1. Strategies and Hands-on Activities for Teaching Sight Words

2. Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Presented by
Dr. Deborah Ellermeyer
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Kay Chick
Penn State Altoona

3. What are sight words?
Sight words are words that are recognized instantly and without any analysis.

4. Many sight words can’t be sounded out because they don’t follow decoding rules.

5. Sight words are high frequency words – the words most frequently occurring in reading materials.

6. Why do we teach sight words?
Students who learn sight words have a good base for beginning reading instruction.

7. When do we teach sight words?
Sight word instruction usually begins in kindergarten and continues into first and second grade, although struggling readers continue learning sight words beyond second grade.

8. Two Sight Word Lists Used by Teachers
The Dolch Basic Word List
The Fry Instant Word List

9. The Dolch Basic Word List
Consists of 220 high frequency words
"a" "and" "away" "big" "blue" "can" "come" "down" "find"

10. The Dolch Basic Word List
Comprise approximately 50% - 75% of all the words found in reading materials

11. The Fry Instant Word List
Consists of 1000 words which are divided into 10 groups of 100 words

12. The Fry Instant Word List
First 300 words make up approximately 60% of the words found in reading material

13. Common Sight Word Practices
Flashcard drills
Word list drills
Word walls

14. How do I teach sight words?

15. Drill and Practice
Do I always
teach sight
words the
same way?

16. Do I enjoy teaching sight words?

17. Do my students
enjoy sight
words routines?

18. How can I make sight word practice more enjoyable?
Presenting words within an enjoyable context
Engaging students in fun, hands-on activities that teach sight words & other skills

19. Use the poems and lessons to:
Introduce new sight words

20. Use the poems and lessons to:
Reinforce learned sight words and provide reading practice

21. Use the poems and lessons to:
Assess sight word retention

22. Use the poems and lessons to:
Integrate language skills
Antonyms
Synonyms
Homophones
Parts of speech
Same double consonant words
Word family words
Beginning sounds and vowel sounds

23. Benefits Easy to Use Lessons Minimal preparation
Few outside resources required
Sight words are identified in boldface type in poems
Enjoyable, hands-on activities

24. Benefits Versatility of Use
Can be used to introduce, practice, review and/or assess
Can be used for whole-class or small-group instruction

25. Benefits Poems Engaging Enjoyable Provide authentic context
Controlled vocabulary with emphasis on sight words

26. Benefits
Repetition and Multiple Exposures to Sight Words

27. Benefits Patterned and Predictable Text is Perfect
for Emergent and Beginning
Readers

28. Benefits
Enjoyable Activities
Foster Sight Word
Acquisition

29. We Are Opposites We are opposites, And I’ll tell you more!
I say after,
And you say before.
I look up,
And you look down.
I like to walk,
You run to tow

30. I think it’s hot, You think it’s cold. I say it’s new, You say it’s old.
I come in,
And you go out.
We are opposites,
Let’s give a shout!
We are opposites
It’s like I said before.
Think of your own.
If you want any more!

31. Opposites Pyramid Objective
to identify and read the antonym of a given sight word

32. Activity #2 We Are Opposites
Setup
One copy of Opposites Pyramid page
per child

33. Write sight words on the board:
Setup
Write sight words on the board:
black on start to good
after give yes up all
out new under hot first
little bring come do full
run always long light sit
full far clean right fast

34. Activity #2 We Are Opposites
Setup
Write opposites on index cards and place in a paper bag.

35. Using the Poems
Familiarize yourself with the poems in advance.

36. Using the Poems
Print the poems on chart paper and highlight the sight words.

37. Using the Poems
Point to the words as you read the poems aloud.

38. Using the Poems
Read the poems aloud several times and invite students to read with you.

39. Using the Poems
Print the sight words on flashcards for practice in isolation. Hang poems on chart paper around the room and take poetry walks for practice in context.

40. Using the Poems
Have children print sight words on index cards and create individual sight word banks.

41. Using the Poems
Hang the poems around the room to keep them visible for student practice.

42. Using the Poems
Create a word wall and USE it!

43. Scholastic Teaching Resources by Deborah Ellermeyer

44. Resource Books by the Presenters
Activities for Standards-based, Integrated Language Arts Instruction
by: Deborah Ellermeyer & Kay Chick
Holcomb Hathaway Publishers
(Grades K-6)
The many activities in Activities for Standards-Based, Integrated Language Arts Instruction were designed to meet the instructional needs of teacher educators, pre- and in-service teachers, and students in grades K–6. Designed for versatility, the book can serve as a companion text for existing language arts textbooks in university-level language arts methods courses, or it can be used independently as a valuable teacher-resource book.

45. Resource Books by the Presenters
Multicultural American History through Children’s Literature
by: Deborah Ellermeyer & Kay Chick
Teacher Ideas Press (Grades 3-6)
This integrated teacher resource provides lesson ideas for the instruction of social studies and history concepts within the context of quality multicultural children's books and picture books. Each chapter focuses on three picture books related to various multicultural themes in American history. Chapters are organized chronologically, and by theme, and include book summaries, materials lists, student-centered activities, related books and poetry, and links to national history standards. Multicultural themes include: the Old West, American Revolution, Slavery, Civil War, World War II and the Holocaust.

46. Resource Books by the Presenters
Ancient Civilizations Reader’s Theater
by: Deborah Ellermeyer & Judy Rowell
Creative Teaching Press
(Grades 5 – 6)
This book features fun reader’s theater scripts that foster reading fluency, improve text comprehension, build vocabulary, and help students understand ancient civilizations that include: the Aztecs, Inca, Maya, Etruscans, Minoans, Romans, Chinese Han, Indus River Valley culture, and the Mesopotamians.

47. Resource Books by the Presenters
All About the Weather
by: Deborah Ellermeyer & Judy Rowell
Evan-Moor (Grades PreK – K)
This 208 page, full color, thematic resource book features colorful storybooks with flannel board pieces and ready-to-use activities to teach skills and concepts across the whole early childhood curriculum. Activities center around reading, math, art, dramatic play, cooking, music, outdoor fun and movement.

48. Resource Books by the Presenters
All About My World
by: Deborah Ellermeyer & Judy Rowell
Evan-Moor (Grades PreK – K)
This 208 page, full color, thematic resource book features colorful storybooks with flannel board pieces and ready-to-use activities to teach skills and concepts across the whole early childhood curriculum. Activities center around reading, math, art, dramatic play, cooking, music, outdoor fun and movement.

49. Resource Books Available at:
Scholastic, Inc.

50. Resource Books Available at:
Evan Moor Educational Publishers

51. Resource Books Available at:
Creative Teaching Press

52. Resource Books Available at:
Teacher Ideas Press

53. Resource Books Available at
Holcomb Hathaway Publishers