What are the Dolch pre-primer words?

The first forty words of Edward Dolch's famous 220-word list, drawn from the books beginning readers actually meet: the, and, my, see, jump, play. They're the standard starting point for sight-word practice, and this sheet pulls a fresh handful of them on every print.

When should a child start pre-primer words?

Whenever picture books have become part of the routine, usually pre-K or the first months of kindergarten. There's no need to wait for full alphabet mastery; recognizing the as a whole shape is a separate skill from naming its letters, and the two grow happily in parallel.

Kindergarten Dolch pre-primer sight words

Kindergarten Dolch pre-primer sight words worksheets

The Dolch pre-primer list is the first rung of the sight-word ladder: forty words like the, see, my, and jump, chosen because they fill beginner picture books. Pre-K and kindergarten readers learn them by sight, and every fresh print of this sheet draws a different handful from the forty.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RF.K.3.c.

Each print is a different sheet. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of words you'll practice

Trace each word two times. Then write it yourself on the line.

notjumpgooneweseeyouthree

Each word appears twice in light gray for tracing, then once as a blank line for writing it without help.

Every print pulls a new set of words at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a kindergarten sheet

Kindergarten sheets draw from 40 words, 6 to a page. Pre-K and kindergarten print from the same 40 words. What changes is the standard (RF.K.3.c here) and the teaching notes below.

Some of the words:

awaybluedownisitlookmakemyplaysaid

Tracing. Trace each word two times. Then write it yourself on the line. 6 words per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with a word list on the last page.

How to teach this

This is the very first list, so keep sessions tiny: two or three words, five minutes, said aloud before and after tracing. Start with the words your child's own books use most (the, see, look, go) so the payoff shows up at bedtime the same week. When all forty feel instant, the primer list is the natural next sheet.

Watch for: Pre-primer doesn't mean easy to sound out; words like said and where break beginner phonics rules on purpose, which is exactly why they're learned by sight. The list isn't alphabet practice: a child can start it while some letters are still wobbly, because the goal is recognizing whole words, not naming letters.

Common questions about kindergarten Dolch pre-primer sight words

What are the Dolch pre-primer words?: The first forty words of Edward Dolch's famous 220-word list, drawn from the books beginning readers actually meet: the, and, my, see, jump, play. They're the standard starting point for sight-word practice, and this sheet pulls a fresh handful of them on every print.
When should a child start pre-primer words?: Whenever picture books have become part of the routine, usually pre-K or the first months of kindergarten. There's no need to wait for full alphabet mastery; recognizing the as a whole shape is a separate skill from naming its letters, and the two grow happily in parallel.

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Aligned to Common Core RF.K.3.c. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated October 2026.

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