Sight Words and Symbol Imagery - Learning How to Read

Sight Words and Symbol Imagery – Learning How to Read

Sight Words and Symbol Imagery – Learning How to Read

The top 10 sight words that every child should know and instantly identify by end of kindergarten:

  1. the
  2. of
  3. and
  4. a
  5. to
  6. in
  7. is
  8. you
  9. that
  10. it

These are the top 10 sight words that every child should know to be able to effectively read and write. These words are common and frequently used, so it is important for children to be able to recognize them quickly and easily. Sight words can be taught through a variety of methods, such as flash cards, books, and games. With a little practice, your child will be able to master these words in no time!

Why is teaching sight words important for parents to know:

There are many reasons why teaching sight words is important for parents to know. First, sight words are the most frequently used words in the English language, so it is important for children to be able to recognize them quickly and easily. Second, sight words often don’t follow the normal “expectations” or rules of spelling [Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes], so they can be difficult for children to sound out. Finally, knowing sight words can help children become better readers overall. By being able to quickly recognize common words, they can focus more on the meaning (comprehension) of the text and less on decoding (rate of reading) individual words.

Ultimately, teaching sight words is an important part of helping children become successful readers.  Most words you read are ‘sight words.’  By the end of 3rd grade there are approximately 300 sight words that should be mastered by your child.  The most common sight word lists used are the ‘Dolch’ and ‘Fry’s’ sight words.  You can find these lists many places on the internet.  Download your own copy for practice.

Learning to read

How to use symbol imaging to improve reading and spelling skills:

One way to improve your reading and writing skills is to use symbol imaging. When you see the letters in a word, ‘image’ that letter on the ‘screen in your brain’.  Also image the order of the letters in a word on your screen in your brain.  A good reader has to be able to ‘hold and compare’ [Lindamood-Bell Learning Process].  First, they must gather all the letters in a word through their eyes and send them to the screen in their brain.  These letters and order of letters must be held, to identify the sounds of those letters, and then put them together into the word, and ultimately identify the whole word.  This word is then sent back to the reader to compare with the letters and words they ‘see’ in the text to compare and see if they match. Does the word they have identified make sense in that sentence? Chances are then they have decoded correctly!

For writing and spelling, your child needs to image the letters in a word on the screen in their brain, to accurately transfer it to their paper, or spell the word out loud!

In conclusion, learning to read can be a fun and rewarding experience for children of all ages. By using sight words and symbol imagery, children can learn to read quickly and effectively. With the right tools and resources, your child can be reading in no time!

Try it out and see if it works for your child!

Scroll to Top