Sight words and phonicsPre-K and K
Sight words worksheets
Each row shows one Dolch sight word in a box, a line with the word traced twice in grey, and room to write it alone. Choose one of five Dolch levels and 4 to 10 words per page.
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On this page
What prints
The page opens with the pre-primer list and the "Read, trace and write" activity. Down the page there is one row per word. At the left of each row is the word in bold type inside a box. To its right sits a primary-ruled line: a solid top line, a dashed midline and a darker baseline. The word is already printed on that line twice in light grey, so a child traces it two times and then has the rest of the line to write the word unaided.
The words are drawn from Edward Dolch's 1948 lists of common words, grouped by level. Each time you open the page the words are picked in a random order from the list you chose, so two prints are rarely identical. There is no answer key, since there is nothing to mark right or wrong.
The traced letters are plain grey print letters, not a school handwriting style. If your child's school teaches a specific letter form, that is worth knowing before you start.
The settings
- Word list. Pre-primer (40 words), Primer (52), First grade (41), Second grade (46) or Third grade (41).
- Activity. "Read, trace and write" is the one this page uses. The other two choices, flash cards and a checklist, are covered on sight word flash cards and kindergarten sight words.
- Words on the page. A number from 4 to 10. Four rows leave generous writing space; ten is a full page.
How to use it
Say the word aloud before any pencil touches paper. Sight words are meant to be recognized whole, so the sequence matters: look, say, trace, write, say again. Many of these words cannot be sounded out neatly (said, the, you), which is why they are practiced as shapes as well as sounds.
Work with five or six rows at a time. A child who is rushed through ten words usually remembers none of them. If a word is wrong or hesitant, circle it lightly and bring it back the next day on a fresh sheet.
When a level feels easy, move up one list. A child who reads nearly every pre-primer word without pausing is ready for primer words. For letter formation on its own, try letter tracing worksheets.
Worked example: five primer words
Open the page, set Word list to Primer and Words on the page to 5. Say the sheet shows these rows: ate, new, well, must, ran.
- Point to "ate" in its box. Ask, "What does this say?" If your child hesitates, say it and have them repeat it.
- They trace the grey "ate" twice, saying the word each time.
- They write "ate" a third time on the remaining line, starting at the top line.
- Cover the boxed word with a hand and ask them to read what they wrote.
- Move to "new" and repeat.
Afterward, write each word on an index card and mix them with last week's words. Any card that takes longer than a few seconds goes in a "again tomorrow" pile.
A short note on lists
Dolch's lists are old, and newer lists exist. They remain handy because they are short, familiar to most teachers and easy to sort by level. Treat them as a practice set, not a full reading program.