Sight words are an important piece of early reading foundation. In the past sight words have mainly been taught by rote memorization, but recent research suggests that practicing these words in context can greatly enhance early literacy development. In this blog post I will tell you how I am giving my students multiple ways to practice their sight words in context.
Why should students practice words in context?
Meaningful Engagement: Identifying and practicing sight words in the context of a story or sentence helps students make better connections with the sight word. It also makes the instruction more engaging.
Transferable Learning: Seeing sight words as not just an abstract stand alone word helps students understand the word and its meaning better. Reading the word in context uses a hire order of thinking, because students are already seeing and using words as part of our whole language.
Increase Vocabulary: Teaching sight words in context helps increase students vocabulary in multiple ways. For one, it helps students understand the meaning of the sight word they are learning. Secondly, students are exposed to more vocabulary through the text that they are using to practice their sight words
5 Ways that My Students Practice Sight Words in Context
Morning Message: A morning message is a daily letter to your class. You can personalize it to include things that your class is currently learning and doing. So much can be taught with a morning meeting! One of the things I like to practice is sight words. I always include the sight words that we are currently practicing. First, I read them the morning message. Then we read it together. This way students get to see the words in context and hear them in a sentence. Later, I call students up to find the sight words in the letter.
Shared Sentence Writing: This is an easy way to help students apply their knowledge about their sight words. It also is something that you can do with no prep to fill in time in the classroom. Best of all students love it, because they get to share and they get to see their name on the board. Before shared sentence writing, review the sight words you want your students to use. Then call on a few students to give you a sentence using one of the sight words. Write down their sentence as they are sharing. Then, put their name at the end to give them credit. After you have written a few sentences on the board or chart paper, call on other students to identify the sight words in each sentence.
Classroom to Home Sight Words in Context Program: My class has used sight word programs in years prior where students had word lists that they practiced at home and school. They would work at their own pace and try to complete the word lists by the end of kindergarten. What we found was students weren’t retaining the sight words. Soon after finishing a list and moving to the next, they would forget their previous words. This past year we decided to implement a program that also used the words in context.
In the Bubble Gum Sight Word Practice Program. Students have a list of words to practice on one side of their sight word practice. There are sentences on the other side for students to read and master. These sentences include the current sight words they are learning, as well as, sight words from past word lists they have mastered. Students practice their word lists at home and school and are assessed once their parents feel that they have mastered both the sight words and the sentences. Adding the sentences to my students home and school sight word practice has really helped students retain their sight words.
Identify Sight Words in Read Alouds: Sight words and high frequency words are everywhere! Try to point out sight words while reading aloud to your class. Also have students listen for or find sight words on the page that you are reading. You can also have them count and tally how many times they hear certain sight words. A great way to give them better access to the text in your read aloud is to use big books. Students can see the words better and you can have them come up and point to them or highlight them with highlight tape. You can also place your read aloud book under the document camera so that students can better see the words on your read aloud.
Shared Reading with Easy Readers: Beginning readers greatly benefit from having things to read with predictable text and picture clues. These monthly themed sight word readers give students practice to build their reading confidence. Each easy reader focuses on one sight word that students can practice reading in fun predictable text.
Practicing sight words in context really helps students master their sight words and apply what they know to their reading and writing. Let me know if you try one of the above ways to practice sight or have another way that you teach sight words in context by leaving a comment below!
