I have used many different approaches to learning sight words in the Infant Classes.
As in previous posts I have used Word Attack Pack for teaching sight words, focusing on 10 per week. This began with the Pre Primer lists and onto Primer and Nouns in Senior Infants. There is also an assessment pack in Word Attach Pack for pre-testing and assessing where the children are. Some children may know the first set of words and will be ready to move on. This approach allows for differentiation for different groups within the class.
In my own class I colour coded the words as per the individual lists. Pre Primer 1 was green and all cards and games for Pre Primer 1 were also green. In this way the children could work with a partner with specific lists.
To develop fluency I made prompt cards for sets of 5 pre primer Dolch words. These lists were also copied to match the different colours. We worked on speed tests where the children were timed reading all the words on the card. Prior to sending them home I emailed the parents and outlined the process and the benefits of this activity. The prompt card was then sent home and the children did the same activity for homework. Parents were asked to record the time on the sheet each night. Over the course of the week the children became faster and more confident calling out the words.
A set for Prompt Cards for Pre Primer Dolch words are now available on Mash.ie.
Aistear Múinteoir 