High Frequency Words
Welcome to Mayflowers high frequency words page
What are High Frequency Words?
High frequency words are quite simply those words which occur most frequently in written material, for example, “and”, “the”, “as” and “it”. They are often words that have little meaning on their own, but they do contribute a great deal to the meaning of a sentence. Some of the high frequency words can be sounded out using basic phonic rules, e.g. “it” is an easy word to read using phonics. However, many of the high frequency words are not phonically regular and are therefore hard to read in the early stages. These words are sometimes called tricky words, sight words or camera words. In addition to being difficult to sound out, most of the high frequency words have a rather abstract meaning which is hard to explain to a child. It’s easy to learn words like “cat” and “house” because they can easily be related to a real object or a picture, but how do you represent the word “the” or “of”?
Why learn the High Frequency Words?
Researchers believe that learning just 13 of the most frequently used words will enable children to read 25% of any text (OK, that 25% wouldn’t make much sense on its own, but it’s a very good start).
Learning 100 high frequency words gives a beginner reader access to 50% of virtually any text, whether a children’s book or a newspaper report.
When you couple immediate recognition of the high frequency sight words with a good knowledge of basic phonics, that’s when a child’s reading can really take off.
For some fun word games to get you going, click on a link below
Sight Words Bingo
Play bingo while reinforcing your sight words. Print out your own custom cards.
Sight Words Snakes & Ladders
A twist on the Snakes & Ladders (Chutes & Ladders) board game. Print out your own custom boards.
Sight Words Fly Swat
Spot your sight word, then squish it with the fly swatter. Build up speed while having fun.
Sight Words Fishing
Hook a fish and read the word to keep your catch. Print your own custom fish.
Sight Words Go Fish
Keep a small group entertained with Go Fish while they learn their sight words.
Sight Words Bean Bag Toss
Throw a bean bag on a flash card and then read the word. Combines sight words practice with physical activity.
Sight Words Pathways
Follow a sight words trail around the room, venturing over chairs and under tables.
Sight Words Book Land
A sight words variation on a classic board game. Advance through the book lands while learning your sight words.
Sight Words Dominoes
Play dominoes with sight words instead of dots. Create custom dominoes to practice a few words at a time.