Welcome to our article about Fry Sight Words! If you are learning English or teaching it to someone, you may have come across the term “sight words.” These are words that are commonly used in the English language and are essential for building vocabulary and reading fluency. Fry Sight Words, in particular, are a set of 1,000 high-frequency words that are commonly used in reading materials used in Grades 3-9.
Developed by Dr. Edward Fry in the 1950s, the Fry Sight Words list is a valuable tool for anyone looking to improve their English language skills. Learning all 1,000 words on the Fry list would equip a child to read about 90% of the words in a typical book, newspaper, or website. It is recommended that the first 100 Fry words, considered the most frequently occurring in the English language, should be mastered in Grade 1. The second 100 Fry words should be mastered in Grade 2, and so on.
Fry Sight Words – Image
Understanding Fry Sight Words
Sight words are words that are commonly used in the English language. These are words that students are expected to recognize instantly, without having to sound them out. Sight words are also known as instant words, high frequency words, or most common words. They are the words that appear most often in reading materials, making them an essential part of learning English.
Definition of Sight Words
Sight words are words that students should be able to recognize without having to sound them out. These words are usually common, frequently used words, and foundational words that a child can use to build their vocabulary. Sight words are different from phonics, which is a method for learning to read in general.
Sight words are an essential part of learning English because they make up a significant portion of the English language. By learning sight words, students can become familiar with the most commonly used words in the English language. This familiarity can help increase reading speed, accuracy, and fluency, which, in turn, can improve reading comprehension.
Dr. Edward Fry and His Contribution
Dr. Edward Fry was an American professor, educational researcher, and author who made significant contributions to the field of education. He was born in 1925 and passed away in 2010. Fry earned his Ph.D. in Education from Rutgers University and spent most of his career as a professor at Rutgers and the University of Delaware. He authored over 30 books and 100 articles on reading, writing, and vocabulary development.
The Fry Sight Words Methodology
One of Fry’s most significant contributions to education was the development of the Fry Sight Words methodology. Fry Sight Words are a list of the 1,000 most common words in the English language, ranked in order of frequency. These words are also known as high-frequency words or sight words because they are used so frequently in reading and writing that they should be recognized on sight, without the need for sounding out or decoding.
The Fry Sight Words list was first published in 1957 and has since been updated in 1980. The list is based on the most common words to appear in reading materials used in Grades 3-9. Learning all 1,000 words in the Fry list would equip a child to read about 90% of the words in a typical book, newspaper, or website.
The Fry Sight Words methodology is a popular approach to teaching reading and vocabulary development. It is used in many schools and educational programs, particularly in the early grades. The methodology is based on the idea that students should learn the most common words in the English language first, as this will give them a strong foundation for reading and writing.
Types of Sight Words
Sight words are words that are frequently used in written and spoken language. They are often referred to as high-frequency words, service words, or instant words. Sight words are typically non-phonetic, meaning they cannot be sounded out or spelled phonetically. There are two main types of sight words: Dolch Sight Words and Fry Sight Words.
Dolch Sight Words
Dolch Sight Words were developed by Edward William Dolch in the 1930s. Dolch Sight Words are a list of the most frequently used words in the English language, divided into categories based on their parts of speech. The Dolch Sight Words list is broken down into five categories: Pre-Primer, Primer, First Grade, Second Grade, and Third Grade. The list includes 220 words in total, with 95 nouns and 125 non-nouns.
Here are some examples of Dolch Sight Words:
- Pre-Primer: a, and, away, big, blue, can, come, down, find, for
- Primer: all, am, are, at, ate, be, black, brown, but, came
- First Grade: after, again, an, any, as, ask, by, could, every, fly
- Second Grade: always, around, because, been, before, best, both, buy, call, cold, does
- Third Grade: about, better, bring, carry, clean, cut, done, draw, drink, eight, fall
Comparison Between Dolch and Fry Sight Words
The main difference between Dolch and Fry Sight Words is the way they were developed. Dolch Sight Words were developed in the 1930s, while Fry Sight Words were developed in the 1950s. Dolch Sight Words are divided into categories based on their parts of speech, while Fry Sight Words are divided into levels based on their frequency of use.
Both Dolch and Fry Sight Words are important for children to learn, as they make up a large percentage of the words used in written and spoken language. However, the Fry Sight Words list is more comprehensive, including 1,000 words compared to Dolch’s 220. Therefore, the Fry Sight Words list is often used as a more complete resource for teaching sight words.
Fry Sight Words Lists
Fry Sight Words are high-frequency words that are essential for reading and writing fluency. Dr. Edward Fry developed a comprehensive list of 1,000 Fry Sight Words based on the most common words used in reading materials.
First 100 Fry Sight Words
The first 100 Fry Sight Words are considered the most frequently occurring words in the English language. It is recommended that these words should be mastered in Grade 1. Here are the first 100 Fry Sight Words:
| Word | Word | Word | Word | Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the | of | and | a | to |
| in | is | you | that | it |
| he | was | for | on | are |
| with | his | they | be | at |
| one | have | this | from | or |
| by | had | not | but | what |
| all | were | we | when | your |
| can | said | there | use | an |
| each | which | she | do | how |
| their | if | will | up | other |
| about | out | many | then | them |
| these | so | some | her | would |
| make | like | him | into | time |
| has | look | two | more | write |
| go | see | number | no | way |
| could | people | my | than | first |
| water | been | call | who | oil |
| its | now | find | long | down |
| day | did | get | come | made |
| may | part | over | new | sound |
| only | little | work | know | place |
| year | live | me | back | give |
| most | very | after | thing | our |
Second 100 Fry Sight Words
The second 100 Fry Sight Words should be mastered in Grade 2. Here are the second 100 Fry Sight Words:
| Word | Word | Word | Word | Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| just | form | sentence | great | think |
| say | help | low | line | differ |
| turn | cause | much | mean | before |
| move | right | boy | old | too |
| same | tell | does | set | three |
| want | air | well | also | play |
| small | end | put | home | read |
| hand | port | large | spell | add |
| even | land | here | must | big |
| high | such | follow | act | why |
| ask | men | change | went | light |
| kind | off | need | house | picture |
| try | us | again | animal | point |
| mother | world | near | build | self |
| earth | father | head | stand | own |
| page | should | country | found | answer |
| school | grow | study | still | learn |
| plant | cover | food | sun | four |
| between | state | keep | eye | never |
| last | let | thought | city | tree |
| cross | farm | hard | start | might |
| story | saw | far | sea | draw |
Third 100 Fry Sight Words
The third 100 Fry Sight Words should be mastered in Grade 3. Here are the third 100 Fry Sight Words:
| Word | Word | Word | Word | Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| left | late | run | don’t | while |
| press | close | night | real | life |
| few | stop | open | seem | together |
| next | white | children | begin | got |
| walk | example | ease | paper | group |
| always | music | those | both | mark |
| often | letter | until | mile | river |
| car | feet | care | second | book |
| carry | took | science | eat | room |
| friend | began | idea | fish | mountain |
| north | once | base | hear | horse |
| cut | sure | watch | color | face |
| wood | main | enough | plain | girl |
| usual | young | ready | above | ever |
| red | list | though | feel | talk |
| bird | soon | body | dog | family |
| direct | pose | leave | song | measure |
| state | product | black | short | numeral |
| class | wind | question | happen | complete |
| ship | area | half | rock | order |
| fire | south | problem | piece | told |
| knew | pass | since | top | whole |
| king | space | heard | best | hour |
Fourth 100 Fry Sight Words
The fourth 100 Fry Sight Words should be mastered in Grade 4. Here are the fourth 100 Fry Sight Words:
| Word | Word | Word | Word | Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| better | true | during | hundred | am |
| remember | step | early | hold | west |
| ground | interest | reach | fast | five |
| sing | listen | six | table | travel |
| less | morning | ten | simple | several |
| vowel | toward | war | lay | against |
| pattern | slow | center | love | person |
| money | serve | appear | road | map |
| science | rule | govern | pull | cold |
| notice | voice | fall | power | town |
| fine | certain | fly | unit | lead |
| cry | dark | machine | note | wait |
| plan | figure | star | box | noun |
| field | rest | correct | able | pound |
| done | beauty | drive | stood | contain |
| front | teach | week | final | gave |
| green | oh | quick | develop | ocean |
| warm | free | minute | strong | special |
| mind | behind | clear | tail | produce |
| fact | street | inch | lot | nothing |
| course | stay | wheel | full | force |
| blue | object | decide | surface | deep |
Fifth 100 Fry Sight Words
The fifth 100 Fry Sight Words should be mastered in Grade 5. Here are the fifth 100 Fry Sight Words:
| Word | Word | Word | Word | Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| moon | island | foot | system | busy |
| test | record | boat | common | gold |
| possible | plane | stead | dry | wonder |
| laugh | thousand | ago | ran | check |
| game | shape | yes | hot | miss |
| brought | heat | snow | bed | bring |
| sit | perhaps | fill | east | weight |
| language | among | grand | ball | yet |
| wave | drop | heart | am | present |
| heavy | dance | engine | position | arm |
| wide | sail | material | size | vary |
| settle | speak | weight | general | ice |
| matter | circle | pair | include | divide |
| syllable | felt | perhaps | pick | sudden |
| count | square | reason | length | represent |
| art | subject | region | energy | hunt |
| probable | bed | brother | egg | ride |
| cell | believe | fraction | forest | sit |
| race | window | store | summer | train |
| sleep | prove | lone | leg | exercise |
| wall | catch | mount | wish | sky |
| board | joy | winter | sat | written |
| wild | instrument | kept | glass | grass |
Sixth 100 Fry Sight Words
The sixth 100 Fry Sight Words should be mastered in Grade 6. Here are the sixth 100 Fry Sight Words:
| Word | Word | Word | Word | Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cow | job | edge | sign | visit |
| past | soft | fun | bright | gas |
| weather | month | million | bear | finish |
| happy | hope | flower | clothe | strange |
| gone | jump | baby | eight | village |
| meet | root | buy | raise | solve |
| metal | whether | push | seven | paragraph |
| third | shall | held | hair | describe |
| cook | floor | either | result | burn |
| hill | safe | cat | century | consider |
| type | law | bit | coast | copy |
| phrase | silent | tall | sand | soil |
| roll | temperature | finger | industry | value |
| fight | lie | beat | excite | natural |
| view | sense | ear | else | quite |
| broke | case | middle | kill | son |
| lake | moment | scale | loud | spring |
| observe | child | straight | consonant | nation |
| dictionary | milk | speed | method | organ |
| pay | age | section | dress | cloud |
| surprise | quiet | stone | tiny | climb |
| cool | design | poor | lotus | experiment |
| bottom | key | iron | single | stick |
Seventh 100 Fry Sight Words
The seventh 100 Fry Sight Words should be mastered in Grade 7. Here are the seventh 100 Fry Sight Words:
| Word | Word | Word | Word | Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| flat | twenty | skin | smile | crease |
| hole | trade | melody | trip | office |
| receive | row | mouth | exact | symbol |
| die | least | trouble | shout | except |
| wrote | seed | tone | join | suggest |
| clean | break | lady | yard | rise |
| bad | blow | oil | blood | touch |
| grew | cent | mix | team | wire |
| cost | lost | brown | wear | garden |
| equal | sent | choose | fell | fit |
| flow | fair | bank | collect | save |
| control | decimal | gentle | woman | captain |
| practice | separate | difficult | doctor | please |
| protect | noon | whose | locate | ring |
| character | insect | caught | period | indicate |
| radio | spoke | atom | human | history |
| effect | electric | expect | crop | modern |
| element | hit | student | corner | party |
| supply | bone | rail | imagine | provide |
| agree | thus | capital | won’t | chair |
| danger | fruit | rich | thick | soldier |
| process | operate | guess | necessary | sharp |
| wing | create | neighbor | wash | bat |
Learning and mastering Fry Sight Words is an important step towards improving reading and writing skills. By using these high-frequency words, students can read and understand most of the words in books, newspapers, and websites.
Fry Sight Words and Reading Fluency
Improving Reading Fluency
Reading fluency is the ability to read text accurately, quickly, and with proper expression. Fry Sight Words can help improve reading fluency by providing children with a list of words that they can recognize quickly and easily. This allows them to focus on the meaning of the text rather than struggling to decode unfamiliar words.
Boosting Comprehension Skills
Comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret written language. Fry Sight Words can also help boost comprehension skills by providing children with a foundation of words that they can use to understand the meaning of a sentence or paragraph. By recognizing these words, they can focus on the context and meaning of the text, which can improve their overall comprehension skills.
Learning and Teaching Fry Sight Words
Learning Fry sight words is an essential part of developing English language skills. Fry sight words are high-frequency words that account for up to 90% of words used in reading materials that target children. These words are compiled based on the frequency they are used. The first 25 words, on their own, account for around 30% of words in children’s materials, while the top 100 words account for half. Here are some effective methods for teaching and learning Fry sight words.
Methods of Teaching
There are several methods of teaching Fry sight words. Teachers and parents can use a combination of these methods to help children learn and memorize these words more effectively.
- Flashcards: Flashcards are an excellent tool for teaching Fry sight words. They help children memorize the words and recognize them automatically. Parents and teachers can create their own flashcards or use pre-made flashcards available online.
- Games: Games are a fun way to teach Fry sight words. Children enjoy playing games, and they help reinforce learning. Games like Bingo, Memory, and Word Search are great for teaching Fry sight words.
- Reading: Reading is an effective way to teach Fry sight words. Children can read books that contain Fry sight words, and teachers and parents can point out the words as the child reads.
- Writing: Writing is another effective way to teach Fry sight words. Children can practice writing Fry sight words, and teachers and parents can correct mistakes and reinforce learning.
Using Flashcards
Flashcards are an effective tool for teaching Fry sight words. Here is an example of how to use flashcards to teach Fry sight words:
- Print out or create flashcards with Fry sight words.
- Show the flashcard to the child and ask them to read the word.
- If the child reads the word correctly, move on to the next flashcard. If the child does not read the word correctly, repeat the word and ask the child to read it again.
- Repeat the process until the child can read all the words correctly.
- Once the child can read all the words correctly, shuffle the flashcards and repeat the process.
The Role of Repetition and Reinforcement
Repetition and reinforcement are essential for learning Fry sight words. Here are some ways to reinforce learning:
- Repeat the words: Repeating the words several times helps children memorize them.
- Use the words in sentences: Using the words in sentences helps children understand their meaning and context.
- Correct mistakes: Correcting mistakes helps children learn from their errors and reinforces learning.
- Reward progress: Rewarding progress, such as giving stickers or praise, motivates children to learn and reinforces learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Fry’s sight words?
Fry’s sight words are a list of the most commonly used English words. The list was created by Dr. Edward Fry, who analyzed the most frequently occurring words in books and other written materials. The Fry sight word list is divided into 10 levels, with the first 100 words being the most commonly used words in the English language.
What are the Fry sight words by grade level?
The Fry sight words list is divided into 10 levels, with the first 100 words being the most commonly used words in the English language. The following levels include words that are less frequently used but are still important for children to learn. Here are the Fry sight words by grade level:
- Kindergarten: Fry words 1-100
- 1st Grade: Fry words 101-200
- 2nd Grade: Fry words 201-300
- 3rd Grade: Fry words 301-400
- 4th-5th Grade: Fry words 401-1000
How do I teach Fry sight words?
Teaching Fry sight words can be done in a variety of ways. Here are some effective strategies for teaching Fry sight words:
- Use flashcards to help students memorize the words.
- Encourage students to use the words in context by incorporating them into sentences and stories.
- Play sight word games to make learning fun.
- Provide students with plenty of opportunities to practice reading and writing the words.
Are Fry sight words the same as Dolch sight words?
No, Fry sight words and Dolch sight words are different lists. While both lists contain high-frequency words that are essential for children to learn, the Fry sight words list includes 1000 words, while the Dolch sight words list includes only 220 words. The Fry sight words list is also divided into 10 levels, while the Dolch sight words list is divided into five levels.
- 50 Words to Use Instead of Said for Better Writing - October 30, 2024
- Kindness Words in English - October 30, 2024
- 7ESL AI App Review: High-Tech Tools for Efficient Language Learning - October 30, 2024