How to Teach Kindergarten Sight Words?
Other than phonics, how to teach kindergarten sight words is also very important and a great supplement to phonics. Keeping in mind sight words are the words that appear to be more frequent and it’s important for a child to understand it first. There are numerous ways to teach sight words to kids. In kindergarten, you see children are taught words by simply making them look at them and understand. The same is the goal for teaching sight words to kids. Sight words are the words children will see over and over again a hundred of times over any passage. One should teach a child the possible best way to learn sight words. Learning sight words are important as they improves fluent reading and the ability to understand the meaning of a phrase.
Which Words are High Frequency Words?
There are various words like the, you, is that require sight to be learnt. They are recurring words and need to be understood in order to understand a passage. That is the reason behind referring to them as high-frequency words also. A child might learn efficiently on more frequent exposure to these. Some of them like on and in might also come under as sight words. Below are a few techniques to help you with how to teach kindergarten sight words to your little one in the most easiest and efficient way and also the possible best way to learn sight words. Below are a few techniques to help you with how to teach kindergarten sight words to your little one in the most easiest and efficient way and also the possible best way to learn sight words.
1) Techniques For Introducing New Words:
When introducing a sight word make sure you follow these five techniques to make kids mind capable of grasping it.
•See and repeat: Show them a words and let it get observed for a few times. Read out the word and ask them to say it.
•Repeat after you: This is the best way to keep something in your mind. Say a word and ask them to repeat. Continue for a multiple times.
•Air writing: With the help of index finger, held their hand first to trace the word into the air and let them do on their own afterwards.
•Sand writing: Repeat the air writing but on a bed of sand using your index finger to make children understand the shape of a word.
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2) Introduce New Words:
When starting with new words and ways to teach sight words, introduce one by one and until your child isn’t sure about the previous one, stop and repeat. Introduce a word and repeat all the 4 steps for teaching new words. Once completed, start with the next word and go through the same steps. The lesson must not be of more than 10-15 mins to maintain the interest of the child. When you feel like your child has got better with learning pace, you can increase the number of words.
3) Review Previous Words:
Start each lesson with the revision of previous words so that you must know that the previous learning activity was of any use. It will also brainstorm them and set their brains ready to absorb more. Keep in mind that less words with more understanding are always better than more words with none. Quality matters than quantity. So make sure and know about your child’s ability in learning sight words
4) Use Manipulatives to teach:
Ok now, the song you chant to them or the rhyme you said isn’t just enough to make them able to learn and know everything about each word. You can use play dough or magnetic letters to start with it. Jumble up the alphabets of the words you taught previously, now ask kids to make up the word.
5) Print Work Sheets:
The printed form of phrases to opt sight words from it is always important and no matter what teaching activity you choose one can never neglect this one. A child must know how to observe sight words from a phrase. You can incorporate activities like clap once your finger lands on one.
6) Correcting Mistakes:
Every child will make mistake while the learning process is going on. He learns from his mistakes and it’s your job to correct him where he is wrong. Note down the words you think he gets stuck at and find out what other ways you could try to make him learn and work over it.
7) Journaling:
You might find such ways to teach sight words a little too advanced for young kindergartners but it can help you with the learning and recognition process. If you notice you might know there are some children who tend to learn quick while writing down things. Their brains work with the movement of their hands. Journaling can help them with writing down words using their hands and be able to learn in a more efficient manner. You can try with providing them a list of few sight words and let them writ on their own. They might surprise you.
8) Teaching Sight Words via Games:
Games are a great way to reinforce the learning process, children not only learn but genuinely enjoy learning via games. Below are a few gaming activities you might include in your teaching schedule.
•Word Hunt: You can have this activity done in your room or the garden or anywhere around the house. Post words around the area and hand over each child a clipboard and a pencil. They will enjoy hunting and writing down words from around the place. You can also add new words into the teaching plan for them.
•Word Search: Use sight word in the word search play game and make it more interesting upon your choice.
•Catch the Word: Tape each sight word on a ball i.e. take 10 balls or as many as you like. Place in a basket and upon saying a sight word ask your little one to thrown you with the correct word taped on it.
•Follow The Path: Place each paper plate on the floor to create a path with a sight word written on it. Ask your child to follow the path picking each one and saying it till the end. He will learn more efficiently while indulging into the activity for sure.
9) Word Walls:
Word walls are specially used in the classrooms to drag the attention of the little kids towards it. They are most of the time done using a very creative approach so that each child is forced to look into it. When doing with the sight words for kindergartners, word wall can prove to be a great approach. You can design and create one according to you for example making two sections one with the high frequency words and the other with ones that are not much popular.
10) Teaching Sight Words through Music:
We all know how much kids love music and how they get attracted to the beats and sounds. Sing along your child with the sight words to make it look natural and fun. Not only they but you will also see yourself enjoy while teaching. The best way to learn is via fun activities.
To be able to initiate with learning sight words might be difficult but to teach it is another topic. To be able to learn more about and practice how to teach kindergarten sight words and explain the importance to children is not an easy and one time task. They are taught in order to aid a better understanding for how to read from the very beginning at kindergarten. Sight words can be recognized by the readers as soon they see them and it’s very important to do so.