| Knowing sight words is one of the basic building | | | | is arranged so that the most frequently used |
| blocks when learning how to read. A sight word is | | | | ones are given precedence. His research found |
| a word that children can read readily without | | | | that a mere 25 words (these words are listed on |
| having to sound it out. Sight words also are | | | | top) make up approximately one third of all items |
| generally phonetically irregular and used with high | | | | published. He discovered that one hundred words |
| frequency in most publications. To lay a foundation | | | | comprise approximately one half of all the |
| for learning how to read it is imperative to | | | | publications written. Fry's list was composed based |
| introduce sight words to children. This bolsters | | | | on these facts, as he worked to inspire young |
| their confidence until they become more able to | | | | children to commit to memory these sight words |
| read the written word. Definitive research that | | | | to jump-start the reading process. |
| involved using sight words for reading instruction | | | | Both men understood how children should learn to |
| purposes supports this method. These studies | | | | read. Through repeated exposure to these |
| were based on the premise that the English | | | | regularly used sight words, many of which are |
| language is made up of some 500,000 words and | | | | phonically irregular, new readers learn to recognize |
| only about 200 are utilized with regularity in | | | | them upon sight. This streamlines the learning to |
| printed text. Edward B. Fry and Edward William | | | | read process, allowing certain high frequency |
| Dolch composed practical lists which today are still | | | | words to be recognized instantly, then the child |
| used and highly respected by both teachers and | | | | need only to phonetically sound out new words |
| parents. | | | | seen in the text. |
| Dolch, who has a PhD, published a study in the | | | | The Fry and Dolch lists are arranged by levels of |
| 1940s that transformed the method used for | | | | advancing difficulty. Dolch's list of sight words was |
| teaching reading. He wrote about his theory in a | | | | designed to be thoroughly learned and mastered |
| book Problems in Reading and explained that | | | | by the 3rd grade. Fry's list, on the other hand, |
| children who can identify a certain core group of | | | | was separated into grade levels specifically for the |
| words by sight could easily learn to not only read | | | | first 6 grades. Today, however, many educators |
| but also comprehend better. Dolch methodically | | | | are pushing students to know most, if not all, of |
| composed this list containing some 95 nouns and | | | | the Dolch list by the first grade and Fry's list by |
| 220 service words. He studied English text, with a | | | | the fourth grade. |
| focus on children's reading books, and selected | | | | Children can have an enjoyable time learning the |
| words to include in his list. When a young child | | | | Dolch and Fry words. Parents and educators use |
| learns the sight words, she or he becomes a | | | | various methods to assist new readers instantly |
| more proficient reader in less time than other | | | | recognize sight words. One such approach is |
| learn to read methods. | | | | incorporating repetitive exposure to these |
| Then Fry (who has a PhD too) in 1996 expanded | | | | common words into computer or board games. |
| on Dolch's research and published a book titled | | | | This can be a particularly effective method since |
| 1,000 Instant Words. This book is a compilation of | | | | it is likely to capture and retain a child's attention. |
| the most common of the sight words and the list | | | | |