Dolch pre-primer sight words
The Dolch pre-primer words are the first 40 of the 220 Dolch sight words: "a", "and", "the", "I", "you", "see" and the rest of the words that fill a first picture book. Many can be sounded out; the others have one tricky part to learn by heart.
Free printable PDF, preschool.
One page, black and white, prints the same every time.
What is on the sheet
The table below is the sheet as it prints with these options: Yes.
Pre-primer 40 words
| a | funny | look | see |
| and | go | make | the |
| away | help | me | three |
| big | here | my | to |
| blue | I | not | two |
| can | in | one | up |
| come | is | play | we |
| down | it | red | where |
| find | jump | run | yellow |
| for | little | said | you |
Why these 40 words come first
Edward Dolch sorted his 220 service words into five levels by when a child meets them in books. The pre-primer level is the words in the very first readers: "the", "and", "a", "to", "you", "I", "see", "go", "can", "we". Almost every sentence a beginning reader sees leans on a few of them, so knowing them on sight is what lets a child read a whole sentence instead of sounding out every word.
Several are not decodable with what a preschooler knows. "The", "you", "said" and "one" each have a part that breaks the rules, so that part is learned by heart. That is why the list is a list, and why it comes before phonics is finished rather than after.
Using the checklist with a preschooler
Ten words at a time, on the fridge, is plenty. Point to one, say it, find it in a picture book that night. Tick the word when the child reads it instantly on three separate days. There is no order to keep; start with the words in the books the child already likes.
For writing rather than reading, the Pre-K sight words sheet prints a handful of these words as dotted outlines to trace, fresh words each print, and the kindergarten Dolch list is the next 52 words.
Common questions
- How many words are on the pre-primer list?
- Forty. It is the shortest of the five Dolch levels; the primer list that follows has 52, and the two together are the kindergarten year.
- Should a three year old be reading sight words?
- Not from a list. This page is for a four or five year old who already likes being read to and points at words. Before that, the letter and name tracing sheets are the better start.
- Can I print it without the checkboxes?
- Yes, choose "No" under Checkboxes for a plain word list for the wall or a reading folder.