Why start with these six
Words like "the" and "see" appear in nearly every picture book, so a child who knows them can begin to join in when you read together. These six are also short. With "I" and "a", a child can write a whole word using a single letter, which is a real boost to their confidence.
Read it, trace it, say it
Tracing alone won't teach a word, so link it to reading:
- Read the word aloud and have your child repeat it.
- Trace it once while spelling out each letter.
- Say a short sentence that uses it, like "I see a dog."
- Hunt for the word in a favourite picture book.
How many at a time?
Most Pre-K children do best learning one or two new words a week and returning to old ones often. If six feels like a lot, cut the list down. Many programmes don't formally teach sight words until kindergarten, so treat this as an extra for a child who is curious about reading, not something they have to do.
Keep practising
When these feel familiar, try our sight word search or a game of sight word bingo. Both use more words, and they feel more like play than practice.