Sight Word Supplements To Bob Books Set 1, Books 1-4

If you read my earlier post this week on teaching your preschooler to read, you'll notice that I intentionally left out any mention of learning sight words.  Teaching my children to read, to me, means teaching them the mechanics and rules they need to pronounce words.

Memorization of sight words is just that...memory work.  Once you introduce a sight word to a child, all that is necessary for the child to learn to recognize that word upon sight, is repetition.  You can accomplish this in a variety of different ways.

You could buy a set of sight word flashcards or you could make your own with index cards.  I prefer to use colored index cards because when a learning tool is brightly colored, my kids think it's bound to be more fun.

You could add a weekly sight word to your morning circle time or calendar routine.  I write them on our easel chalkboard, and that's a stop in our little morning circuit.  During this time, I also like to review any that are causing Hayden trouble.  I may start a sight word wall so that they're always visible.

Any number of sight word worksheets can be found by searching Pinterest for 'sight word printables.'  You could dedicate an entire board to that one search string alone.  I've started creating sight word mazes and practice worksheets to supplement the Bob Books sets.  You can download them here, and make sure to check back often for new worksheets.

On the mazes, they can trace the path of the sight words with a crayon, marker, or pencil, or, if you want to give them a little extra fine motor practice, buy a package of sticky backed craft magnets and stick them on to pom poms or glass beads to mark the trail.  We went through a bunch of the homemade pom pom magnets before I realized that I had to buy better quality, firmer, fuller pom poms so the magnets had more of a surface to stick to.  You can also add a little touch of hot glue when you stick them on for a better hold.

When I really want to make it tough, I'll have him use his alligator tweezers to pick up the pom poms or the beads and place them in the right space on the maze.

If you have alphabet cookie cutters, they could cut the letters out from play dough to spell the word.  If not, they can just form the letters by hand.  Sight word play dough mats are on my to-do list, so check back in a few weeks.


Or...how about a game of sight word memory?  Just make a duplicate set of sight word flashcards, and you're all set.  I like to make one set from one color and one set from another color so the kids always know they have to pic one of each color in order to make a match.

 These are just a few suggestions.  The possibilities are endless.  As always, remember to have fun with it and enjoy the "ah ha" moments that are sure to follow.