Learning Using Sight Words
For students, learning literacy is not the most difficult part of phonics. The hardest part is understanding and learning words which do not fit in. In my opinion, sight words are much harder. Sight words are thos which defy the rules of phonics, but are very commonly used in language. They are short words that can not be sounded out and must simply be memorized. Sight word lists are the bane of existence for any child with learning difficulties. Many students never master these words up to grade level, and you cannot read the simplest of texts without this understanding.
This is where sight word lists can really help students. Some schools take a whole language approach, refusing to really spend enough time drilling things like sight words and phonics lists. Students do not learn the patterns that make up language, and they also don’t memorize these common words. Instead, they are expected to pick them up on their own by reading specially designed books. Some students truly understand using this method, but for others, it is a disaster. This can lead to feelings of inadequecy and a fear of reading that can affect their entire lifetime.
Sight words lists are not the only tool to use for true understanding, however. It doesn’t make any sense to have a strict phonics program, or a whole language program either. You need a program that combines the best of both approaches. On the one hand, you need sight words and word lists. Students really need to make a concerted effort to study these words so they can recognize them, even without context. On the other hand, words in context are also important. Just adding a sight word it is not enough. A student needs to be able to read a story and see that word in the text. This will make it much easier for them to develop advanced reading skills.