Reading is one of the most important skills a child can learn. Various methods have been used by teachers and parents over the years, but sight words, and sight word activities, have remained a constant. Because of that, you have probably heard your child’s teacher mention the Dolch sight word lists. The word list, which has been around for over 60 years, is still used by many elementary schools today. These Dolch sight word flash cards can help you help your child at home.
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Dolch Sight Word Flash Cards
The Dolch word list was created by Edward William Dolch in 1936 and first published in 1948. It includes 220 words that have been determined to be a necessary part of reading fluency.
The words are divided into grade levels, based on the grade when they should be memorized. Remember, this was determined over 60 years ago and your child’s school may be using them differently!
The Dolch words are traditionally considered “sight words” (words that need to be memorized on sight), but many of them can actually be easily read phonetically (or “sounded out”). Either way, chances are your child will need to be familiar with these words.
What Is Included
This printable includes flash cards for all 220 traditional Dolch words. There are ten to a page. There is a flash card printable set for each level. They are different colors, to help you keep them organized.
What You Will Need
- Printer paper
- Another option is card stock paper if you would like them to be a little sturdier
- Scissors
- You could also use a small paper cutter if you would like to cut the cards out faster
- If you would like to make the flash cards even sturdier, you could glue them to construction paper after you cut them out.
- If you would like to make them REALLY sturdy so they will last longer, you could laminate them using laminating pouches and a laminator
How to Prepare the Flash Cards
Print out the pages of flash cards on printer paper or card stock paper.
Use scissors or a paper cutter to cut them out. You can print out every page or only the ones you need at the moment.
Glue them to construction paper and/or laminate. Again, this is completely up to you.
How to Use the Sight Word Flash Cards
Most of us have used flash cards at some point in our education. What you may not realize is that there are different ways to use them.
Traditional Flash Card Use
When most people think of flash cards they think of the traditional use. And this is a great way to use them with your child. Choose the words that your child is working on. Show your child a flash card and ask them to read the word.
Memory Game
Choose the words that your child is working on. Print out and prepare TWO SETS of the words. Play a memory game with your child, where they try to find the matching words.
Alphabetical Order
If your child has been working on this skill, have them put words of your choosing in alphabetical order.
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Be sure to check out our Dolch Nouns and Fry First 100 Words flash cards too!
Hi Cindy,
I do not have Facebook or other social media but I would like to ask if I might have permission to use these sight words for families at the Resource centre I work at. Some do not have internet or printer and they are looking for ways to home school their children during this pandemic. If you will allow me to print aprox. 20 copies for their use I would really appreciate it as would the parents who are trying to “home School” wirelessly.
Absolutely! Feel free to make copies to help out the parents. And I appreciate your checking with me first.
I’m so grateful for this resource! Thank you! I’m wondering if there might be a way to add words? My son has over 100 additional words, that are not on any of these lists, that he has to know by sight and how to spell going in to second grade. I’d love for them to all be the same size and font so we can play games with them. I’m not technology literate
I have been considering adding additional sight word cards. There is a Dolch nouns list and the Fry list of words. I don’t have anything planned at the moment though.
Hi. Firstly, thanks for uploading this. I printed the first 3 sets of word cards last year. My 5-yo is now able to read all the words up to grade 1 and here i am, back for more. Do let me know if the printouts for Dolch Noun becomes available. Would love to print those too. Thanks again for doing this!
I have been considering adding the noun cards. Check back in a few weeks!
Fry words list would be so amazing! I truly love that the each page has 10 or less words. I actually place them in a folder with brads and we work through the sets. I sign off after each page is mastered. Please consider making fry 1000 word list!! Great work!! Thanks so much
Are there lists for high grade levels? 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.
No, there aren’t any traditional Dolch lists for the upper grades.
OMG!!! thank you. I realize this takes time but it is SOOOOO wonderful to see such work be shared for FREE.
You are very welcome!
Omg Thank you for this so much needed an helpful!!!!! OXOX
You are so welcome! I hope they are helpful.
Thank you for providing this free resource. It is such a time saver.
You’re very welcome! I hope you find it useful.
Thank you so much for making these available for free. As a grandmother raising her 1st grade granddaughter these are exactly what I was looking for. The color coding is perfect and doesn’t use a lot of ink. With very limited resources but determined to help my granddaughter these are a lifesaver. There are so many grandparents in this situation and any help we can get is so helpful It’s been a long time since we’ve been in school as have our children. I’ll be looking for more of your wonderful work. Thank you again.
You are so welcome!!! I plan on adding a lot more free educational printables very soon.
thanks for this it will be a good help for my girls
Thank you for sharing these free sight words. My son is enjoying them while learning.
You are so welcome!
This is just amazing!! Thank you so much for your effort and created them, and most important, sharing them!! They have been of such much help. Seriously, can’t thank you enough!
You are very welcome!!!
Thank you for making these sight words available for free.
You are very welcome! I hope you find them helpful.
I like them