This blog post contains 10 fun activities for identifying sight words. You will also find that some come with a link for activities/resources for you to download and use with your students. To find out more about sight words, and why they are important for us to teach, check out this blog post.
1. Bingo
My students love when we pull out bingo. And because it has so many benefits for students, it’s a game I pull out all year long. It’s super easy to make different themed bingo games, and to work on different skills. One that I really enjoy using with my students is ‘Sight Word Bingo.’
For this, I’ll read out the sight word first, and students have to see if they have the matching word on their bingo board. After a few moments, I’ll hold up a flashcard with the same sight word on it. This way, students have an extra clue to identify the sight word and see if they have it.
2. Scavenger Hunt
Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? These always go down well for my students because they love to be on the move when they’re learning. So a scavenger hunt is extra exciting. I make it really easy, and I just hide sight words around either the room or an outside area. Then, I have students hunt for the words and call them out, or mark them off their list.
3. Memory Game
I try to work on my students’ memory skills throughout the year. It’s important to me that they are able to remember and retain what they learn. So I’ll often pull out different memory games and use them with my students. For this one, I have sight words on cards printed twice, lay them on a table to show the student, and then I turn them upside down. I’ll typically lay out around 6 at once, and potentially less or more depending on my student’s individual abilities.
Students have to try and remember where the words were and turn them over to make a match.
4. Word Searches
I never really appreciated word searches enough until I was a few years into teaching. There are so many benefits for using word searches as part of your learning.. But also, they’re super quick and easy to prep. Just print them out and have them ready to use with your students.
5. Relay Race!
If you’ve followed me for a short while, you’ll probably already know how much I advocate for getting students moving and being physical while learning. I do honestly believe that it has a huge benefit on my students and their learning.
I’ll typically place my students into different teams. Then, I’ll lay out a race course for students. Students have to race against each other, finding and identifying the sight words along the way and shouting them out.
6. Musical Chairs
One thing that I usually focus on the most with my students during the school year is birthday party games. Many of my students love to be invited to parties.. But they really struggle to understand how to play different party games. So I really try to focus on this through the year and help them develop those important skills.
For this, I place different sight word cards on chairs. When the music plays, students have to walk around the chairs. But when the music stops, students have to quickly find a chair and then say what the sight word is on their chair. It’s also played like your usual musical chairs – take away a chair each time. The students who are ‘out’ can help you to ask students what sight words they are sitting on to further work on their sight word skills too.
7. Charades
This is always a fun game, and you can either take it upon yourself to be the actor or you can include students too. The basic rules are;
- The actor reads the sight word on the card presented to them.
- Then, the actor has to act out this word.
- Students have to try and guess what sight word the actor is acting out.
8. Pictionary
Pretty much like the board game that we all know and love. Students have to draw pictures to represent the sight word. Other students have to try and guess what word is being drawn.
9. Hopscotch.
Again, another physical activity that gets my students moving, so it had to be included in this list! Simply draw out a hopscotch in chalk on the ground outside. As students hop onto the squares, they have to read out the sight words that they land on.
10. Simon Says
Most of us are probably familiar with the game ‘Simon Says.’ But this time, it’s going to be “Miss Nikki says find something yellow” “Miss Nikki says run on the spot.” (Of course you’re going to change Miss Nikki for your own name!)
These are my 10 favorite activities to use for teaching students to identify sight words. What activities do you like to use with your students? Leave a comment below and let me know!
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You may also find the following podcast episodes and blog posts helpful;
Thanks,
Nikki
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