When children begin learning to read, parents often hear the term sight words. You may also hear them called high-frequency words or, more recently, heart words.
So what do all of these terms mean?
A sight word is generally a word that a child can recognize automatically when they see it, without having to stop and sound it out each time. A high-frequency word is simply a word that appears often in written language. These two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same thing.
Some high-frequency words follow the phonics patterns a child has already learned. Others contain a part that does not follow the pattern they know yet. This is where the term heart word can be helpful.
Instead of telling a child to memorize the entire word as a picture, we can look at the word, identify the parts we know, and then identify the part we need to remember by heart.
Using a Multisensory Approach
When teaching these words, I like to use a multisensory approach based on Orton-Gillingham strategies.
One routine I use begins with me writing the word for the student. The student then traces the word with a red crayon, saying each letter as they write it. After writing the word, they underline it and read the whole word.
Next, I place a plastic canvas sheet underneath the paper. The student writes the word again in red, saying each letter and then underlining and reading the word. The canvas creates a slightly bumpy writing experience, giving the student tactile feedback while they are writing.
We keep these words in a red word book so we can come back to them and practice them regularly.
We also use movement to practice the words. The student holds the red word book with their non-dominant hand and looks at the word. With their dominant hand, they reach across the middle of their body to the arm of their non-dominant hand. They use a gentle chopping motion on their arm as they say each letter of the word. Once they have said all the letters, they slide their dominant hand across the non-dominant arm as they say the whole word.
This adds cross-body, or bilateral, movement to the practice. Instead of only seeing and saying the word, the student is also coordinating both sides of the body while practicing it. This gives them another sensory-motor connection to the word.
The practice doesn't have to stop there. A student can write the word in a sand tray, practice reading the words in their red word book, and use the words when writing their own sentences.
The purpose of using multiple senses is to give the student more than one way to interact with the word. They are seeing it, saying it, hearing it, moving while practicing it, and feeling it as they write it. For some students, adding these different forms of input can make learning and remembering a word easier.
What About Fry and Dolch Words?
The Fry and Dolch word lists can be helpful guides when deciding which high-frequency words to introduce. They give parents and teachers a starting point by identifying words children are likely to encounter frequently in their reading.
But I don't think learning to read should become a race to memorize a long list of words.
The goal is for children to become confident readers who understand how words work. We want to use the phonics patterns they know whenever we can and provide additional support when a word contains something they haven't learned yet.
And just like with phonics, practice and review matter. A word that was difficult last week may become automatic with repeated, meaningful practice.
E3 Takeaway
When a child struggles with a high-frequency word, try not to think, "They just need to memorize this."
Instead, ask:
What does this child already know about this word? What can they sound out? What part needs to be remembered? And how can I give them another way to practice it?
Seeing, saying, hearing, touching, moving, writing, reading, and using words in sentences can turn a simple word list into an opportunity for meaningful learning.
From the Teacher's Desk
I have always enjoyed finding ways to make learning stick without making it frustrating for a child. Sometimes that means changing the way we practice something rather than simply practicing it more.
A child who has struggled to remember a word on a worksheet may remember it much more easily when they have written it, said it, felt it, moved with it, and used it in a sentence.
Learning to read takes time. There will be words that come easily and words that take more practice. Our job is to give children the tools, support, and encouragement they need along the way.
Engage. Empower. Educate.
