Sight Word Activities for Parents
As a teacher and a mom, I understand how much children benefit from strong connections between school and home. So, trust me when I tell you that you, your students, and their families will love these sight word activities! The following detailed activities fulfill three vital needs.
- They are simple and fun ways for parents to work with their children.
- Children benefit from sight word practice and time with their caregivers.
- These activities empower parents who want to work with their kids but may not know the best ways to do it.
In this blog, we explore sight word tips and activities that benefit both school and home — scroll on!
Sight Word Assessments
Before we get to sight word activities for parents, let’s talk about sight word assessments. We want the words we send home to be a good fit for each child. A baseline assessment can show us their current levels and help us measure growth. Assessing students does not have to be complicated! For instance, I use the simple assessment checklists included in the Sight Word Cards Bundle. With the bundle, students practice decoding and reading sight words in sentences on each card. The sight words are included on other cards throughout the level, so extra practice is beneficial. I look for 100% mastery before moving on to the next level.
The Sight Words Cards Bundle is perfect for guided reading, reading lessons, and homework.
Sight Word Organization
You know that as much as I love activities, I love organization. To start, I create master sets of lists and a master set of cards. This organization helps me to keep everything streamlined and right at my fingertips. I also color code each set of cards in a different color. For example:
- Level A: Red
- Level B: Orange
- Level C: Yellow
- Level D: Green
- Level E: Blue
- Level F: Purple
- Level G: Pink
- Level H: White
- Level I: Teal
As you can see below, this keeps every level clearly separated and easy to grab.
I store the cards in a bin, basket, or drawer to keep them organized. Wherever you choose, dedicate a space where they are within reach! As a result, this organization will save you so much time later. I also like to copy the cards onto cardstock for longevity—the more durable the paper, the more chance you can use them year after year. I also hole punch and use a binder ring to connect the cards for easy flipping.
For a quick and easy sight word activity for parents, send home a master list of words or a ring of cards for at-home practice.
Sight Word Activities for Parents
As educators, ideas of how to work with students (or even our own children) come naturally to us! On the other hand, most parents want to help their children, but without our professional guidance, they might not know how. With this in mind, providing resources for parents will not only encourage practice but also give parents the confidence that they’re on the right track when effectively supporting their children.
When we begin sight word practice, I always send home a parent letter that explains what sight words are and why they are essential. In life, we are more likely to take a step toward action when we understand why it’s a valuable use of our time. Similarly, telling parents why sight words are vital to their children’s readiness to read encourages them to take on the task at home.
Sight Word Activities for Home
The key is simplicity when sending any activity home for families to work on with their children. Parents and caregivers usually sit down to work with their children after long days of their own. Because of this, we can save them time and take the guesswork out of at-home activities by keeping things simple, clear, and concise. As we all know, not all home lives are created equal for our classroom friends. This is one more reason that you want to choose activities that are not only simple but ones that don’t require many materials.
Where sight words are concerned, send home a list of easy activities for practice. Providing a list of activities to choose from also gives caregivers and kids the freedom to choose the activity that best accommodates their home situations and the ones most interesting for them!
4 Sight Word Activities that Kids Love
- Window Washer: Write six to eight sight words on a window using a dry erase marker. Call out a word and let your child erase it with a paper towel. For a challenge, reverse roles! Children can call out the sight words, and parents can do the erasing.
- Reading Relay: Take the sight word cards and arrange them on the floor like a path. Place a plush toy beside the last card. Hop from card to card as you read the word. When your child gets to the last card, pick up the plush toy. As they hop back with the toy, they can read the sentence on each card.
- Salt Letters: Pour some salt onto a colored paper plate. Look at the sight word on the card. Use your finger to write the word in the salt. Read the sentence. Parents and children can take turns with each of the roles!
- Letter Mountain: Bring your sight word cards to the stairs. Place a card on each step and place a toy at the bottom of the “mountain.” Get the toy to “climb” to the top of the mountain by reading each word. Get the toy to “climb” back down by reading the sentence on each card.
The ease and variety of each activity give families and children different options to draw, move and play together as they explore the world of sight words! As a result, allowing parents and children to both connect and work towards a common goal of sight word mastery.
You can download the FREE sight word note and games for families for below. ⬇️⬇️
FREE Sight Word Note & Games for Families!
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Additionally, if you liked these sight word activities, then I think you will love the 60 games and activities in Reading Games! The book is filled with an abundance of easy, actionable games and activities to build pre-reading and reading skills. You can use the games in your classroom and share ideas with families! You can even adapt the games to fit your classroom objectives. It’s a fantastic resource for teachers and families alike.
I hope you gained some great resources and ideas for providing sight word activities for parents! If you’re looking for additional ideas for sight words, check out these 3 easy sight word games! Don’t forget about the Sight Words Card Bundle for over 100 pages of resources! In conclusion, the key is to keep things simple and organized as you bridge that connection between school and families.
Hey, by the way, have you looked in the mirror lately? I bet if you looked right now, you would see a teaching powerhouse looking back at you! 😉
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