What are sight words?

Sight words are a collection of commonly used words that students are encouraged to recognize instantly without having to sound them out. These words often include high-frequency terms such as "the," "and," "is," and "to," which appear frequently in texts but may not always follow standard phonetic rules. The goal of mastering sight words is to improve reading fluency, allowing children to read more smoothly and with greater comprehension.

Recognizing these words quickly helps young readers focus on understanding the meaning of sentences rather than getting bogged down in decoding each individual word. This foundational skill plays a crucial role in the development of early literacy and overall reading success.