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Mrs. Valentina Pettway » Early Literacy Kindergarten - Grade 2

Early Literacy Kindergarten - Grade 2

Daily Reading Practice
Good Rule to Follow: A beginning reader should spend at least 20 minutes a day reading to or with someone. 
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We use Fountas and Pinnell to assess all kindergarten - grade 2 students. This assessment allows us to instruct at their instructional level and plan instruction to progress them further. Daily reading and sight word practice will help increase their reading level. 
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Sight Words
The Dolch Word list contains the most common 220 words encountered in children’s books. Dolch words, or sight words, are critical in early reading development because they represent high-frequency words, many of which cannot be "sounded out" and have to be learned by "sight." These words must be quickly recognized in order to achieve reading fluency, as they make up 50 to 70 percent of any text. Repetition and practice are very important in making the recognition of sight words automatic. Once this core of basic sight words has been memorized, children read more fluently and with greater comprehension.
 
Sight Word Rule: Students should read a given sight word in three seconds or less. The automaticity of sight word knowledge increases student's ability to read higher level books that contain more challenging vocabulary. 
 
How to Practice: Write sight words on flash cards for students to practice. Give 2-5 new sight words at a time depending on the learner. As students demonstrate mastery of a sight words replace with a new word on the list. It is important to keep all known words in the stack of flash cards for repeated practice. 
 
Extension: If students are meeting sight word expectations for their grade level have them practice writing known words. This will help students meet grade level writing expectations. 
 

Dolch 220 Basic Word (listed by frequency) 

 

Words

1-25

Words

26-50

Words

51-75

Words

76-100

Words

101-125

Words

126-150

Words

151-175

Words

176-200

Words

200-220

the

to

and

he

a

I

you

it

of

in

was

said

his

that

she

for

on

they

but

had

at

him

with

up

all

 

look

is

her

there

some

out

as

be

have

go

we

am

then

little

down

do

came

could

when

did

what

so

see

not

were

get

them

like

one

this

my

would

me

will

yes

big

went

are

come

 if

now

long

no

came

ask

very

 an

over

your

its

ride

into

just

blue

red

from

good

any

about

around

want

don’t

how

know

right

put

too

got

take

where

every

pretty

jump

green

four

away

old

by

their

here

saw

call

after

well

think

ran

let

help

make

going

sleep

brown

yellow

five

six

walk

two

or

before

eat

again

play

who

been

may

stop

off

never

seven

eight

cold

today

fly

myself

round

tell

much

keep

give

work

first

try

new

must

start

black

white

ten

does

bring

goes

 write

always

drink

once

soon

made

run

gave

open

has

find

only

us

three

our

better

hold

buy

funny

warm

ate

full

those

done

use

fast

say

light

pick

hurt

pull

cut

kind

both

sit

which

fall

carry

small

under

read

why

own

found

wash

show

hot

because

far

live

draw

clean

grow

best

upon

these

sing

together

please

thank

wish

many

shall

laugh

Pressley, M. (2005).  Dolch professional development guide.  Columbus, OH:  SRA.

 
Read by Grade 3 Law
 
See the attached Parent Fact Sheet to learn more about the Read by Grade 3 Law. 
 
 
Resources to Support the Five Areas of Reading 
 
 
 
Content
  • Daily Reading Practice 
  • Sight Word knowledge
  • Read by Grade 3 Law