Sight Word Flash Cards (Online and Printable)

How a session works

• A big word appears and your child reads it out loud.
• Stuck? "Show me" reveals the letters, plus a small picture for some CVC words.
• Your child taps "I know it" or "Not yet".
• Not-yet cards come back later in the same session.
• The end screen shows known and tricky words, with a "Print tricky words" button.

Words are read aloud by your device's built-in voice, when it has one. If there is no built-in voice, the speaker button is hidden and a grown-up can read the word instead.

On screen or on paper?

Screen cards are great for a quick sort and for kids who like tapping. Paper cards are better for games around the house, and for days when your child needs a break from screens.

The printable PDF puts 8 cards on a US Letter page, in a 2 by 4 grid with cut lines, in color or black and white. Printing on card stock makes them last longer.

Five ways to play with a stack of cards

• Three piles: know it, almost, not yet. Redo the sort once a week.
• Memory: print two copies, lay them face down, and read each card you turn over.
• Treasure hunt: hide cards around a room. Your child reads each one to keep it.
• Sentence builder: line up cards to make a sentence, then read it together.
• Quick keep: your child keeps every card read in about 3 seconds.

Mistakes that slow kids down

The most common one is too many new cards at once. Keep it to a handful of new words plus review. A deck of only unknown words is frustrating, and a deck of only known words feels nice but teaches little. A mix, mostly familiar with a few new, keeps confidence up.

Watch for guessing from the first letter or from the picture. And keep it a game, not a daily test.

Choosing a deck

Just starting out? Use kindergarten sight words. Working by level? Pick from Dolch or Fry. Learning to blend? Try CVC words. Have a list from school? Paste it into spelling practice to turn it into cards.