Sight Words Games for 1st Graders

Reading Made Fun With Sight Word Games for 1st Graders

Children love to read. As babies, they love to flip pages and pretend to read a book. 

The challenges of reading only become real when children start learning sight words. Sight word reading can be a long and challenging process for most children. 

While some words stick to memory easily, others need consistent practice. 

At SplashLearn, we have some amazing sight word games for 1st graders to make reading more enjoyable for your children. 

Why Are Sight Words Important?

While most of the words we read in our daily life can be spelled phonetically, certain words must be read by sight. Building sight word vocabulary and reading fluency will help your children read quicker and with more efficiency. 

There are sight words of varying difficulty. Familiarizing your child with grade-appropriate sight words will help them learn things faster. 

Sight word games make learning basic sight words and adding new words to your child’s vocabulary fun and exciting.

Interesting Ways to Teach Sight Words to 1st Graders

Learning sight words can sometimes be overwhelming. For children who are more comfortable learning through phonetic sounds, this process may prove challenging and, at times, difficult. 

Here are some of the best ways to make sight-reading for grade 1 easier and interactive:

• Online reading: There are several books that you can read online. These books flash the text on the screen and have a speech synthesis built into it. As the audio plays, the words on the page light up automatically. Children can familiarize themselves with sight words while enjoying reading their favorite books over and over.
• Word wall: You can now, quite literally, build walls with words. Make flashcards with sight words, one word on each card. Now, you may build this wall in several ways. You can ask your child to pick a card, read it, and lay the brick(card) on the wall. Use some regular masking tape, or just place the brick on the floor. Another way to play the game is to scatter all the bricks(cards) face open, call out a word, and get your child to pick the right one and place it on the wall. Remember that in the learning process, recognition comes before the recall.
• Word catch: This is a wonderful game for kinesthetic learners. Fill a tub with some plastic balls. Write a sight word on each. Get your child to pick a ball, read out the word, and throw it to you. Then you take your turn, throw another ball to your child, and ask him or her to read it.
• Tic Tac Toe: Once your child is quite familiar with sight words, introduce a new challenge. Make multiple tic tac toe grids and write down a sight word in each square. Play the game, as usual, ensuring the child reads the word in the square he or she wants to claim. You can read out your words too, and help make it an interactive experience.

Teaching Sight Words in Grade 1

By the time your child has reached grade 1 sight-reading, he or she should already be able to feel familiar with some 2-letter sight words. 

Always begin by practicing what is known. Then slowly introduce one or two new words a day. Try and follow these steps when learning:

• Show the word, spell it out, call the word out loud, and use it in a sentence.
• Now show the word again, and ask the child to repeat it.
• Spell the word, and call it out. Practice these steps a few times before you move on.
• Now show the child three or four words, and ask them to pick the sight word.
• Say the word out, and ask them to spell again.
• Practice reading a few simple, grade 1 sentences with the sight word in them. This will help them gain the context of the word.

Be The Superhero Your Kid Needs in 1st grade!

First-grade readers are usually very excited about reading and spelling. They may feel a little disappointed when they experience struggles or challenges. Therefore, it is essential to remember a few things when taking your child through the process:

• Take things at their pace. Don’t rush because that won’t help the child or you.
• Avoid comparing with other children or the grade level. Some children may require a lot of practice initially and may pick up very quickly later on.
• Revise and practice. There is a lifetime of learning waiting to take place. Spend time ensuring the child has understood and is comfortable with the words before you move on.
• Motivate and celebrate – even the smallest wins and the effort.

Teach your child the joy of sight words through SplashLearn’s interactive online sight word games for 1st graders. They’ll make your child look forward to a new learning experience every day.