A Sight Word is any word that has been orthographically mapped into memory based on knowledge of letters-sounds connections that provide links between spelling, pronunciation, and meaning. 

Sight Words can be quickly and effortlessly retrieved from memory to enable fluent reading. The process of mapping words into memory is more complex than simply memorizing words.

You will often hear the term Sight Words used to describe words that do not follow expected phonetic spelling patterns.. These words are sometimes referred to as tricky or irregular words that just have to be memorized.

Research shows us that we do not memorize words by their shape, letter features, or simply by seeing them over and over. Words are mapped into our brains through a more complex process than simple memorization.  

Most irregular words have some letter-sound clues that help with decoding them. Repeated practice decoding these words using letter-sound knowledge, supported by context clues, spelling, and pronunciation maps them into long term memory. 

Examples: want, was, said, the, of, they, my, are, said, who, one, have, could, laugh, talk, once, though 

About 85% of words are regular words because they follow common spelling rules and are easier to decode. Examples: at, can, like, be, it, is 

The remaining 15% are irregular words. Examples: you the said was does. These words usually have some decodable sounds and can often be read based on context and background knowledge.

What are High Frequency Words

High Frequency Words are often referred to as Sight Words. They are the most commonly used words in speech and print. These words often have irregular spellings and many of them only carry meaning in the context of sentences. 

The most common high frequency words are: the, of, and, a, to, in, is, you, that, and it.

How Words are Mapped into Memory

The process of getting words into long term memory is much more complex than just memorizing words. An adult can easily and instantly recognize 20,000 to over 50,000 words. It would be impossible to memorize even a portion of those words just by seeing them. 

Reading researchers use the term sight word differently than how it is commonly used to refer to words that should be memorized with flashcards. 

Educational psychologist and reading researcher Dr. Linnea Ehri says, “People used to regard sight words as limited to high frequency or irregularly spelled words, but it turns out that all words when practiced become read from memory by sight.”

Sight Words are immediately and effortlessly recognized because they have been orthographically mapped into long term memory using letter-sound connections to link spelling, pronunciation, and meaning. 

Why simply trying to memorize sight words isn't the best way to teach kids to read

Your child cannot simply memorize the vast number of words they will come across even at a beginning reading level. Simply trying to memorize isolated words is exhausting and ineffective. 

Your child needs to know the alphabetic code (letters represent sounds) to map words into long term memory. They need to be able to: 

1. hear sounds in words (phonemic awareness), 
2. know letter-sound correspondences, and 
3. know how to blend and segment words. 

Once a word is mapped into memory, its spelling, pronunciation, and meaning are linked together. These mapped words can be quickly and efficiently recalled. 

So how do you help your child learn words that do not follow the usual phonics patterns?

Our Top Tips for Teaching Sight Words

• Use Alphabites Game Pack to practice the sounds of reading through playing multisensory games
• Count letters and sounds in words. This helps your child see and hear that words can have more letters than sounds. For example: thing has five letters and three sounds /th/ /i/ /ng/.
• Talk about words that do not follow common spelling patterns. Say them using their spelling pattern which will not sound familiar, and then say them correctly. 

For example: the might look like /t/ + /h/ /ĕ/ but once your child knows that /th/ is a phoneme digraph (two letters that make one sound) and that vowels have multiple pronunciations, they will learn to read it as /th/ /ū/. 

• When you are reading a chapter book, select a high frequency word such as and, the, is, it, of, to focus on. Every time you get to that word in the text, have your child read it.
• Work together to practice writing irregular words on a whiteboard, piece of paper, or chalkboard.

Bonus Game:

Alphabites Capture the Card

Write out 3-4 irregular words on separate pieces of paper. Talk about their spellings, meanings, and use each of them in a sentence. Call out a word and have your child pick up that card. The goal is to capture all the cards. To make it more challenging, add more words to the game.

• Continue to review and practice learned words by having your child read out loud and use them to write sentences.

Summary

1. The English language is a written alphabetic code that has to be learned to become a strong reader.
2. The alphabetic code connects letter shapes to spoken sounds.
3. Words are mapped into memory using letter-sound connections to form links between spelling, pronunciation, and meaning.
4. When a word is orthographically mapped into memory, it becomes a sight word. 
5. Simply trying to memorize isolated words is energy intensive and ineffective.

Through repetition, words are mapped into long term memory and are easily recalled whenever we see them. Once a word has been mapped, it becomes a sight word.

If your child learns and practices the alphabetic code, they will be able to sound out unfamiliar words by breaking them into recognizable parts. With practice spellings, pronunciations, and meanings of words become linked creating a vast mental dictionary of sight words.

Sources

Ehri, L. C. (2017). Orthographic mapping and literacy development revisited. Theories of reading development, 15, 15.

Ehri, L. C. (2022). What teachers need to know and do to teach letter–sounds, phonemic awareness, word reading, and phonics. The Reading Teacher, 76(1), 53-61.

Moats, L. (2020). Evidence Challenges Teaching Words “By Sight”. JC Travers. Evaluating Interventions for Reading Instruction. PERSPECTIVES on Language and Literacy. Winter Edition.