Sight Words List by Year (Free Printable Flash Cards)
All 220 Dolch sight words, grouped by the stage they are usually learnt, with printable flash cards, a free sight words game and tracing sheets.
Pre-primer sight words
- a
- and
- away
- big
- blue
- can
- come
- down
- find
- for
- funny
- go
- help
- here
- I
- in
- is
- it
- jump
- little
- look
- make
- me
- my
- not
- one
- play
- red
- run
- said
- see
- the
- three
- to
- two
- up
- we
- where
- yellow
- you
Primer sight words
- all
- am
- are
- at
- ate
- be
- black
- brown
- but
- came
- did
- do
- eat
- four
- get
- good
- have
- he
- into
- like
- must
- new
- no
- now
- on
- our
- out
- please
- pretty
- ran
- ride
- saw
- say
- she
- so
- soon
- that
- there
- they
- this
- too
- under
- want
- was
- well
- went
- what
- white
- who
- will
- with
- yes
First grade sight words
- after
- again
- an
- any
- as
- ask
- by
- could
- every
- fly
- from
- give
- going
- had
- has
- her
- him
- his
- how
- just
- know
- let
- live
- may
- of
- old
- once
- open
- over
- put
- round
- some
- stop
- take
- thank
- them
- then
- think
- walk
- were
- when
Second grade sight words
- always
- around
- because
- been
- before
- best
- both
- buy
- call
- cold
- does
- don't
- fast
- first
- five
- found
- gave
- goes
- green
- its
- made
- many
- off
- or
- pull
- read
- right
- sing
- sit
- sleep
- tell
- their
- these
- those
- upon
- us
- use
- very
- wash
- which
- why
- wish
- work
- would
- write
- your
Third grade sight words
- about
- better
- bring
- carry
- clean
- cut
- done
- draw
- drink
- eight
- fall
- far
- full
- got
- grow
- hold
- hot
- hurt
- if
- keep
- kind
- laugh
- light
- long
- much
- myself
- never
- only
- own
- pick
- seven
- shall
- show
- six
- small
- start
- ten
- today
- together
- try
- warm
How to teach sight words at home
- Pick five words. Start with the first list and add five new words each week.
- See, say, spell, write. Look at the word, say it, spell it aloud, then write it from memory.
- Play. A round of the sight words game or a memory game with the printed cards keeps it fun.
- Spot them in books. Ask your child to find this week’s words on a page of their reading book.
- Revise. Mix old words in each week so they stay fluent.
Questions parents ask
What are sight words?
Sight words are very common words, like the, said and was, that children learn to recognise instantly. Many can’t be sounded out easily, and they make up over half of the words in children’s books, so knowing them makes reading much smoother.
What is the Dolch list?
The Dolch list is a set of 220 common words (plus 95 nouns) put together by Edward Dolch in the 1930s and 1940s from children’s books. It is split into stages: pre-primer, primer, and first, second and third grade.
How many sight words should my child learn a week?
About five new words a week works for most children. Revise the old ones too, and stop each session while it is still fun.
What is the best way to practise sight words?
Say the word, spell it aloud, write it, then find it in a book. Flash cards, a quick game and tracing sheets all help. Short, daily practice beats long sessions.