Fry's Instant Words
"For instructional purposes these are usually referred to as sight words or sight
vocabulary because we would like our students to recognize them in less than a second.
Why? Because this enhances their chance of getting to the end of a sentence in time
to remember how it began."
Frank B. May in Reading as Communication
What exactly are "sight words?" These are words that good readers may instantly recognize without having to "figure them out." There are two reasons why sight words are an essential component of good reading: First of all, many of these words do not sound like their spellings might suggest, so "sounding them out" would be unproductive. Also, a good reader really can't afford the time to dwell on too many words, or he may lose the speed and fluency necessary for determining the author's message.
How should we decide which words to teach as sight words? Studies suggest that the most common words in our language, known as "high-frequency words" would be the best place to start. Believe it or not, the 100 most common words actually make up about 50 percent of the material we read! The 25 most common words make up about one-third of our written material (Fry, Kress, and Fountoukidis, 2000).
We can enable our students to greatly increase their reading efficiency when we teach them to read half or more of the words they encounter in a quick and automatic manner. You can probably guess correctly at many of the most common words in our written language, such as: the, a, is, of, to, in, and, I, you, and that. You may also want to refer to lists assembled by Dolch or by Fry, Kress, and Fountoukidis.
"Amazing, isn't it? We have over a half-million words to communicate with, but half of everything we write and read depends on only 0.02 percent--on only those 100 most frequent words."
Frank B. May in Reading as Communication
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Scroll Down to See Lists of Sight Words.
First 100 Words (approximately first grade)
Group 1a Group 1b Group 1c Group 1d
1. the he go who
2. a I see an
3. is they then their
4. you one us she
5. to good no new
6. and me him said
7. we about by did
8. that had was boy
9. in if come three
10. not some get down
11. for up or work
12. at her two put
13. with do man were
14. it when little before
15. on so has just
16. can my them long
17. will very how here
18. are all like other
19. of would our old
20. this any what take
21. your been know cat
22. as out make again
23. but there which give
24. be from much after
25. have day his many
Third 100 Words (approximately third grade)
Group 3a Group 3b Group 3c Group 3d
1. ask hat off fire
2. small car sister ten
3. yellow write happy order
4. show try once part
5. goes myself didn't early
6. clean longer set fat
7. buy those round third
8. thank hold dress same
9. sleep full fall love
10. letter carry wash hear
11. jump eight start yesterday
12. help sing always eyes
13. fly warm anything door
14. don't sit around clothes
15. fast dog close though
16. cold ride walk o'clock
17. today hot money second
18. does grow turn water
19. face cut might town
20. green seven hard took
21. every woman along pair
22. brown funny bed now
23. coat yes fine keep
24. six ate sat head
25. gave stop hope food
Fifth 100 Words (approximately fourth grade)
Group4e Group 4f Group4g Group4h
1. hour grade egg spell
2. glad brother ground beautiful
3. follow remain afternoon sick
4. company milk feed became
5. believe several boat cry
6. begin war plan finish
7. mind able question catch
8. pass charge fish floor
9. reach either return stick
10. month less sir great
11. point train fell guess
12. rest cost hill bridge
13. sent evening wood church
14. talk note add lady
15. went past ice tomorrow
16. bank room chair snow
17. ship flew watch whom
18. business office alone women
19. whole cow low among
20. short visit arm road
21. certain wait dinner farm
22. fair teacher hair cousin
23. reason spring service bread
24. summer picture class wrong
25. fill bird quite age
Second 100 Words (approximately second grade)
Group 2a Group 2b Group 2c Group 2d
1. saw big may ran
2. home where let five
3. soon am use read
4. stand ball these over
5. box morning right such
6. upon live present way
7. first four tell too
8. came last next shall
9. girl color please own
10. house away leave most
11. find red hand sure
12. because friend more thing
13. made pretty why only
14. could eat better near
15. book want under than
16. look year while open
17. mother white should kind
18. run got never must
19. school play each high
20. people found best far
21. night left another both
22. into men seem end
23. say bring tree also
24. think wish name until
25. back black dear call
Fourth 100 Words (approximately fourth grade)
Group 4a Group 4b Group 4c Group 4d
1. told time word wear
2. Miss yet almost Mr.
3. father true thought side
4. children above send poor
5. land still receive lost
6. interest meet pay outside
7. government since nothing wind
8. feet number need Mrs.
9. garden state mean learn
10. done matter late held
11. country line half front
12. different remember fight built
13. bad large enough family
14. across few feel began
15. yard bit during air
16. winter cover gone young
17. table window hundred ago
18. story even week world
19. sometimes city between airplane
20. I'm together change without
21. tried sun being kill
22. horse life care ready
23. something street answer stay
24. brought party course won't
25. shoes suit against paper
Sixth 100 Words (approximately fourth grade)
Group4i
Group4j Group4k Group4l
1. become herself demand aunt
2. body idea however system
3. chance drop figure lie
4. act river case cause
5. die smile increase marry
6. real son enjoy possible
7. speak bat rather supply
8. already fact sound thousand
9. doctor sort eleven pen
10. step king music condition
11. itself dark human perhaps
12. nine themselves court produce
13. baby whose force twelve
14. minute study plant rode
15. ring fear suppose uncle
16. wrote move law labor
17. happen stood husband public
18. appear himself moment consider
19. heart strong person thus
20. swim knew result least
21. felt often continue power
22. fourth toward price mark
23. I'll wonder serve president
24. kept twenty national voice
25. well important wife whether
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