Learning Sight Words

my 3 yr old loves the movies "Meet the Sight Words." There are three videos. Words include: it, and, the, he, she, her, his, my, on, up, see, be, by, one, like .........
Go to www.preschoolprepco.com They may be cheaper on amazon.com too. If you want to preview what the movies are like, they have a short snipit 'sample' on youtube. Just search "meet the sight words" on youtube.

Oh my goodness Karen - you are amazing! That sounds like SO MUCH FUN!

Make them into a set of playing cards with two of each. There are lots of games you can play with these.

"Go fish"

Hide and seek: hurl one member of each card all over the house, have her chase them down and find them. Call this game whatever you like that appeals to your child. My little girl likes this to be called "mammas and babies". My boy prefers the name "orca and salmon"

"Memory"

"Guess Who"

.....and any other game that involves finding a match. Alternate the challenges so the first information she gets is visual, verbal, or both.

Have fun!

First google a quick review of the basic learning styles (auditory, visual, or kinesthetic) and try to determine which type(s) of learning your daughter does best.

If she's auditory, then reviewing a few words a day with plenty of vocal repetition will probably serve her best. Making up tunes to help memorize spellings can be very helpful.

If she's visual, supplying pictures with each word (she can even cut and paste from magazines), will help, as will posting the word(s) of the day on cards around the house so she will see them frequently.

If she's kinesthetic, then ask her to come up with some funny gesture or dance move as you read each word. Repeat gestures / words, switching which comes first. Actually writing the words with large arm movements on a big sheet of paper or a blackboard will also help get them into her memory better.

There are plenty of additional suggestions for different learning styles online. As Susan (S H) says, just a few words a day are plenty. Overload won't help.

I found a fun game in Family Fun magazine called winter bingo http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/w-i-n-t-e-r-bingo-675087/

Instead of using their list of suggested words, I used sight word or the words she was learning in school. She loved it and it even helped my 3 year old learn his letters. We used cheerio as markers-- the marshmallows always seemed to disappear as we played :)

Use the "Dolch" sight words.
This is what my daughter's school uses.

Here is the website:
http://www.mrsperkins.com/dolch.htm

It entails, memorization, and you also help them read, "phonetically."
Sounding out the letters or words.

Go with only 5 words per session.
Otherwise, the kid gets over tired.
Pace it.
Not 20 words at one time.
Just a little at a time.
And only for like 15-20 minutes.
A kid this age, will not go, 1 hour, just going over words.

The mamas have good suggestions. Here are a couple more.

Get some of the BOB books with those sight words and have her read them.

Have her read, read, read. Have her read signs, menus, For Sale ads. THis will help her sound out words. Have her read one page of her nighttime book and you read the other.

Label things around the house.

Have her write them a couple times each, only a couple a day though.

Get alphabet pasta and have her make the words in her spaghetti.

I taught my daughter to read using phonics. she is now just turned 4 and can read chapter books. I think it is easiest if they learn the sounds of the letters first and then the vowel groupings and a few basic rules eg. the magic e at the end of a word often makes the vowel before sound like its name.
I think the most important thing is to not make it drill - make it fun - a game so your child will really love reading. My little one is now a reading addict. she loves to curl up on the couch and read a book to herself.
there are a lot of books out there on phonics and how to learn with it. Once kids get the hang of it, they often teach themselves a lot just by reading and reading and reading.
good luck

Lots of good responses, and I don't have anythign to add except, good for you that you are working with your daughter ahead to get her prepared. Imagine how good she'll feel when the teacher starts talking about this and she is already familiar - what a great confidence boost! Parents are the first, and often best, teachers for our kids. I wouldn't assume she takes longer than others or that she gets frustrated easily - I would assume you are a mom, like me, who wants to give your child every advantage to do well in school.

I would focus on 2 or 3 words every 4 to 5 days. Write them in large letters and pin them up on a wall in her room or the family room. Read with her every day and have her point out the words when you find them in a book. Don't push too hard, try to make it fun.

I am not sure why you would want to teach ahead. Does she naturally take longer and get frustrated easily? Otherwise I would let her learn them with the rest of her class.

I too use the series "Meet the Sight Words" DVDs. My daughter learned all 45 sight words by using these DVDs and flashcards by 21 months old.

take index cards and write each word on 2 or 4 of them, then flip them all over and play "memory"