Dolch Sight Words

Free printable Dolch sight words for early readers: cut-out flash cards, a checklist and a read-and-color sheet for each level, from pre-primer to third grade and the Dolch nouns, plus a one-page worksheet for each of the 220 service words. In the UK, New Zealand and Australia these are often called high-frequency words. All free to print, with PDFs for US Letter and A4.

Flash cards, checklists and practice sheets by level

Pre-Primer Sight Words

Pre-Primer Sight Words Checklist

Pre-Primer Read and Color Worksheet

Primer Sight Words

Primer Sight Words Checklist

Primer Read and Color Worksheet

First Grade Sight Words

First Grade Sight Words Checklist

First Grade Read and Color Worksheet

Second Grade Sight Words

Second Grade Sight Words Checklist

Second Grade Read and Color Worksheet

Third Grade Sight Words

Third Grade Sight Words Checklist

Third Grade Read and Color Worksheet

Dolch Nouns: Flash Cards and Worksheets

Dolch Nouns Checklist

Dolch Nouns Read and Color Worksheet

Where the words come from

The word lists come from Edward W. Dolch’s Problems in Reading (1948), which is in the public domain. Our copy was taken from the Wikipedia article “Dolch word list” (revision of 21 June 2022), checked against Dolch’s published counts: 220 service words in five levels and 95 nouns. We don’t use the Fry lists.

More sight word practice: colour by code sight words, sight word searches and letter tracing.

How to use these pages

Start with the level that matches the child, not their age: if most of the pre-primer words are easy, move on to primer. Print the level’s flash cards on card, cut them out and keep a small pile of five to ten words to practise each day. When a word is read straight away on three different days, tick it on the checklist and add a new card to the pile.

For a word that keeps tripping a child up, print its own worksheet. It works through the word in six short steps: read it and spell it out loud, color it in bubble letters, trace it starting at the green dots, write it on the same guide lines, find it hidden in a small letter grid, and write a sentence with it. The read-and-color sheet for each level mixes every word in the level into 60 boxes, for a quick check of the whole list.

Teachers can send one card set home per child and keep the checklist in a reading folder. Five minutes a day does more than one long session a week, and saying the word in a sentence (“I can see the dog”) helps it stick.

Frequently asked questions

What are sight words?

Sight words are the short, common words that turn up on almost every page of a children’s book, such as the, and, said and was. Many of them can’t be sounded out letter by letter, so children learn to recognise them at a glance. Knowing them by sight frees a beginning reader to work on the harder words.

What is the Dolch sight word list?

Edward Dolch made the list from the words that appeared most often in children’s books, and published it in 1948. It has 220 “service words” in five levels (pre-primer, primer, first, second and third grade) and a separate list of 95 common nouns. Together they make up a large share of the words in early reading books.

Which level should my child start with?

Most children start pre-primer words in preschool or pre-K, primer in kindergarten, and the first, second and third grade lists in those grades. Go by what the child knows: read the checklist together and start at the first level where several words are new.

Are high-frequency words in the UK and New Zealand the same as sight words?

Mostly. Schools in the UK, New Zealand and Australia usually say “high-frequency words”, and some call the tricky ones “common exception words”. Their lists are not identical to Dolch, but most of the words overlap, so these cards and worksheets work alongside them. In NZ and Australia, pre-primer and primer words suit new entrants, Foundation and Year 1.

How many sight words should a child learn at a time?

A handful. Practise five to ten words until they are read without hesitation on three different days, then add a few more. Going back over learned words now and then keeps them fresh.

Are these sight word printables free for my class?

Yes. Print as many as you need for home, home school or your classroom. There is no sign-up or email. Please don’t resell them or upload them to another website.

Is there a PDF to print?

Yes. Every page has free PDF downloads for US Letter and A4 paper, with the picture centered inside print-safe margins. Choose "Download PDF (Letter)" or "Download PDF (A4)" on the page and print at 100% (actual size).