Sight Words Checklist Grade 1 - Free Printable List

What are sight words?

Sight words (also called high-frequency words) are the small set of English words that show up over and over in children's books - words like “the”, “and”, “was”, “you”. Many don't follow regular phonics rules (try sounding out “said” or “was”), so kids learn them by visual memory instead of decoding each letter.

Two classroom-standard lists dominate U.S. reading instruction: the Dolch list (Edward Dolch, 1936) and the Fry list (Edward Fry, 2000). The 100 words below combine the most-used words from both, in the order most children encounter them. When a child can read these instantly, the cognitive load drops and they can focus on comprehension instead of decoding.

Tip: print this page, tape it inside a folder, and check off each word once your child can read it instantly (under 2 seconds).

How to use this list

• ✓Pick 5-10 words per week. Don't try to teach the whole list at once. Smaller batches build mastery without overwhelm.
• ✓Review daily for 5 minutes. Spaced repetition wins. A short daily pass beats a long weekly session every time.
• ✓Drill to automaticity. A word is "learned" only when your child reads it without sounding out - within about two seconds.
• ✓Use them in context. After flashcard drills, find the same words inside a real book. Recognition in running text is the real test.
• ✓Revisit mastered words weekly. Without review, even "known" words can fade. Re-test once a week to keep them solid.