Dolch words, or sight words, are the 220 most frequently found words in children's books, excluding nouns. Because many do not follow decoding rules, the words cannot be sounded out. Thus, the words are learned by sight. Dolch sight words comprise 52-75% of all words found in children's books. Edward William Dolch created the list in 1936, calling them "tool words." Although a handful of the words (e.g. shall, wash) are not considered "high-frequency" today, the majority have stood the test of time.
Edward William Dolch divided the words into grade leveled lists.The lists do not represent levels of difficulty, rather they indicate the frequency with which the words are found in written material. The words on the first lists are found more often than words on the next lists.
Dolch words need to be recognized instantly or "on sight" for fluent reading.
The recognition of similarities as well as differences is essential for reading. Direct students' attention to identifying the details that make the words similar and different. For example, students describe how the words "came" and "come" are alike and how they differ,
Create simple sentences using the words in each list. Write each word of the sentence on separate flashcards for students to arrange. Students then create their own sentences.
Repeated contextual interaction with the sight words is encouraged, rather than isolated practice with the Dolch words. Students need to have repeated interactions with text.