Reading is Fundamental (RIF) defines a sight word as "a word that is immediately recognized as a whole and does not require word analysis for identification." You can use a variety of activities to expose your child to the words they will need to recognize on sight to increase reading fluency and comprehension.
Sight Word Activities - Online
- Hangman Game Using Dolch Words, from Room 108
- Color Words Reading and Spelling Game, from Live and Learn
Sight Word Activities - Printable
Start by printing the PDF list of Dolch sight words for each grade level from About Special Education. You will find many creative ways to use these word cards at home. Make your own 'Word Wall' on a bulletin board or laminate the word cards, add a magnet strip, and play with them on the refrigerator.
- 4 in a Row game, from Adrian Bruce
- Sight Word Bingo, from Adrian Bruce
Sight Word Activities - Make at Home
- Word Go Fish, from Parenting of K-6 Children
- More Make at Home Sight Word Games, from Parenting of K-6 Children
- Fishing for Sight Words (adapt Fishing for Letters using sight word cards) from Center on English Learning & Achievement
- Word Hunt, from Scholastic
- Sight Word Oops! Game (adapt for home with a box of sight word cards interspersed with the Oops! cards), from Education World
Back to Ideas and Activities to Help Your Child Learn to Read

