Teaching literacy skills is important but can feel tedious for young learners. That’s why I try to create hands on sight words activities to make learning more engaging in my classroom. Today I’m sharing some of my favourite classroom sight word activities and some fun ways to incorporate technology into the process!
Creating Interactive Lists for Your Classroom
Regardless of which sight word list I use, I like to divide them into lists of 10 and colour code them (blue list, red list, etc). This makes them easier to sort and find, particularly for younger students.
This 500 Sight Word Package contains a list of 500 high-frequency words that have been selected from a variety of lists. They are colour coded into groups of 10 words and are ideal for displaying on the classroom wall or for using as sight word activities. Displaying the sight words in your room using velcro is ideal, as students can then access the words during writing and spelling activities, taking them to their desk as needed.
You can also use the sight words (or any of your own) for a variety of hands on sight words activities such as snap, memory and go-fish (HINT: Print them two to a page for a smaller version).
Swat the Sight Word is also a favourite activity in our classroom. Simply place your focus sight words face-up on the table and give each student a fly swat. One person (or the teacher) calls out a sight word. Whoever swats the sight word first, gets to keep the card. This game can get noisy, but it’s lots of fun!
Sight Word Practice
To consolidate all of the sight words activities that you have been doing in your classroom, use these Sight Word Booklets for a motivating way to practice. They are perfect for practicing sight words at school or at home. 500 words are included in 7 different booklets, which allows students to progress at their own rate. Teachers or parents can tick off the sight words as they are learnt. Once 6 ticks are placed next to each word on the page, students progress to the next page.
These booklets are also available in my store using the Oxford Wordlist!
Sight Word Practice Booklets – Oxford Wordlist
Want to give your students even more motivation to learn their sight words? Use these Sight Word Certificates to congratulate students as they can successfully read and write each set of sight words in their booklets.
I Have Who Has Sight Word Game
This engaging and addictive game of I Have Who Has is ideal for a range of year levels. This game is perfect for whole class engagement. I also love that my students want to play this game over and over again. The package contains 3 sets of I Have Who Has Sight Words games so that you can choose the best set for you and your class.
Need a challenge? Try timing your class each time you play. Can they beat their time?
Cut and Paste Sight Words
If you are looking for hands on sight words activities, then this one is for you! I love using this activity to help my students improve their fine motor skills whilst learning their sight words. Give them some magazines and newsletters to create your focus sight words. You will find that even older students like to do this activity.
Want to make this activity easier? (Or don’t have enough magazines and newspapers?) I created a simple worksheet that’s great as an individual or small group activity.
Get this activity for your classroom
Integrate with Technology
With the use of iPads in many classrooms now, these iPad Keyboard Typing Practice templates will come in super handy for practicing sight words. My Pre-Primary students love using the iPads and we love to create, design and app-smash. However, I found that all the students’ learning time was taken up trying to find the letters on the keyboard. After introducing these iPad templates and using them with our sight words on a regular basis, our students became much more proficient at typing. It helps them complete a higher quantity and quality of work.
You can definitely get creative with this activity. You can use these templates with whiteboard markers, counters, fairy stones or really anything you can think of!
