Working on sight words alongside phonics significantly improved their reading skills. Although they still sounded out words, they learned to recognize tricky sight words and recall their unique features. By practicing daily, their reading fluency enhanced, reducing frustration. Methods like the “6 days in a row” technique, flashcards on a ring, and incorporating words into games proved effective. Introduce new sight words gradually as they become more proficient.

Flashcards in 6 Days:

• Prepare 6 flashcards (white card stock about 4×6 inches) and label them with numbers 1-6. 
• Attach a paper clip to each flashcard (total of 6 paper clips).
• Use a large clip to arrange the flashcards in sequential order from #1 to #6. 
• Introduce 3 new words to learn on the first day and review them all. 
• If answered correctly, advance the word to day 2; otherwise, keep it on day 1. 
• Each day, review all words and either retain them in the current day or progress to the next day. Ensure to replenish day 1 with 3 new words regularly. 
• On the sixth day card, if all words are answered correctly, dispose of them or place them in a completed bag.

Flashcard Rings:

• Create a flashcard ring and focus on 3, 5, or 10 cards at a time.
• Review them daily. 
• Once you’ve mastered them, introduce new ones (use different colored paper for organization). 
• You can always revisit old cards while continuing to add new ones.

Additionally, engaging students in interactive storytelling sessions where sight words are highlighted can further bolster their familiarity and confidence. Pairing these activities with visual aids, such as illustrated books or digital apps, helps create a multi-sensory learning environment that caters to different learning styles. Encouraging children to use sight words in their own writing exercises, perhaps by crafting short stories or journals, reinforces their understanding and contextual usage.

135 Sight Word (Red Word) Games:

(These came can work for more than just sight words – can work on just regular words and phonics you’re working on at the time – even math equations.) This can be both fun and educational. Here are a few creative ideas to help children improve their sight word recognition skills:

1. Create a sight word list. Each person rolls two dice. The person with the highest sum selects a word from the list to read and write down. The first to reach 10 words wins.  

2. Hide a word and have the child search for the word. Once found, say the word aloud.  

3. Prepare 3 bowls, hide an object under one bowl or three different objects under each. Place a new word on top of each bowl. The child must say the word correctly to discover the hidden object.  

4.Locate words taped around the room and read them. Search for sight words in the house. Match sight words with tangible objects or pictures. For example: blue and something blue.

5. Act out and read short phrases and correlate them with a decodable book.  

6. Wear a headband with a word and have your partner say the word. The wearer writes down what is spoken and checks if it matches their headband. Switch roles after each turn.  

7. Play Go Fish with sight words. Ask another player if they have a specific word. If they do, they give it to you; if not, you draw from the center pile. Shuffle Cards and deal each person five cards.  Place remaining cards spread out in the middle of the table. Take turns. Ask another player, “_____ do you have the word ______” Insert a name and one of the words. If you have it, give it to the first player. Then that same player can ask again. If the person asked does not have the card – then the second person says “go Fish”, and the first person then takes a card from the center pile. All pairs should be placed word up in front of each player as they are collected. Must say the word before placing it on the table. 

8. Organize a Sight Word Scavenger Hunt. Read a word from a list, then find and match it.  

9. Display sight words on large paper taped to the wall. Children find four post-it notes of each word and place them back on the corresponding word.  

10. Play Sight Word Hide and Seek. Search for words in the room and say them aloud when found.  Collect all the words.

11. Write words in white crayon on black paper or color over words with a marker on white paper to reveal and read them.  

12.CRACK THE CODE activity by matching first sounds to pictures and forming words. For example, tree, apple, pie would spell TAP.  

13. Play Sight Word Splat by spinning the spinner or selecting a word, then reading and slapping it with a fly swat or hand.  Either write the words on a paper on the wall or have the words lying on the table.

14. Practice WORD activity by saying, spelling, writing the word, and using it in a sentence.

15. TIC-TAC-TOE: Nine different sight words are placed on the board for the game. Players must correctly say the word before marking their spot. Alternatively, each player can be assigned a different word to write as their X or O.

16. TWISTER: Place words on all the dots. Spin the wheel and read a word on that color it landed on. For example, say “red” and they have to pick up word from a red dot and read the word. Alternatively, create a Twister board with sight words where players have to place their left arm on “THE,” right leg on “ARE,” and so on.

17. CandyLand: Incorporate sight words into the game Candyland (or any game) where players must read the sight word correctly before taking their turn.

18. BOTLEY: Use Botley to go to the word and say it while collecting it.

19. JENGA: Write words on the Jenga tiles with a post-it note. Players must read the word before pulling out the tile. Alternatively, read a word on a piece of paper before taking your turn.

20. DON’T EAT PETE: Create a 3×4 game board with sight words. Place goldfish on the board that players can “eat” when they read the word correctly.

21. SCRATCH GAME SIGHT WORD: Write sight words multiple times on a big paper. Children have to read the word on your flashcard within 3 seconds and then cross it off on their paper or whiteboard.

22. Pom Pom Toss and Read: Arrange sight words in rows on a muffin tin or mancala board. Kids throw pom poms or balls into the tin and read the word in the row where it lands.

23. Shopping: Place sight words on “shopping bags” or buckets. Attach sight words to food items, and children have to read then word then put the food into the correct bag based on the word.

24. STAIRCASE: Place sight words on the stairs. Children go up and down, reading the word on each step.

25. HIDDEN OBJECT: place sight word cards on top of bowls upside down. Hide an object under one bowl, and children have to read the word before looking underneath to find the surprise.

26. HAVE SIGHT WORDS ON GROUND FIND PHOTO BEHIND PIC: Arrange the sight words on a table. Hide a picture behind sight words on the ground. Kids have to say the word to see if the picture was hidden under that word. 

27. MEMORY/MATCHING: Print two pages of each flashcard word, flip them over, and spread them out on the table. Players take turns flipping over two cards, reading them, and keeping the match if they read the words correctly. If it is not a matching pair, turn them back over. The person with the most matches wins! Alternatively, write the words on a white board and place post it notes or cards over it. Erase and set aside the card once you find a pair.

28. 4 IN A ROW: Use a sheet or whiteboard with a grid of 6×7 sight words. Players have to say the word then cross it out to get four in a row. Take turns. If using flashcards, set aside the card once it’s used.

29. WRITE THE WORD small Medium LARGE

30. PARKING LOT: Create a parking lot with different sight words and have children park their cars or robots in the correct spots.

31. LADDER: Incorporate sight words into each step. Progress to the next word only after reading it and completing an action like jumping, skipping, or balancing.

32. MATCHING: Assign a specific color to each sight word. Whenever the word appears multiple times on a paper, dot it with the designated color.

33. TOSS THE BALL: Aim the ball at the correct word. For instance, if the sight word is “Blue,” toss the ball into the blue bin.

34. POPPING: Attach or write sight words on air pockets (air bubbles from packages). Read the word before popping the bubble.

35. SLAP with spatula the WORD: Place clips near the words and have to attach them on all sides of each word to finish the game.

36. FIND IN DARK WITH FLASHLIGHT: Display words on the wall and use a flashlight to locate and read them.

37. SPEED READING: Write words on a whiteboard, have them read it, and then cross it off. Time how quickly they can complete the task.

38. Put shaving cream or a similar substance around the word. Use a squirt bottle to clean it off and read it. Keep the word if read correctly; otherwise, put it back. Alternatively, bury words in a tub of sand for them to find.

39. LAVA: Place sight words on pillows or flat skillz markers. Call out a word, and they have to jump on the corresponding word.

40. PAPER AIRPLANE: Scatter sight words around the room and throw a paper airplane. Read the word it lands on.

41. ROLL A MONSTER: Use large dice with words on them. Roll the dice, read the word, and draw the corresponding body part.

ROLL A FLOWER: Assign each word a number, and roll two dice or flip two cards to find the sum. Read the word and find the corresponding flower piece or object part to paste on paper.

42. SQUEEGEE sight word: Write a word on a mirror or window. If read correctly, spray it and clean it off.

43. ROLL A SIGHT WORD: Find a word with the same number of letters as the dice number. Write the word in the list.

44. Have the child write words all over on a large paper. They see a word, read it, and try to hit the word on the large paper by throwing something at it.

45. SENTENCE: Create a sentence using the sight words.

46. Sight word walk: Lay out words on a path on the floor, and read them as you walk along.

47. SHAVING CREAM/WHIP CREAM SMASH: Place a bit of cream under a word and slightly above it. Read the word correctly, then smash it down, creating a mess.

48. STRING WORDS IN ZIP LOCK BAG ON STRING ACROSS YARD: Hang words in zip lock bags across the yard. Use a ball to hit the word or a squirter to squirt it.

49. Sight Word Hopscotch: Draw a hopscotch grid and write sight words in each square. As children hop through the grid, they must read each word they land on. This adds a physical activity element to learning. Either draw your own or use floor tiles with the words taped inside. 

50. Feed the Animal Sight Words: Create an animal cutout with a mouth opening over a bowl. Participants must feed the correct words, after they read it correctly, into the animal’s mouth.

51. ABC Order or Word Length: Arrange words in alphabetical order or from shortest to longest.

52. Muffin Pan Search: Place sight words in a muffin pan, cover with foil. Children can poke holes to find a specific word or say the word after poking a hole.

53. BINGO – Create a bingo card with various words. Either just point to the word and say it correctly and then you can cross out (and you can get 5 in a row or a black out – cross out all the words on the page). Or you can print out two copies, and the second copy, cut up, and put in a bowl and they have to pull out a word and read it then if they read it correctly then they can cross off on their board.

54. UNO Or any game. Integrate sight words into Uno or any game to encourage reading before turns. If correct, they can have their turn if incorrect they have to keep the word in the pile and/or skip their turn.

55. Stacking Cups: Write words on the bottom of disposable cups and stack them, reading the words aloud. See how high they can stack it before it falls down.

56. OBJECT TOSS AND READ WITH SIGHT WORDS. Either in muffin tin or on the floor scattered. Have words in muffin tin or scattered on floor. Throw a pom pom and read.

57. Read the word. If correct toss a ball into bowls/cups with different point values assigned to each bowl (or a muffin tin with different points in each then toss in a muffin tin). Whoever has the most points in the end, wins! If you don’t read the word correct, keep the word in the pile and move onto the next word.

58. ZIG ZAG BALANCE. Have to walk along tape and read words along it. 

59. Put a ladder on the ground outside. Write words in it. Jump in each spot and say the word. Time yourself and see how fast you can say the words and jump through.

60. ROLL A DICE and write the word that you rolled. Each word that you’re working on to read, assign a different number either 1-6, 2-12, or 2-20 depending on if using one die, 2 dice or a deck of cards. Write many times on a chart. Graph the results.

61. PUDDLE JUMP. Write words on paper around the yard. Jump on the words as you read it.

62. BOBBING FOR WORDS: put words on streamers hanging from ceiling. If they read it correct they can try to grab it down. 

63. PICK UP STICKS GAME with sight words on each stick.

64. Word Toss and Read: Scatter words on the floor and toss a pom pom, reading the word it lands on.

65. SWAT SIGHT WORD. Lay out a-z letters Pick a sight word. Say the word then swat all the letters that spell the word. 

66. WHACK A SIGHT WORD: Two stacks of the same words. Lay out one stack of all the sight words. Have a stack of the same words separate. Pull out a card fro the separate pile and hit the sight word on table that matches. Variation: Play with a partner. Try to whack the word before your partner. If you do it first, you get to keep you word. Lay out a new card after taking the correct one.

67.

SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE: Place words in a bottle, shake it, then dump it. Read only the words facing up. Repeat the process or set aside the words read correctly. Variation: all the word you read correctly, put them aside.

68. SPIN AND COVER THE SIGHT WORD: Spin a spinner, read the word it lands on, and cover the word on a separate sheet of paper with an object.

69. EASTER EGG HUNT: Hide something under half an Easter egg with sight words on it. Kids must read to reveal the hidden item.

70. KNOCK DOWN WORDS: Place sight words on cones. Kick a ball or use a tennis racket to knock them down while saying the word.

71. BODY SPELLING: Spell sight words with your whole body. Write in the air or have each kid hold a word and jump when their word is called.

72. PLAY DOUGH FUN: Place play dough on sight words. Squish the play dough with a hammer or thumb when saying the word.

73. Word Hunt: Write sight words on sticky notes and hide them around the house or classroom. Give children a list of words to find. As they locate each word, they can cross it off their list.

74. HANGMAN: Play hangman using sight words.

75. I SPY: Locate words on the wall based on clues like letter count or specific letters. Say “I spy a word with 5 letters” they have to point or write it down. “I spy a word with the letter W in it” etc

76. COOTIE CATCHER: Create a paper fortune teller with words or directions inside.

77. WORD WAC WO: Make a 3×3 board. Scatter all of the sight words on the floor, have kids choose nine words, read them, and write them on their board. Then flip all the cards on the floor over so you can’t see.  Flip one word over a time and read it and then cross if off on the board. 

78. SIGHT WORD SCAVENGER HUNT: Scatter word letters around the room, have kids read the words, find the letters on post-it notes scattered, and build the words.

79. SNAP: Play a game where players match words, say “snap,” and collect matching cards. Have two sets of word lists. Make two piles. Each person flips a word and reads it aloud. If they have the same word they have to hit it and say snap. Get to keep the cards and put them on the bottom of their pile. 

80. WRITE ALL THE LETTERS ON THE GROUND. SCOOTER OVER THE LETTERS TO SPELL OUT A WORD CALLED OUT

LETTER SCOOTER: Write all of the letters on the ground. Call out a word then the child will spell out words by scooting over letters on the ground.

81. SIGHT WORD TALLIES: Select 6 sight words, tally each time a word is seen or heard in a book.

82. ENVELOPE BOARD: Arrange envelopes labeled 1-6 and DONE with cards inside. Put three new cards in the 1 envelope. Have them read it. If read correctly put it in envelope two. If not correct keep in 1. Each day read the envelopes and move them. Move cards based on reading accuracy each day until reaching DONE.

83. DICE GAME: Have 3×3 board of sight words with numbers. Have to roll a dice, read the word corresponding to the number rolled, and keep track of points.

84. MONKEY BANANA: Attach words to bananas, say and pull them out before the monkey pops.

85. BALLOON/BEACH BALL: Write sight words on a balloon, throw it back and forth reading the closest word to your thumb. Or the child can bounce balloon and read the one they catch.

86. CONNECT DOTS TO MAKE LINES OR SQUARE: write word inside all the square with 4 circles on the outside where the squares will be drawn. Take turns connecting two dots to make a line. If they make a square around that word, read the word to be able to get the square. If read correctly, color in the square with your assigned color.

87.cWRITE WORDS/EQUATIONS SMALL and use A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO FIND AND WRITE THEM on a separate sheet of paper.

88. Squirt TARGET: Place sight words on a wall or on floaties. Have them read the word aloud before trying to squirt or hit it.

89. TREASURE HUNT: Scatter sight words in sand or other material, then call out a word for them to quickly find and place in their treasure box. At the end, they must read the words back from the box.

90. BOAT RACES: Race floaties with sight words across the pool.

91. KNOCK DOWN FROM REMOTE CAR: Place words on blocks. Have them say the word and then knock it down with a remote-controlled car. Or you call out the word and she has to get the car to knock it down.

92. BALL HUNT: Spread words on balls around the yard or house. Give them a time limit to find and call out the words when they find them before putting them in a basket.

93. SHOOT the BASKETBALL with words on it. WATER BALLOON/BALL: Write sight words on water balloons/balls, and have them shoot them into hoops for points, saying the word before throwing the ball. Alternatively, show them a flashcard and they must read it correctly before shooting a basket. 

94. HIT the TENNIS BALL with a word on it.

95. READ CARD and then WRITE or SPELL WORD WITH LETTERS

96. SIGHT WORDS ON WATER BOTTLE CAPS: Hide the caps in sand, shaving cream, etc., and have them find and read them.

97. KNOCK IT DOWN: Write sight words on a box/block and knock it down with a blow or a ball.

98. MESS FREE PAINT WORD: Put paint in a zip lock bag and use a Q-Tip to write words.

99. SQUISH PAINT AND SEEK ANSWER: Write sight words all over a paper, place a zip lock bag of paint over it, and write the sight words next to the paint. They have to squish the paint and write the words they find.

100. EASTER EGG SIGHT WORDS SWIM: Place in pool for them to swim after it and read the word. Alternatively, hide around the house or yard.

101. CUP/BLOCK CRASH: Read the sight word first. Stack cups/blocks to make a pyramid and call out which one to hit before throwing a ball.

102. SIGHT WORD STOMP: Scatter sight words on the floor and call out a word for them to stomp on.

103. “BAKED COOKIES” put sight words on tray and they use a spatula to serve people/put on plate. Have to read word first

“BAKED COOKIES”: place sight words cards on a tray and have them use a spatula to serve/put them on a plate after reading the word.

104. FIND THE: Place sight words on the ground and hide a picture/object behind them. They must say the sight word to reveal the picture. Alternatively, place sight words on cups/bowls and hide a princess/monkey under one. They have to say the word to see if they found it.

105. FISHING FOR WORD: Place a paper clip on a sight word and use a magnet (attached to a string on a stick) to fish it up. Say then write down all the words you retrieve.  

106. SIGHT WORD FLIP: Lay out sight words. One person calls out a word, and the other person must flip it with a spatula. Record the words flipped by each player in separate columns on paper. Take turns playing.  

107. SPOT/GRAPH/HIDE AND SEEK: Conceal words around the room on shapes. Locate the word, say it aloud, and write it under the corresponding shape on a piece of paper. Create a bar graph to display your answers.  

108. WRITE DOWN WORDS AFTER FINDING THEM. Search the room for sight words.  

109. SIGHT WORD GUESS WHO: Create two identical 5×5 boards with all sight words. Draw a word randomly from a card containing all 25 words. Place the card you picked off the side next to it. Use a divider to keep opponents’ boards hidden. Cross out the word you asked your partner if they had. (Use a white board marker if placed in a clear sleeve or use a magnetic cookie sheet to put magnets on the words.)

110. DRIBBLE ON SIGHT WORD: Scatter sight words in the yard. Dribble a ball between each word and attempt to bounce the ball on each word. Alternatively, call out a word and dribble the ball to it. Or one person calls out word – second player tries to dribble to the word while the one player tries to catch them before they get there.

111. Snow: Write sight words on a pieces of paper, crumple it, and toss them around. Find and read the words, if correct then shoot them into a trashcan for points.  

112. TAG: Race to grab sight words and say them correctly before being tagged. The player with the most sight words in the end wins.  

113. Swap: Each player has a sight word. Find a partner and read each other’s words. Swap cards and continue around the room.  

114. SHOOTING BALL: Place sight words randomly around. Read a sight word, then shoot a ball from that spot.  

115. CRAWLING: Tape words or math problems under chairs/tables. Crawl around to find and read them.  

116. SET UP CONES: Dribble around cones or hit a tennis ball off them while saying each word. Knock down the cones by throwing or kicking a ball at them. Or RIDE around BIKE knocking them down when saying it.

117. HIT THE TARGET: Display sight words and aim to hit them by throwing, jumping, or using a ball or stuffed animal.  Must say the word correctly first before your attempt. 

118. SQUIRT THE WORD WITH WATER on the ground outside.  

119. BLACKBOARD SQUIRT: squirt the word on the blackboard with water.  

120. FILL UP BUCKET: Have buckets across from the children with words written on them. Read a word and race across to pour water into a that bucket. Repeat reading the word about three times to fill the bucket up. Compete against others.  

121. WATER THE PLANT: Read a word and water a plant.  

122. MAGNET LETTERS: Spell a sight word with magnet letters and write it down.

123. BATTLE SHIP: Create a 4×4 board with sight words. Place a boat or object on one sight word and cover it with pom poms or monkeys. Try to sink their ship or find their monkey.  

124. SNAP: Place sight words in a bucket. Participants must pull out a word and read it. If correct, they keep the card; if wrong, they return it. Set a timer for 10 minutes and include 2 “SNAP” cards in the bucket. If a “SNAP” card is drawn, all cards must be returned to the bucket.  

125. Snakes & Ladders: Incorporate words into the game. Players can only stay on the spot they roll on if they correctly read the word first.  

126. WORD SEARCH: Jumble up letters and have them search for their words in the scrambled letters.  

127. MYSTERY WORD: Write a word with a white crayon on paper. Participants must use paint to reveal the hidden word. Read and write the words found.

128. BUMP! Write words in a square and assign each word a number. Give each player 10 tiles/markers (or simply determine who is X and who is O).Roll two dice and read the word corresponding to that number. If correct, place your marker or cross it off. If your opponent has a marker in that spot, bump it off and claim the square. Once the board is filled, the player with the most markers wins!

129. Make a game board using sight words. Utilize flash cards to create a swirly or circular board. Move a marker piece around the board and roll the die to progress. Remove words after reading them correctly if desired.  

130. Put words in a mancala board. Place 3 beads or beans in each hole. Start on a word, roll two dice, and move the combined number of spaces. Read the word; if correct, take a bead or bean. Once all beads and beans are used, the game ends. Alternatively, play without beads and beans and pick up words if correct.  

131. Concentration Sight Words: Write words on a bingo-style board on a whiteboard. Participants must face away from the board. Show them a word, they say it correctly, find it on the board, then turn back to you for the next word. Time their responses or have them throw a ball before back and forth to you before moving on to a new word.

132. Flashcard Challenge: Use flashcards with sight words and set a timer. See how many words the child can correctly identify within a minute. This can be done individually or as a friendly competition.

133. Story Creation: Provide a list of sight words and encourage children to create a short story using as many words as possible. This not only reinforces word recognition but also enhances creativity and comprehension.

134. Interactive Apps: Utilize educational apps designed to help children practice sight words through engaging and interactive games. Many of these apps offer rewards and levels to keep children motivated.

135. Word Wall: Create a word wall where children can add new sight words they learn. Regularly review the words on the wall and encourage children to use them in sentences or identify them in books.

By incorporating these games into your child’s routine, you can make the process of learning sight words an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

our Sight Words / Red Words Packet: