Sight Words Vocabulary List

Sight words are words that should be easily recognized by sight because either: 1) they are not decodable, so they must be memorized; or 2) they appear so often in reading that students should not have to stop to decode them. The latter is of particular importance because if students can easily recognize the most common words in a language, they will have fewer words to decode. Overall, memorizing sight word vocabulary helps improve fluency.
There are several different sight word vocabulary lists that could be taught. The following list* was generated by averaging the frequency of words found on a few different popular high frequency word lists, including Dolch's list, Frye's list, and Paul Nation's list. Some high frequency words that are decodable were removed.(For ideas on how to teach sight words, visit my post entitled, "Ideas for Teaching Sight Words".)

List 1 the to a and in you that of it not for I is an	List 2 on with he at are be this but have we as they will her	List 3 one do was were all am from his my there about out me so	List 4 would she very your some go when don’t said good by look too little	List 5 where then every what no or know their see which any like people into
List 6 down many year has around saw how been could them come put than now	List 7 who much think only two its our here over also walk back other after	List 8 boy use three before new work first may way again ever never seven want	List 9 because eight these today give more such through pretty four away brown yellow round	List 10 goes great says move does mother build father should answer learn eye thought together
	List 11 both carry friend once sure color enough always young though talk	List 12 door heard early toward love money done beauty nothing busy laugh	List 13 weight brother gone buy floor view lose guess shoe woman women

(*This list is published in the Decoding Strategies for Literacy Development manual produced by Reading Horizons and is used with permission.)