Techniques for learning sight words?

[Anonymous]

I have been trying to work on sight words with my new Kindergartener. I have a set of flashcards and I have been trying to just have him memorize a couple a week. But it's not sticking. He'll retain the word but then if he sees it in a different context (i.e. if I want him to identify the word in a book we're reading, or on a sign, or if I write the word down later, etc.) he often has trouble. And frankly, he hates the flashcards, as I understand because they are 'boring.' I think a part of this is an attention problem. The kid can remember any/all minute details of the lives of multiple superheros, and can identify them by costume/symbol, etc. so I know he is capable of memorizing and retaining when his attention is piqued!

I went to Lakeshore Learning and got a couple of games, but all ultimately require a basic knowledge of many sight words before they can really be used -- their focus is on strengthening the knowledge and adding more -- they aren't good for someone who most of the time is literally trying to learn them for the first time.

What techniques/aides have others used? Are their any good iPad apps that I can use to supplement the flashcards? I see a fair amount in the Apple store but can't tell what would be worthwhile and what is a waste. He loves the iPad so I think I'd be successful in getting him to play any sight words 'games' on the iPad.

Any other tools that have helped your kid?

[Anonymous]

A pin I saved and go back to frequently.

Print a few of these books:

http://pin.it/WJIficz

He should be able to read these with your help. And hopefully not be bored.

Now my DD is bored if these, we just play a different game with the flash cards every day. We do the easy 15 first, then the newer, harder ones.
-have him jump on a flash card that you call out
-lay out 2 at a time, have him pick the one he knows. My DD usually says I know both! But sometimes just picks one. I out the one she didn't pick at the bottom of my pile and repeat it later(going over it with her before putting under my pile)
-I write out a sentence with 1-2 sight words. Easy. But funny. "I like my dog." "My dogs have fun." "The dog has ice cream" (I tell her ice cream). "Here is the stinky monkey." Etc. just tell the words that aren't important to learn now.

We just make up new stuff every day.

[Anonymous]

^and we just do 5-10 minutes a day.

[Anonymous]

Lots of apps on the iPad, Preschool Prep videos and lots of repetition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been trying to work on sight words with my new Kindergartener. I have a set of flashcards and I have been trying to just have him memorize a couple a week. But it's not sticking. He'll retain the word but then if he sees it in a different context (i.e. if I want him to identify the word in a book we're reading, or on a sign, or if I write the word down later, etc.) he often has trouble. And frankly, he hates the flashcards, as I understand because they are 'boring.' I think a part of this is an attention problem. The kid can remember any/all minute details of the lives of multiple superheros, and can identify them by costume/symbol, etc. so I know he is capable of memorizing and retaining when his attention is piqued!

I went to Lakeshore Learning and got a couple of games, but all ultimately require a basic knowledge of many sight words before they can really be used -- their focus is on strengthening the knowledge and adding more -- they aren't good for someone who most of the time is literally trying to learn them for the first time.

What techniques/aides have others used? Are their any good iPad apps that I can use to supplement the flashcards? I see a fair amount in the Apple store but can't tell what would be worthwhile and what is a waste. He loves the iPad so I think I'd be successful in getting him to play any sight words 'games' on the iPad.

Any other tools that have helped your kid?

Leverage this. Print out a bunch of pictures of superheroes, then print on separate cards each of the superhero names. Have him work on matching the name to the picture. Start him out attending to just the first letters (i.e. the G and L for Green Lantern). See how he does.

[Anonymous]

Get the step readers for superhero. I did that for one child. Costco sometimes has multi-packs of them at a reasonable cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been trying to work on sight words with my new Kindergartener. I have a set of flashcards and I have been trying to just have him memorize a couple a week. But it's not sticking. He'll retain the word but then if he sees it in a different context (i.e. if I want him to identify the word in a book we're reading, or on a sign, or if I write the word down later, etc.) he often has trouble. And frankly, he hates the flashcards, as I understand because they are 'boring.' I think a part of this is an attention problem. The kid can remember any/all minute details of the lives of multiple superheros, and can identify them by costume/symbol, etc. so I know he is capable of memorizing and retaining when his attention is piqued!

I went to Lakeshore Learning and got a couple of games, but all ultimately require a basic knowledge of many sight words before they can really be used -- their focus is on strengthening the knowledge and adding more -- they aren't good for someone who most of the time is literally trying to learn them for the first time.

What techniques/aides have others used? Are their any good iPad apps that I can use to supplement the flashcards? I see a fair amount in the Apple store but can't tell what would be worthwhile and what is a waste. He loves the iPad so I think I'd be successful in getting him to play any sight words 'games' on the iPad.

Any other tools that have helped your kid?

Leverage this. Print out a bunch of pictures of superheroes, then print on separate cards each of the superhero names. Have him work on matching the name to the picture. Start him out attending to just the first letters (i.e. the G and L for Green Lantern). See how he does.

Excellent suggestion!

[Anonymous]

Check out the video demonstration of Word Wizard:
http://a4cwsn.com/2011/08/word-wizard/

You can also make your own word list for practice.

[Anonymous]

Your main tool is PATIENCE.

My children frustrated me to no end at around that age, when I felt they were just at the cusp of reading but didn't quite memorize and decipher sight words and other words.

And guess what? Nothing I did helped in any visible or measurable way! I read to them as usual, asked they decipher a little bit themselves... but it's only when their brain was ready that something CLICKED, and they were off. For example my daughter read the first Harry Potter at the end of K and The Hobbit in first grade, among other things. A couple of months before reading these hefty things, she was painstakingly going through one liners! My son took a few extra months, but his trajectory had the same kind of bump. Brain development is crazy at that time.

So, yes, patience.

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher. We do sight word bingo, display on classroom wall, any way that makes it fun/a game!

[Anonymous]

Zingo?

[Anonymous]

Reality check. Is it really September and multiple people are taking about using flashcards with their kindergartners?

[Anonymous]

Check out the Endless Reader app for iPad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reality check. Is it really September and multiple people are taking about using flashcards with their kindergartners?

Welp, not op....but:
-DD's K standards are to learn 15 in first quarter, 75 total by end of 2nd, and something in the hundreds by the end of the year. (Can't remember, but going to get the paper right now). DD knows the 15. It's the 60+ are working on slowly.
-To sign off on her homework every night, the most important aspect the teacher emphasizes is the 15 min of reading and sight words. We use most if it for sight words, as we read at bedtime too, and DD thinks it's more fun to play games with the flash cards
-I repeat, DD thinks it's fun

So to not use my homemade flash cards would be slacking IMO.

[Anonymous]

^not going to get the paper right now. Missed a word. DCUM is for lazy time