How many sight words should my kindergartner be able to read?

Acquiring sight words is an important part of learning how to read. By the end of kindergarten, most children are able to identify approximately 50 sight words. There are many fun ways to help your child learn sight words. For example, word hunts can be a fun way to encourage your child to find sight words in a favorite book, magazine, or road signs. You can also make practicing sight words fun by writing them in unexpected materials such as shaving cream, sand, raisins, beans, chalk, or magnetic letters. Another great way to help children learn sight words is simply incorporate reading and writing into the everyday fun activities that you share. For example, ask your child to help your write a grocery list, or help you read the recipe when you bake together.

Jennie Ito, Ph.D.

Child Development Expert

Jennie Ito is a mother of two and a child development consultant who specializes in children’s play and toys. Before becoming a consultant for LeapFrog, she was an intern at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and later worked as a content expert for the Association of Children’s Museum’s “Playing for Keeps” Play Initiative. Jennie earned her doctorate degree in developmental psychology at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.