Sight Words List (Dolch)

How to print the Dolch sight words list

1. Choose the Word list you want.
2. Choose Print as: Checklist (a box beside each word), Word cards (big words in dashed boxes to cut out) or Numbered list.
3. Set Order: Dolch order keeps the words in their grade groups, and A to Z puts them in one alphabetical run.
4. Set Columns (2 to 5) to fit the page. Three is the default; the checklist reads comfortably in three or four columns and word cards in three.
5. Change Title on the sheet if you want your own heading, such as a child’s name or a week number.
6. Select Print or save as PDF.
7. If you want the list as one reference page for a binder or a word wall, pick Numbered list with 4 or 5 columns and the whole 220 words fit on two pages.

Choose US Letter or A4 in the print dialog. The checklist is meant for tracking: tick a box when a child reads the word without sounding it out, or color the box in a different color each time you check. The page address stores your settings, so a bookmarked or shared link opens the same list again. Printing the same list every few weeks, with a fresh checklist each time, shows a child how many more words they know than last time.

What are the Dolch sight words?

The Dolch list was published by Edward William Dolch in 1936 from the words most often found in children’s books of that time. It has 220 words that are not nouns, such as the, to, and, was, they and because, plus 95 common nouns. The words are grouped by the level at which Dolch expected children to learn them: pre-primer (40 words), primer (52), 1st grade (41), 2nd grade (46) and 3rd grade (41).

Many of the words do not follow regular spelling patterns, so children are often taught to recognize them as whole words. Because the list is nearly ninety years old, some words are less common now and some current common words are not on it.

Which Dolch list is for kindergarten, 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade?

The five levels are named for the grade where they were meant to be learned, with pre-primer and primer coming before 1st grade. Schools differ on how they match them to grades. A common pattern is pre-primer in pre-K or the start of kindergarten, primer for the rest of kindergarten, then one level per grade. The Kindergarten choice on this page combines pre-primer and primer, 92 words, for a single kindergarten sheet.

For a child who is behind or ahead, start at the level where they stumble, not at the level for their grade. Print that level as a checklist and work through it.

How can I use the word cards and the checklist?

The word cards print each word in large letters in a dashed box. Cut along the boxes, shuffle them and show them one at a time, or lay them out on a table to play a matching or finding game. The checklist works better for tracking: ask the child to read down the list, and tick the words they read at once.

To practice a few words at a time, copy the words you want into the sight word flash cards or sight word worksheets tools.