{"id":13170,"date":"2024-01-17T09:22:20","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T14:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kumon.com\/resources\/?p=13170"},"modified":"2024-08-29T13:20:32","modified_gmt":"2024-08-29T17:20:32","slug":"what-are-the-first-sight-words-a-child-learns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kumon.com\/resources\/what-are-the-first-sight-words-a-child-learns\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the First Sight Words A Child Learns?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first sight words a child learns are the most commonly used words in written texts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, much of the process of learning sight words<\/a>, often termed high-frequency words, has already been simplified and educationally mapped over the last century by literacy professionals, including Kumon.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importance of Sight Words <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The significance of teaching these words lies in their prevalence and the foundational role they play in a child’s early reading journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kumon\u2019s 100-word list accounts for many of the most frequently used words in the English language. Memorizing these words helps to promote fluency in reading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s a funny thing about sight words \u2013 they don\u2019t typically follow the established phonetic pronunciation, as many words do. This means they are difficult for children to sound out using phonetic decoding. And using other clues, like images, don\u2019t work, either. Can you draw an image of \u201cby,\u201d \u201cthey\u201d or \u201cher?\u201d In this sense, memorization is the only way to learn them fluently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The First Sight Words <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Kumon\u2019s list of sight words was carefully compiled due to their high frequency in early reading materials and their role in providing a strong foundation for a child\u2019s future literacy skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the words on Kumon\u2019s list include a, on, I, to, it, says, with, his, her, time, off, friend, please, pretty, when, your, but, away, its, went, that, they, our, old, ready, more, each and ate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These sight words are the first set of words that establish the building blocks of reading fluency. As your child becomes proficient in recognizing these words, their reading can become smoother, and they will be able to read at a faster pace. This fluency contributes to a deeper understanding of the text, as the focus shifts from decoding individual words to comprehending overall meaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helpful Strategies and Kids\u2019 Activities <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Helping your child master sight words can provide a confidence boost. Success in recognizing these frequently occurring words encourages a positive attitude toward reading<\/a> and sets the stage for a lifelong love of learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A great thing about learning sight words is that it\u2019s easy for parents to become involved. The words are best learned through repetition, a little bit at a time, and can be done through a variety of fun activities. Working hard to memorize and recognize these words at an early age will allow your child\u2019s cognitive resources to be available later to tackle tougher words that require stronger phonetic decoding skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you help kids practice?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n