Sight Word
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BUENOS AIRES
Sight Word
40 Sensational
Games
BY J OAN N OVELLI
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use. No
other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the
publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
Cover design by Maria Lilja
Cover artwork by Nadine Bernard Wescott
Interior design by Kathy Massaro
Interior illustrations by James Graham Hale
ISBN: 0-439-30357-5

Sight Word Snake 24
Leaping Lilypads 24
Sight-Word-Building Morning Messages 25
Go In and Out the Window 26
Spill a Sight Word 27
Rainstick Relay 27
Play-Clay Shape and Spell 28
Peekaboo Word-Finder Window 29
Letters Line Up 30
Beep! 30
Red Rover, Red Rover 31
Bingo Word Wall 32
What’s My Word? Lineup Game 32
Pick a Partner
33
In the Hat
33
Glow-in-the-Dark Word Stars 34
Sing a Song of Sight Words 35
I’m Thinking of… 35
Mingle and Match 36
Sight Word Search 37
Make Sight Word Mats 37
Eggs in a Basket 38
Shake, Read, and Write 39
Grow a Sight Word Garden 40
Rhyming Word Builders 41
Word Construction Site 42
Catch a Word! 42
Sight Word Sandwiches 43

mood or your time frame. Most require little or no preparation, and few if any
materials, which are most often everyday classroom supplies.
Guidelines for Teaching Sight Words
As you plan lessons to introduce sight words, keep in mind that many of these words
are irregular—they don’t follow the phonics rules that children may be learning.
These words, such as those with w (were, where, with, when) and th (the, them, then,
this), need to be learned, in the same ways that other words are learned—by looking
at letters, sound-spelling patterns, and so on. Here are some general guidelines to
keep in mind.
4
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
About This Book
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
5
F
ollowing are the 220 words that appear on the Dolch Basic Sight Word Vocabulary List—plus the word nine,
which does not appear on the original list but has been added here because, in addition to the Dolch sight
words one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and ten, it is a word children need to know. One hundred of these
sight words are included on reproducible sight word cards. (See next page.)
a
been
come
five
has
jump

again
better
did
found
help
kind
never
play
show
then
very
with
all
big
do
four
her
know
new
please
sing
there
walk
work
always
black
does
from
here
laugh

yellow
and
bring
down
gave
hold
like
of
ran
small
this
wash
yes
any
brown
draw
get
hot
little
off
read
so
those
we
you
are
but
drink
give
how

call
every
going
if
made
one
round
stop
together
what
at
came
fall
good
in
make
only
run
take
too
when
ate
can
far
got
into
many
open
said
tell

out
see
that
up
who
}
Introduce the word, saying and spelling it.
}
Read the word in a sentence, perhaps one that appears in a book you are sharing
with students. Write the sentence on the chalkboard and underline the sight word,
saying and spelling it again.
}
Invite students to notice distinctive features of the word—for example, tall letters,
double letters, and so on.
}
Have children practice writing the word on mini whiteboards, in the air, at the
chalkboard, in a writing journal, and so on.
}
Add the word to a word wall. (See word wall suggestions, Sight Word Safari on page
20 and Bingo Word Wall on page 32.) Revisit the words often, encouraging students
to notice the many new words they are learning.
Dolch Basic Sight Word Vocabulary List
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
Making and Using the Top 100 Sight Word Cards
Pages 7 to 11 feature word cards that you can photocopy and cut apart. These “top”
words, selected from the Dolch Basic Sight Word Vocabulary List, are among the most
frequently used sight words. Cut apart and laminate the cards in advance of the activities
so that they are readily available. Additional suggestions for using the word cards follow.
}
Make several sets of sight word cards in advance. You may want to enlarge the

brainstorm with students their own
Top 10 Ways to Practice Sight
Words. Then photocopy the page
for children to take home to use
with their families.
6
40 Sensational Sight Word Games Scholastic Professional Books
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Learning Sight Words at Home
Name _____________________________________ Date _________________
Dear Families,
T
he more sight words your child knows, the stronger his or her
reading and writing skills will be. Sight words are words that
appear frequently in print. These same words are among those used
most frequently by children in their writing. When children build
their sight word vocabulary, they become better readers and spellers.
Try these easy activities to make practicing sight words a playful
experience!
Sight Words
to Practice
Skip-count with words:

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40 Sensational Sight Word Games Scholastic Professional Books
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Name _____________________________________ Date ___________________
Dear Families,
A
s part of our literacy program, your child will be learning “sight words.”
Sight words are words that children encounter frequently in print. These are
also words that children use frequently in their writing. Learning these words “by
sight” will assist your child in becoming a stronger reader and writer.
To help your child learn these words, cut apart the attached word cards. Over a
period of a week or so, invite your child to sort the words into four groups: Words
I Can Read, Words I Can Spell, Words I Can Read and Spell, Words I Need to
Learn. Encourage your child to practice the words at home. Try setting goals:
How many new words each week would your child like to learn to read and/or
spell? To help your child practice, try these quick tips:
}
Store the word cards your child needs to learn in resealable bags. Take them
with you wherever you and your child go. Practice them in line at the grocery
store, on trips, and other places where you have a few minutes together!

child can then trace the shape of the word again and again, reading
the word each time.
Read My Back!
“Write” a sight word on your
child’s back. Can your child
guess the word? Trade places—
let your child trace a word
from the list on your back.
Continue taking turns tracing
and guessing sight words.
Sight Words
to Practice
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
7
and
am
a
at
ask
as
are
because
be
allabout
bybut
bigbefore
come
can
camecall
an

underout
bluebrown
redstop
green
yellow
whiteblack
away
Sight Word Cards
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
10
four
two
one
eight
seven
six
five
drink
first
tennine
notno
yeseat
today
look
pleasenow
three
Sight Word Cards
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
11
me

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Name _____________________________________ Date ___________________
Dear Families,
A
s part of our literacy program, your child will be learning “sight words.”
Sight words are words that children encounter frequently in print. These are
also words that children use frequently in their writing. Learning these words “by
sight” will assist your child in becoming a stronger reader and writer.
To help your child learn these words, cut apart the attached word cards. Over a
period of a week or so, invite your child to sort the words into four groups: Words
I Can Read, Words I Can Spell, Words I Can Read and Spell, Words I Need to
Learn. Encourage your child to practice the words at home. Try setting goals:
How many new words each week would your child like to learn to read and/or
spell? To help your child practice, try these quick tips:
}
Store the word cards your child needs to learn in resealable bags. Take them
with you wherever you and your child go. Practice them in line at the grocery
store, on trips, and other places where you have a few minutes together!
}
Let your child select a handful of sight word cards at random, then find the
same words around the house—for example, on packages of food or in
newspaper headlines.
}
Play Hide-and-Seek Sight Words. Hide ten word cards. Let your child find
them and then read them to you.
Look for more sight word activities coming home with your child throughout
the year.
Sincerely,
Learning Sight Words at Home
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources

same thing with a second sight word. Which word appears more
often?
Learning Sight Words at Home
Name ________________________________________ Date _________________
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Sight Words
to Practice
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Learning Sight Words at Home
Name _____________________________________ Date _________________
Dear Families,
T
he more sight words children know, the better readers they
become. Sight words are words that appear frequently in print.
The same words are among those used most frequently by children
in their writing. When children build their sight word vocabulary,
they become better readers and spellers. Try these easy activities for
strengthening your child’s sight word vocabulary.
In the Cupboard
Open a cupboard and take turns with your child, finding and
reading sight words. Try the ones on the list (see right) first, then
include other sight words your child is learning. Keep going until
you run out of words, time, or things in the cupboard.

your child’s sight word vocabulary.
On the Run
The next time you’re going somewhere with your child, play a
sight word game. It’s easy—just have your child find as many
sight words as he or she can on billboards, signs, and so on. If
you don’t have a sight word list with you, invite your child to
read the “little” words. You can play this game in a car, on a walk,
even in line at the grocery store!
Spill a Sight Word
Copy sight words onto small cards. (You can cut index cards in
quarters or cut sturdy paper into pieces.) Place the word cards in
an empty container, such as a tall plastic tumbler or an empty
tennis ball can. Invite your child to shake the container, spill out
the words, and read the ones that fall faceup. Give each word
your child reads a score that is equal to the number of letters in
the word. Record the total, then place the remaining words back
in the can and shake and spill again. Add the total to the first
score. Play until your child has spilled and read all of the words.
I’m Thinking of…
lay a game of “I’m thinking of…” One player starts by giving a
clue about one of the sight words—for example, “I’m thinking of
a word that starts like horse and has three letters.” The other
player looks at the list and tries to identify the word. (his)
Sight Words
to Practice
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
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such as “Twinkle,
Tw i n k l e , Li t t le St a r. ”
Give each letter in the
alphabet a number from
1 to 26. Guess which sight
word on the list will be
worth the most points.
Find out!
is i = 9 s = 20
is = 29
Read the sight
words as slowly
as you can. Try it
again. This time
say them fast!
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Top-10 Ways to Practice Sight Words
Name _____________________________________ Date _________________
Dear Families,
H
ere’s a countdown of our top-ten favorite ways to practice sight words. Try them at home to build
your child’s sight word vocabulary.
And our number one favorite way to practice sight words is…
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
Buzz!
This game puts the fun in flashcards—reinforcing

bowl of words for each other. Let them read the words on their noodles
aloud, and make a list to reinforce spelling.
19
49
40
S
en
sa
tion
al S
igh
t W
ord
G
am
es
Scho
last
ic P
ro
fess
io
nal B
oo
ks
Buzz!
{
{
Yo u r s t u d e n t s w i l l
enjoy making their own

words.
3
Back in the classroom, review the words students recognized. What
sight words did they see in the nurse’s office? In the cafeteria? In other
places?
Squirt and Spell
Shaving cream on a desk makes a fun place to practice spelling sight words.
Try this activity at the end of the day for shiny desks the next day.
1
Give each child a squirt of shaving cream on his or her desk. Let
children use their hands to spread out the shaving cream over the desk
surface. This will also give them a chance to just have fun feeling the
shaving cream.
2
Explain that you are going to say a sight word and that you want
children to try writing the word with their finger in the shaving cream.
3
Take a walk around to check children’s spelling, then have them wipe
their words away and get ready for a new word.
4
When you’re ready to wrap up, children can use paper towels or
sponges to wipe away the shaving cream. Now you’ve got stronger
spellers and clean desks!
20
{
{
You may wish to also
hold up a sight word
card so that students
can use it as a

somewhere in the room. Check posters, book covers, and other readily
available sources for the word. When you find the same word, use the wand
to point it out. Add a flourish for emphasis.
4
Pass the wand and the words to a volunteer, who repeats the procedure.
Continue until each child has had a chance to find a word. Return the
words to the basket for another time.
21
{
{
Set up several sight
word baskets (with
wands) so that
students can use them
on their own or in
small groups. You can
also send home the
baskets and wands for
children to play with
family members.
T
i
p
T
i
p
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
Oh, No!
In this fast-paced game, students take turns selecting sight word cards from
a container. They keep each word they can read. But it’s back to the

amount of time they
agree on—for example,
five minutes. Children
who get an “Oh, No!”
card still have to put
back their cards, but
classmates will hang on
to theirs for the end
goal of emptying the
can together. In the
spirit of teamwork, you
might say that children
who get stuck on a
word can ask either a
child to their left or
right for help.
T
i
p
T
i
p
40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
Simon Says Sight Words!
This twist on a favorite game strengthens listening skills, too.
1
Write sight words on index cards, punch two
holes in the top of each, and string with yarn
to make necklaces. Give one to each child. (It’s
okay if some children have the same word.)

learned.
Leaping
Lilypads
Children get to stretch their
legs as they practice sight
words with this game.
1
Copy sight words onto
index cards (one word
per card). Make a second set
of the same words. Tape one
set of words to tagboard cut
into lilypad shapes (one
word per lilypad).
2
Scatter the lilypads faceup on the floor, leaving about a foot between
each, and tape in place securely. Place the other set of word cards
facedown in a stack.
3
Turn over the first card in the stack, and have the first player read the
word and then jump on the corresponding card on the floor. (Offer
assistance as needed so that every child is successful.)
4
Turn over the next card, and have the child read it and jump to that
word. Continue until the child has jumped on all of the words.
5
Mix up the cards and let another child take a turn.
24
{
{

Morning Messages
Here are five ways to turn your morning message or daily letter into a sight-
word-building activity.
1
Greet students with a morning message that invites them to read a list
of sight words (five or so), write the words on the chart paper, and sign
their names.
2
In your morning message, invite children to be sight word detectives,
challenging them to find as many sight words as they can.
3
Read the morning message with children. Say the sight words that
appear in the message, one at a time. Let children take turns
highlighting them.
4
Write your morning message, but leave blank lines where sight words
belong. Try to leave one for each student. End your message by asking
children to fill in one missing word each. Read the completed message
together.
5
Introduce a new group of
sight words in the morning
message. Ask children to tell one
way they’d like to practice them.
They can write their responses on
the morning message chart paper
or share them in your class
meeting.
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40 Sensational Sight Word Games © Joan Novelli Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources