Sight words are often misunderstood.
While some words truly must be memorized because they don’t follow phonetic rules, many commonly labeled “sight words” can actually be sounded out — and don’t need memorization at all.
That’s why phonics is so important. Phonics teaches learners how sounds work together, giving them a system to decode new words independently instead of relying on memory alone.
For example, if a learner memorizes the word mouse but never learns the OU sound, words like snout or cloud will be difficult later. Similarly, longer words like truck or heart may feel overwhelming if the learner hasn’t learned those patterns yet — even though the words do follow rules that can be taught in time.
Rather than asking learners to memorize more and more words early on, phonics allows them to build skills gradually. The only words that truly need memorization are those that don’t follow rules — or that use patterns the learner hasn’t learned yet.
Teaching tips:
-
 Teach true sight words with flashcards or as they appear naturally
- Temporarily treat advanced words as sight words until learners reach that phonics level
- Choose early-reader books that limit sight words and focus on decodable text
- Use simple materials that emphasize words learners can sound out
- Giving learners the chance to decode words on their own builds confidence faster — and makes reading feel achievable.
🎥 See this concept in action: This short TikTok video explains when sight words make sense and how phonics supports early reading.
 🎁 Free resource: We also offer free sight word flash cards on our website — a helpful companion to phonics instruction.
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