What Are Sight Words?
Sight words are words children should recognize instantly — without sounding them out. They're also called "tricky words" because many don't follow phonics rules.
Why Are They "Tricky"?
Try sounding out these words with phonics rules:
Should sound like "sed" but spells like "said"
Should sound like "wuz" but spells like "was"
The "e" doesn't follow any vowel rule!
Should be "kohm" with magic-e, but it's "cum"
Phonics Words
Can be sounded out letter by letter:
✓ Follow phonics rules
Sight Words
Must be memorized by sight:
⚡ Recognized instantly
50-75%
of all words in children's books are sight words. Master these, and reading becomes much easier!
Sight Words by Level
The Dolch list contains 220 high-frequency words organized by grade level. Here are the words for LKG & UKG:
Pre-Primer
LKG Level • 40 Words
Primer
UKG Level • 52 Words
💡 How to Teach Sight Words
- 1 Start small — Learn 3-5 words at a time
- 2 Read decodable stories — See words in real sentences
- 3 Read in context — Use words in sentences
- 4 Make it fun — Games beat worksheets!
Goal: Recognize each word in under 3 seconds!
Practice with free decodable stories in the app — see sight words in real sentences!
Read Stories Free →Practice with Decodable Stories
Flashcards are great, but the best way to master sight words is to see them in real sentences. Our decodable stories use only words your child has learned — no surprises!
- ✓ Stories use only phonics words + sight words your child knows
- ✓ Builds reading confidence — no frustrating guessing
- ✓ Free in the ReadingCraft app
Example Decodable Story:
"The cat sat on the mat. I said, 'Come here, cat!'"
Frequently Asked Questions
Sight words are common words that children should recognize instantly "by sight" without needing to sound them out. Many sight words don't follow regular phonics rules (like 'the', 'said', 'was'), which is why they're also called 'tricky words'. They make up 50-75% of all text children read.
Phonics teaches children to decode words by sounding out each letter (c-a-t = cat). Sight words are memorized as whole words because they don't follow phonics rules. For example, 'said' doesn't sound like s-a-i-d when read phonetically. Children need both skills to become fluent readers.
By the end of LKG (age 4-5), children should know about 20-30 basic sight words. By the end of UKG (age 5-6), the goal is 50-75 sight words. Most CBSE and ICSE schools follow the Dolch list, which has 40 pre-primer words and 52 primer words for kindergarten.
The Dolch list is a collection of 220 'service words' compiled by Edward William Dolch in 1936. These words make up 50-75% of all text in children's books. The list is divided by grade level: Pre-primer (40 words), Primer (52 words), First Grade (41 words), Second Grade (46 words), and Third Grade (41 words).
Many sight words are called "tricky words" because they don't follow regular phonics spelling rules. Words like 'the', 'was', 'said', 'come', and 'what' can't be sounded out using standard phonics. The spelling doesn't match the pronunciation, making them "tricky" for children learning to read.
The most effective methods include: (1) Flashcard practice with repetition, (2) Reading sight words in context (sentences and books), (3) Multi-sensory activities like tracing words in sand, (4) Games and apps that make practice fun, (5) Daily 5-10 minute practice sessions. Consistency matters more than duration.
Ready to Master Sight Words?
Practice all 100+ sight words with interactive flashcards, free decodable stories, and progress tracking in the ReadingCraft app.
✓ Free decodable stories • ✓ Sight word flashcards • ✓ No credit card required