One key aspect of learning to read is the ability to recognize common words without need to sound them out. These are called sight words, or high-frequency words, and in the early years, are usually short words with simple, phonetic spelling patterns. You Clever Monkey has shared a number of great activities to practice sight words. Although they are designed for small-group or classroom use, they can be adapted for use at home using minimal materials. One of our favourite activities is “Sight Word Splat!” If your little one is not quite at the point of using sight words, this activity can also be super easily adapted using the letter of the alphabet. This one is great for high-energy kiddos and also helps practice their quick reaction time. All you need are some printed sight words and a flyswatter or two. If you do not have a fly swatter you could use a ruler or another object to use as a pointer. Choose one person to read out a word while the other players try to swat at the word with their flyswatter. To up the competitive aspect, try placing the words further apart in a large room or backyard, or play for a prize; “movie choosing power” is a favourite prize for movie nights!
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