Dolch primer sight words (52 words)
The second Dolch list has 52 words and is the longest of the five grade lists, with words that turn up constantly in beginner books: was, they, what, with, there. It mixes easy words that can be sounded out (get, did, ran) with ones that cannot, so it is worth teaching both kinds.
Keys: right arrow or Space for the next word, left arrow for the previous, S to shuffle, R to start over, K to tick a word as known, F for full screen.
How to use it
- Start in Flash cards and press Full screen: the word fills the projector.
- Use the right arrow or Space for the next word; K ticks a word as known, S shuffles.
- Use the Checklist to see what is left, or print flash cards or the list for home.
Ideas for class
- Sort the 52 words into ones the child can sound out (get, did, not) and ones that need to be remembered (was, what, there).
- Play a quick round of flash cards at the start of small-group reading and keep a tally of words read in one second.
- Let each child choose three words from the list to hunt for in a new book.
- Send the printed flash cards home in a bag, five at a time, and swap them when all five are easy.
Related
- Dolch pre-primer sight words (40 words)
- Dolch first grade sight words (41 words)
- Dolch second grade sight words (46 words)
- Dolch third grade sight words (41 words)
- Dolch noun list: 95 common nouns for beginning readers
- Reading passages with questions
- Read-aloud books for the projector
- Sight word lists and flash cards
- Decodable sentences by phonics pattern
- Readability checker
Questions
Who is the primer list for?
Kindergarten and early first grade. The grade levels are Dolch's traditional ones and approximate: move on when the child reads nearly all of the list at a glance, not on a date.
Can I print the 52 words?
Yes. Choose Print flash cards for eight cards to a page, or Print list for one page with a tick box beside each word, then press Print.
Does it remember which words a child knows?
On this device, in this browser, one checklist for this list. Nothing is sent anywhere. Press Clear all before the next child.
Why is a word in the wrong list for my school?
The words are Dolch's own lists as published. Schools and programmes move words between levels, and many use other lists as well, so treat the grade as a guide.
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