Children Need More Than Sight Words

Sight words can be a useful part of early reading, but children need more than a list of words to memorise.

Learning to recognise familiar words is helpful, but children also need to understand how words work.

This gives them the skills they need to work out words they haven't seen before instead of relying on memory alone.

What Are Sight Words?

Sight words are words children are often encouraged to recognise quickly when reading.

Words such as the, was, said, come and you are commonly introduced during the early stages of reading.

Being able to recognise familiar words quickly can help children read more fluently.

The difficulty comes when children are expected to rely on memorisation as their main way of learning to read.

If a child has memorised a particular list of words, they may be able to read those words successfully. But when they come across a word they have never seen before, they need another strategy.

Children Need To Understand How Words Work

Learning the sounds represented by letters gives children a way to approach unfamiliar words.

Instead of trying to memorise every word they will ever encounter, children can look at the letters, think about the sounds and use those sounds to work out the word.

For example:

c – a – t

A child who knows these sounds can blend them together to read cat.

Our phonics and CVC resources give children opportunities to practise these early reading skills.

The important part is that children are learning a process they can use again and again, rather than simply remembering one word.

Decoding Gives Children A Strategy

Decoding means using knowledge of letters and sounds to work out a word.

When children come across an unfamiliar word, decoding gives them something they can try instead of immediately guessing or waiting for someone else to provide the answer.

Children can practise:

• Looking carefully at the letters
• Identifying the sounds they know
• Blending sounds together
• Working out unfamiliar words
• Checking whether the word makes sense

This is why learning letter sounds and blending is such an important part of early reading.

Children are not just learning words. They are learning how to read words.

Memorising Isn't The Same As Learning To Read

A child might remember that a particular group of letters represents a particular word.

But remembering one word does not necessarily help them read another word.

When children understand sounds and blending, they have a skill they can use with many different words.

For example, learning to blend c-a-t doesn't just teach a child the word cat. It helps them understand how individual sounds can be combined to make a word.

That understanding can then be applied to other simple words.

Reading And Writing Work Together

Writing can also help reinforce early reading skills.

When children write words, they need to think about the sounds they hear and which letters represent those sounds.

Reading a word and then writing it gives children another opportunity to connect:

sounds → letters → words

This is one reason early spelling and handwriting practice can support reading development.

• Hear the sounds in a word
• Connect sounds with letters
• Read the word
• Write the word
• Build spelling confidence

Children aren't learning each skill in isolation. They are building connected skills that support one another.

Give Children Time To Work Words Out

When a child is learning to read, it can be tempting to tell them the answer as soon as they get stuck.

Sometimes a little encouragement and time to think can be more helpful.

You might encourage your child to:

• Look at the letters
• Say the sounds
• Blend the sounds
• Try the word

They won't always get it right straight away, and that's okay.

Making mistakes is part of learning. Giving children an opportunity to have a go helps them develop confidence in their own ability to work things out.

Use A Writeboard To Practise Words

Reading and spelling practice can become frustrating when children feel that every attempt has to be perfect.

A reusable Writeboard gives children a place to practise letters and words without worrying about making permanent mistakes.

• Practise letter sounds
• Write simple words
• Try spelling unfamiliar words
• Wipe away mistakes and try again
• Build confidence before completing final work

This gives children more opportunities to practise the connection between sounds, letters, reading and writing.

The Goal Is Independent Reading

The goal isn't for children to memorise as many words as possible.

It is for them to develop the skills and confidence to approach new words independently.

Sight words can certainly be part of that journey, but they work best alongside strong knowledge of letters, sounds, blending and decoding.

When children understand how words work, they have a strategy they can continue using as their reading develops.

Support Your Child's Reading Journey

Our Australian-made Writeboards and educational resources help children practise reading, spelling, handwriting and early literacy skills through hands-on learning.

You can also explore our Phonics and CVC Resources to help your child practise letter sounds, blending and early reading skills.