There are a lot, lot, lot of sight word products out there. And I have used a variety of them with my kids. But, this year I wanted to give my kindergartener comprehensive sight word instruction. Not simply a sight word practice page from this source, a build-a-sentence sheet from another source (often with words that I hadn’t yet taught them); an assessment sheet from another source, and finally some fluency practice from yet another source (again, with words that hadn’t yet been learned)! Plus, I wanted him to have FUN and build up his fine motor skills. Don’t we all want to make the most of the time our young ones are sitting still and attentive? I know I do!

Here is the Comprehensive Sight Word Instruction approach we used:

Step 1. Introduce the Word: Spot the Sight Word

With Spot the Sight Word he learned the sounds that made up the new sight word (colored and dotted them);  found the sight word from among other similarly spelled words;  wrote the word twice on the lines;  stamped the letters (I encouraged him to stamp the sounds);  wrote the word in prompted text boxes;  found the word in a sentence he could read;  built the word with letter tiles he cut off the bottom of the page; and finally, built another sight word (or high frequency noun) he had already learned from the remaining letters on the page (built-in review!) That is nine activities on one page! And some awesome fine motor skills work: cutting, stamping, dotting, coloring and writing!

Step 2. Use it in a Sentence: Color as You Read, Then Build a Sentence

Out next step was to use the new sight word in a sentence with other words that are already known. On each Color as You Read, Then Build a Sentence sheet the words to the sentence (plus the punctuation) are scrambled at the bottom of the page.  They are also in the color code key and throughout the drawing. He colored the words in the picture; cut the words off the bottom of the page; unscrambled them;  built the sentence; and then wrote it!

Step 3:  Sight Word Application:  It’s Craft Time!

We practiced the sight word “have” the same week we practiced “like”, so this craft used both words. Of course its a Melonheadz bobbleheadz kitty face.  Four of my kids joined in on this craft and made their own cat.  Four indoor cats that don’t need litter boxes are my kind of cats!

Step 4:  Sight Word Assessment and Review:  Read it, Match it and My Sight Words

Periodically through our First Series of sight words I gave him these Read It, Match it Assessments to complete. He cut the simple sentences off the bottom of the page and matched them to the pictures.

Every couple weeks we’d review the words that he learned on his My Sight Words sheet.  I LOVE these! It is so fun to see all the words he is learning in one snapshot. He built the word with letter beads; colored it on his sheet; and finally used it in a simple sentence, or phrase.

Step 5: Fluency

Fluency is a big buzz word these days! We all want to be assured that our kids are truly reading. And more than that, I want to know that they understand what they read. So, our fluency sheets for each sight word include comprehension.

I like to use these fluency sheets toward the end of the week.  Before I give him the sheet, I cut off the pictures at the bottom of the page.

To complete the sheet he reads and dots the word’s phonemes; writes the word in a prompted text box; reads each sentence once–dotting the circle at the end of the sentence and writing the sight word where it is missing in the last sentence; cuts the pictures apart; reads the sentence again and finds a picture that matches the sentence–dots the cameras as he completes this task; finally, he reads the sentence again demonstrating proficiency–dotting the last circle.

In the Ultimate Sight Words {First Series} there are also three comprehensive fluency sheets. These he would simply read. I would mark them as correct.

Step 6: FUN! Games and a little motivation!

We played a variety of games with our sight words–matching (with two copies of the words he had learned); Go Fish!; noun match (matching the high frequency noun with its picture); Do-Uno? (a Uno-style game); unscramble the sight words; Superstar bingo; and a Superstar Sight Word Game.

It is always FUN to learn and play! It is also FUN to celebrate what you have learned. The Superstar Punch-Card gave him another way to demonstrate his mastery of the sight words. Every few weeks I’d have him read what he new and hole-punch ’em!