Sight words are the most frequently used words in text or speeches. These are short and simple words used to give more meaning to the conversation. For example, is, the, for, and, but, etc. Learning sight words helps children to quickly understand the meaning of words that they are trying to read or speak. It also helps your child convey the information he wants to share. Once children get familiar with letters of the alphabet, they focus on learning new vocabulary words. Apart from learning vocabulary words, it is important for children to be aware of sight words which are an integral part of communication. 

Teaching sight words helps children to enhance their vocabulary and language skills. Besides this, they will become more proficient in reading and writing. To teach sight words for kids, you need to plan effective strategies so that they understand and recognize these words effortlessly. Sight words are often referred to as popcorn words as they keep popping up in almost every sentence you speak. You should not expect your child to learn all the sight words at once. They have to be taught to children, based on their understanding levels and age. 

Can you present sight words visually? No, sight words are something that is not represented in the form of images or graphics. These sight words can only be recognized and memorized. They majorly support verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc., in sentences.  Using sight words in sentences helps your child to give more meaning to their conversations. To grow their knowledge of sight words, you can plan an interesting activity or game that will boost their understanding of these frequently-used words. Depending on their age group, you can teach children the sight words suitable for them to learn. Learning sight words helps your child to enhance their communication skills for better learning outcomes. 

5 Ways to Teach Sight Words to Children

Learning sight words enhances your child’s comprehension, and other important skills necessary for developing good communication skills. To start with, you need to keep in mind your child’s comprehension levels and their ability to interpret information. Here are some interesting ways to teach sight words to your children. 

• Keep it short and precise: To teach your child sight words, you need to give short and simple examples in the initial stages.  When you do this, your child can easily understand the meaning of words being used in the sentences. This enables your child to recognize and use them appropriately while communicating. 
• Practice regularly: These words are important for making meaningful conversations. Therefore, it is crucial for your child to recognize and memorize sight words for better comprehension. This is possible if you teach your child sight words on a regular basis. With regular practice, children will be able to grasp the words and retain them in their memory forever. 
• Make learning fun: Young children are very playful and you need to make learning fun and entertaining for them. To create interest in learning sight words, you can incorporate exciting activities that will turn their attention towards learning. To actively engage children in learning sight words, you should plan activities keeping in mind the interests of your child. 
• Build sentences using sight words: Children must get acquainted with sight words in order to develop good communication skills. Therefore, you can help your child by asking them to build sentences using sight words that they have learned earlier. This helps them to recall the words and use them appropriately in framing meaningful sentences.
• Spot sight words: You can enhance your child’s knowledge by making them spot the sight words in books, magazines, brochures, posters, banners, etc. This helps them to recognize the sight words effectively. Besides this, you can ask your children to spot the words in the house and their surroundings. 

Benefits of Teaching Sight Words to Children 

Teaching sight words to your children with the help of fun activities will boost their confidence. To enhance their learning experience, you can conduct literacy games for kids so that they learn sight words while having fun. Some of the benefits of teaching children sight words are mentioned below:

• Develops vocabulary and language skills.
• Improves reading and writing skills.
• Familiarises children with pronunciation of sight words.
• Develops good communication skills. 
• Provides meaning to the sentences they communicate.