Did you know that memorizing a list of words can help your child become a better reader?
The Dolch Word List is a list comprised of the most frequently utilized words in the English language culled from the words commonly used in children’s books and adult literature. Practicing these words is intended to create “whole-word recognition” which helps your child read more effectively.
Here are 3 reasons why helping children familiarize themselves with these words can help improve their reading! 📖💛
1) Sight Words Promote Comprehension
Being able to quickly read Dolch Sight words helps to boost a child’s understanding of a text’s meaning. This is because sight word practice improves a child’s morphological awareness.
Since these words are frequently used in children’s books, your child will have an easier time understanding the text due to improved reading automaticity. Increased reading speeds help children become more aware of the context and meaning of the words they are reading.
2) Reduces the Energy and Time Required
Early readers spend a lot of energy decoding and sounding out the words they read. Oftentimes, kids become so occupied with sounding words out phonetically that it becomes difficult for them to pay attention to the meaning.
Knowing the Dolch sight words helps your child exert less mental energy while they are reading to allow their brains to focus more on the meaning of the text while reading at a faster pace.
3) Build Reading Confidence
The first 100 sight words are used in over 50% of English texts. Using Dolch word flash cards to help your child more readily recognize these words when reading will help improve their confidence in their own reading abilities.
Studies have shown Dolch words practice can improve reading confidence because it allows students to more easily discern the words in a sentence and helps them feel more adept at reading. As a result, the confidence will encourage then to read more.