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Sight Word 60: Day 1

by Greg Smedley-Warren March 7, 2016 21 comments

How do you teach sight words? What are your favorite ways to teach sight words? Do you teach sight words? These are questions I get asked a lot and questions I see in Facebook groups every day. So, here’s my answer to teaching sight words: SIGHT WORD 60!

Where Did Sight Word 60 Come From?

So, you see, what had happened was, I stunk at teaching sight words. We did all kinds of random things and we never had a direction and plan for teaching sight words. And by we, I mean me. The kids were just along for the ride! My students always did ok and learned some words but they didn’t retain the words well and I just knew there was a better way. I knew I was failing my students and wanted to fix it.

And thus was born Sight Word 60.

What Is Sight Word 60?

The premise of Sight Word 60 is that in the course of a school week, 5 days, students get over 60 exposures to each sight word and that happens in just a few minutes each day. No long lessons. No materials to prep. A few high impact, engaging minutes to teach sight words.

Brain research says we need 21 exposures to learn something and move it into long term storage and be able to recall the information. So, why not triple that and get 60 or more exposures?!

Sight Word 60 works with any sight word list. Dolch. Fry. And if your district is like mine, we have our own list that changes frequently (and by frequently it depends on who you ask because when you ask different people you get a different list…but that’s beside the point…). My district requires our kindergarten students master 100 words.

How Does Sight Word 60 Work?

We are on a 4 week schedule. 3 weeks of new words (4 words each week). Week 4 is review of the 12 words we have learned in the previous 3 weeks (and all of the words we’ve learned).

It’s a quick routine that take just a few minutes each day.

Day 1 is introducing the words.

We read the words. I read the word. Students repeat. We do this a few times for each word. After a couple of repetitions, I ask “What word?” and have the students read the word.

Next, we spell the words. And read the word again.

Then, if possible, we say the sounds in the word and blend the word.

Mr. Greg uses the word in a sentence and the students repeat.

And finally, I ask, “What word?”

We do that routine for each word. So Monday is 4 words and we go through that process for each of the 4 words on Monday.

That’s it. Simple. Quick. Effective. This takes 5-6 minutes. It’s very quick with lots of repetition.

When showing my ‘staches the sight words each day, I have used an app called BIG WORDS! Or you can use a simple PowerPoint to show your slides on your SmartBoard or screen.

So here is what Monday or Day 1 of Sight Word 60 looks and sounds like!

Sentences: Sight Word 60 Day 2

Sentences: Sight Word 60 Day 3

Sight Word Grids: Sight Word 60 Day 4

Games: Sight Word 60 Day 5

These sight word resources support independent and small group practice with sight words all year long!

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Greg Smedley-Warren

Howdy, I am Mr. Greg. I have been teaching for 11 years. I spent a year teaching fifth grade, two years in second grade and am now in my 9th year in Kindergarten. Kindergarten is my passion and my calling but honestly, that wasn’t how it started. Read the whole story >

Schedulin’ Sunday! Weather!

21 comments

Leslie March 7, 2016 at 11:38 pm

Love your video!! I got the Big Word app that you recommended. Did you just take a picture of the word and use the words in your camera roll so that you could flip through them?

Unknown March 8, 2016 at 10:26 pm

Do you always capitalize the first letter? I was just wondering. Thanks for sharing! Becky

Jacqueline Durant-Harthorne March 10, 2016 at 2:23 am

We do the same review but I make a video of the words they decorated. We then say the word, spell the word, and say the word. They love it.
Check it out

Amanda Pauley March 10, 2016 at 2:35 am

I just started sight word 60 this week and I am loving it. My students are too! Thanks for always having such amazing ideas!

Amanda 🙂
Mrs. Pauley’s Kindergarten

Kindergarten Smorgasboard March 11, 2016 at 6:47 pm

That is just the way the app works….sometimes I forget to make them lower case!

Kindergarten Smorgasboard March 11, 2016 at 6:48 pm

Yes!

Carrie March 15, 2016 at 3:40 am

I have read about how you do sight words before but the video makes it so much better! Thanks for this series of posts!!

caitlinchapman March 31, 2016 at 12:39 pm

GENIUS!

Michelle Harrison April 10, 2016 at 5:39 am

I absolutely loved your monster shape activity. It is very educational and engaging. Thanks for sharing.

Kayleen Bodnar April 21, 2016 at 1:49 pm

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU… for sharing your Sight Word 60 program. I started implementing it as soon as you shared it in March and I have seen amazing results. Cannot wait to start off next school year with this!

Unknown September 23, 2016 at 1:09 pm

Hi!
I have tried to download Big Words to my Ipad, but I do not seem to find it. Can you show me the icon of the app? Thank you for sharing all this with all of us!!

Jason Warren-Smedley October 1, 2016 at 4:40 pm

Eeekk….I don’t the ability to show a picture here in the comments. Wish I could. I just know it is called Big Words

Jessi October 8, 2016 at 7:16 am

Where do I find days 2-5 for the sight word 60?

Jason Warren-Smedley October 8, 2016 at 2:36 pm

Hi Jessi!

Just search for Sight Word 60 in the search bar and they will all come up!

Trisha Wille September 10, 2017 at 7:14 am

Are there sight word grids for first grade? I would love to use them in my classroom. Thanks! Trisha

Jason Warren-Smedley September 10, 2017 at 8:03 pm

They are for Kindergarten but they are editable so you can make your own! 😉

Sheila November 9, 2018 at 3:23 pm

Hello, I am having trouble finding the editable sight word 60 grid. Any tips? Thank you!

Jason Warren-Smedley November 10, 2018 at 9:27 am

It’s in the Resource Center!

Nikki May 6, 2019 at 4:33 pm

Hello! So I started a version of sight word 60 this January so it fits our schedule and curriculum. I have to present my research from this little project and was wondering if you have any suggestions for “data” and outside articles I could use for my principal.

Jenny January 18, 2020 at 7:53 am

I would love to see how you do week four review of all the words. Do you have a post if it somewhere?

Jason Warren-Smedley January 19, 2020 at 6:29 pm

There are links to each of the 5 days of Sight Word 60 included. Refer back to this blog post. 😉