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a, and, away, big, blue, can, come, down, find, for
Dolch Pre-Primer Sight Words
The Dolch pre-primer sight words are 40 short words, such as the, and, see and you, that show up on almost every page of an early reader. Many cannot be sounded out with beginner phonics, so children learn them by sight. Most schools teach them in preschool or kindergarten. This page has the full list, four sight-word bookmarks, flash cards, worksheets, bingo cards and a tracing sheet.
| a | find | is | not | three |
| and | for | it | one | to |
| away | funny | jump | play | two |
| big | go | little | red | up |
| blue | help | look | run | we |
| can | here | make | said | where |
| come | I | me | see | yellow |
| down | in | my | the | you |
Other Dolch lists
Cards and worksheets
Flash cards
Flash cards: 40 cards, 8 to a page, with cut lines.
Worksheets
Worksheets: read it, color it, trace it, write it and find it, two words to a page.
Bingo cards
Bingo: 8 different 5 by 5 cards with a free center, two to a page.
Tracing sheets
Tracing: every word three times in gray on handwriting lines, six words to a page.
What are pre-primer sight words?
Pre-primer sight words are the first 40 words on Edward W. Dolch's sight-word lists, the simplest words in early readers. Examples are a, and, see, the and you. Many of them, such as said, where and one, cannot be sounded out with beginner phonics, so children learn them by sight.
Pre-primer sight word flash cards
The flash card PDF has all 40 words, eight to a page, with cut lines. Print them on cardstock (65 lb cover, about 176 gsm) so they last and the next card does not show through. Work on three to five words a week, five minutes a day, and move a word to the done pile once your child reads it on three different days.
Sight word worksheets and tracing sheets
The worksheets ask a child to read it, color it, trace it, write it and find it, two words to a page. The tracing sheet shows every word three times in gray on handwriting lines, six words to a page. Plain printer paper is fine for both, and each comes as a US Letter and an A4 PDF.
Sight words for preschool and kindergarten
Most schools introduce the pre-primer words in preschool or kindergarten, and the primer list follows in kindergarten. Start small: pick three to five words a week and read them in a picture book first. Five minutes a day works better than one long session, and bingo turns practice into a group game.
Using them at home and in class
- Start small
- Pick three to five words a week. Read them in a picture book first, then bring out the flash cards for those words only.
- Practice in short bursts
- Five minutes a day works better than one long session. Flip through the cards, and put a word in the done pile once your child reads it without help on three different days.
- Mix the activities
- Use the worksheet for read, color, trace and write, the tracing sheet for handwriting, and bingo for a group game: call a word, everyone finds it and covers it.
- Check the whole list
- When most words are in the done pile, read the full list from the table below. Words your child still hesitates on go back into the week's set.
Questions
What grade is pre-primer?
Pre-primer is usually taught in preschool and kindergarten. The primer list follows in kindergarten, then the first grade list.
What grade level are primer sight words?
Primer sight words usually come in kindergarten, right after the pre-primer list. The first grade list follows them.
Should a 4 year old know sight words?
Many schools start the pre-primer words in preschool, so some four-year-olds begin learning them there. Go at your child's pace: three to five words a week and five minutes a day is a good start.
How many pre primer sight words are there?
The Dolch pre-primer list has 40 words, from a to you. The table on this page shows all of them.
What are Dolch sight words?
Dolch sight words are 220 common words, plus 95 nouns, that Edward William Dolch collected from children's books. He published them in the 1930s and 1940s, split into five lists: pre-primer, primer, first, second and third grade.
What paper do the printables need?
Plain printer paper is fine for the worksheets, tracing and bingo. Print the flash cards on cardstock (65 lb cover, about 176 gsm) so they last.
How do the sight-word bookmarks work?
Each of the four bookmarks holds ten words with three boxes per word. Tick a box each time your child reads the word without help, and color the picture at the top.
How does sight word bingo work?
The bingo PDF has 8 different 5 by 5 cards with a free center, two to a page. Call a word, and every player finds it and covers it.
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