplashLearn to practice sight words, identify them by sounds, decode them instantly, and get tested on their knowledge of words. As they play exciting games, they pick up new words and their confidence in reading grows manifold.

The learning program is free for teachers, while parents have a 7-day free trial and can then subscribe. The subscription plans start at just $4.99 per month.

2. Bingo Card Creator at SightWords

You can create Bingo cards using the sight word for first graders using this web app for the game mentioned above. You can choose how many Bingo cards you want to create, their layout, the grade of your child, whether you want to create Dolch sight words or Fry sight words. 

Print out the Bingo cards displayed on the screen in PDF format. This site is free for everyone.

3. Sight Words Hopper at Education.com

Kindergarten and Grade 1 students love to help Cuz-Cuz jump over mud puddles. As the narrator reads the high-frequency words or sight words lying in puddles, kids have to jump over the right puddle.

You can try it for free, but to get unlimited access to all its fun and interactive games, you have to subscribe to it. The subscription starts at $5 per month.

4. Illustrated Story at Edoki Academy

Meant for gifted students, the children must read words, understand their meanings, and choose the correct pictures to illustrate the simple sentences they see. After all, this is how elementary school students can develop reading skills.

You can try it for free for one week and then subscribe. The subscription to Edoki Club starts at $3.50 per month.

5. Out of Sight Words at ABCya.com

This quirky game asks children to read a sight word and find a corresponding image. This game uses 220 words from the Dolch Word List and includes nouns, pronounces, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions.

You can use it for free but have to subscribe to it for an ad-free experience. The premium version also offers several other features, such as setting a timer for the games, controlling the access of games, etc. The subscription starts at $5.83 per month.

We hope you and your first graders enjoy these games and activities to learn new sight words. Learning sight words is an important step in a child’s reading development, and these activities will give them a head start!

Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. We would love to hear from you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we teach students sight words?

Sight words frequently occur in the text but are difficult to sound out using phonics rules. They must be learned by sight to become fluent readers.

What are some tips for teaching sight words at home?

There are many ways to incorporate sight words into your everyday routine at home. Read aloud to your child daily and point out sight words as you come across them. With time, you can ask them to read the sight word when you come across one.

You can also make a game out of it by hiding sight words around the house and having them search for them. Finally, you can create a sight word wall in your home where you post new words for your child to learn.

Can I skip sight words for my first grader if they are already good at reading?

Sight words should not be skipped, as they are important to a child’s reading development. If your child is already good at reading, you can challenge them by asking them to read longer texts incorporating more sight words. You can also ask them to use the words in their sentences.

How many words per minute a first-grader should read

Children come to the first grade with very different skill levels. Someone already fluently reads whole stories, the other can barely read a line by syllables. Many parents diligently teach their children to read before school. And it is no accident: despite the fact that there are no official requirements for reading standards for a child entering school, testing a child for reading speed in the first grade will begin at the end of the first half of the year. According to the indicative norms of the Federal State Educational Standard, a first-grader should read 25-30 words per minute in the first half of the year and 30-40 in the second. Note that the norms are indicative, so gymnasiums, for example, can raise the bar higher, and correctional schools, on the contrary, lower it a little. Here are some tips on how to make learning to read effective and comfortable for you and your child.

Don't chase reading speed

That's right. After all, if you train a child precisely on the speed of pronunciation of words, then he will be able to learn how to quickly read the text, but he will not understand what he read. Don't do your child a disservice. School performance is, of course, important, but not only the praise of the teacher is at stake, but also the development of the child. Therefore, when teaching a child to read, pay attention to the semantic content of the text, discuss with him the characters, their words and deeds, together recall the events of previously read books. Speed ​​will be gained gradually, thanks to constant practice and several useful exercises.

Choose the right literature

It is better to start learning to read with books "by age", well illustrated, with large letters and not too long words - consisting of two or three syllables. In addition, it is important that all the words in the book are familiar to the child.

Do not overdo it

Do not start learning to read too early, experts advise not to do this before the age of 5, because the child's body during this period absorbs all the impressions of the surrounding world, but is not yet ready to perceive the text. But he will be happy to listen to your reading and from an early age he will perceive a book in his hands as something obviously fascinating. Do not force a child to read, do not turn the joy of reading into a duty. Try not to intimidate him with upcoming checks, otherwise interest will instantly turn into a routine. Learning to read for a child is a lot of work. If the child is tired, there is nothing wrong with you reading aloud to him.

Learn by playing

You can collect words from cubes with spellings written on them. You can guess cards with inscriptions and drawings. Or read stories in which some words are replaced by pictures. In any case, the process of reading at first should include something else besides reading itself. A game element that will support the interest of the child and will not let him run out of steam at the very beginning of learning.

Game exercises for developing reading speed

If your child has already learned to read whole words and combine them into sentences, it's time to think about developing reading speed.

Play animals with him: try to imagine and show how a horse gallops, how a horse speaks and how a horse reads? How does a turtle work? And the tiger?

Try to read by roles on behalf of different characters in the story. Surely they will have not only different timbres, but also different pronunciation speeds.

Read with the child in turn and gradually increase the pace of reading your piece, the child, in turn, will repeat after you and will learn to read faster.

Following the tips above will help your child read as many words per minute as a grade 1 student should on the first test, without losing the meaning of what they read and without losing interest in the book.

what a child should know and be able to do

Most parents closely monitor their child's progress at school, and, of course, they are concerned about whether he is doing well in the school curriculum, including in English. Today our expert will try to answer the question of what results in learning English a child should achieve by the end of the first school year.


Marina Dukhanina - teacher Allright.com

There is a single English program for elementary grades recommended by the Ministry of Education. For example, in Russia, in most general education schools, the study of a foreign language begins in the second grade. Some schools (gymnasiums, or specialized schools with in-depth study of English) introduce this subject from the first year of study.

However, this does not mean that already in the first grade the child will begin to read and write confidently. At this time, the school English program is built on the principle of verbal advance . This means that at first the child learns to distinguish English speech by ear and copy it.

Methods of teaching English to children 7 years old

During the lessons, children listen to stories, looking at pictures and comics. They repeat the words after the announcer and the teacher, learn to pronounce them on their own. The main attention is paid to the development of oral speech and vocabulary replenishment.

As for the letters and alphabet , their study in the first grade is not necessarily , and depends on the particular school or even the teacher. In some schools, letters begin to be taught already from the second quarter, which will greatly facilitate the task for second-graders, when, according to the program, the student will have to master the entire alphabet in just a few lessons. On the other hand, it may not be easy for children to learn the English alphabet in the first grade, as they still need to learn Russian letters and numbers.


What a first grader should know by the end of the year

So, here is a list of what a child who studied English in the first grade should know:

1. Skills and abilities:

- Participate in simple dialogues, be able to say hello and say goodbye, answer questions about yourself.

- Describe yourself, your family, a friend, an animal, a briefcase, a room according to the model within 5 sentences.


Advice: do not ask your child to spontaneously talk about a given topic, because even in Russian it is usually difficult for children to talk about something smoothly.


– Listen to the words and expressions that have been studied during the year.

- Understand the basic content of simple stories based on familiar words based on pictures.

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2. Basic words and expressions:
💁
Introduction to English

Hello! Goodbye!

What's your name? – My name is…

How are you? – I'm fine, thank you.

How old are you? – I'm seven.

I'm a boy / girl.

🎨 Colors

It’s yellow / green / blue / red/ orange / pink / black / brown / gray / white / purple.

🔢 Numbers from 1 to 10
👪 Family

This is my family. This is my mum / mother / dad / father / brother / sister.

I have got a (mother).

🕺 Teacher commands and simple phrases

Stand up! Sit down! Open your book! Close your book! Clap your hands! look! Listen! Yes! No! thank you!

🏫 School

I have got a book / pen / pencil / rubber / ruler / bag / pencil case.

This is my (pen).

My (pen) is (blue).

🐶 Animals

I have got a cat / dog / parrot / rabbit / mouse / hamster / tortoise.

This is a monkey / elephant / crocodile / bird / duck.

This is my (cat).

It is (big) and (black).

It has got (a nose).

It can (run).

🔑 Room

I have got a bed / table / chair / TV.

This is my room/house.

My (room) is big /small.

My (chair) is (brown).

🎮 Toys

I have got a ball / doll / plane / car / train / boat / bike / kite / teddy bear / drums / guitar.

This is my (car). It is (red).

💃 Skills

I can run / jump / play / climb / swim / eat / drink / dance / sing.

I can’ t fly.


Learn more