Guide · ages 3–5
Sight Words Before Kindergarten
Preschoolers don't need sight words, but it's fine if a child is curious. Letter names, letter sounds, rhyming and being read to matter more at this age. If your child is interested, start with their name and two or three words, and keep it playful.
What matters more at 3 to 5
Reading aloud together, talking a lot, singing rhymes, playing with sounds (what starts like ball?) and learning letters all build the base that reading grows from. If a child has these, sight words will be much easier later. There's no rush.
Signs your child is ready
They ask what signs say. They point at words in books. They recognize their name and know some letters and sounds. They enjoy it. If a game of words ends in frustration, leave it for a few months: nothing is lost.
How to start gently
Begin with words that mean something to your child: their name, mom, dog. Then try two or three from the pre-primer list, like I, see and the. Point them out in books and signs. Keep sessions to a couple of minutes, and stop while it's still fun.
How to do it with Wordburrow
- Open the pre-primer list and pick two or three words.
- Play together at first: the game reads every word aloud.
- Use the list maker to keep the list very short.
- Print big flash cards and leave them around for play.
Try it now: free, no signup
Free to play · no signup · works on phones, tablets and computers
Questions people ask
Can a 3-year-old play Wordburrow?
Many will need a grown-up beside them at first. The taps are simple, and every word is read aloud.
How many sight words should a child know before kindergarten?
None are required. Ask your school what they suggest, since expectations vary.
An app is on the way
We're building a Wordburrow app for iPhone. The plan is everything you can play here, plus offline play and a parent view of the words that have stuck. It isn't out yet. The whole game is free here in the meantime.
Coming soon on theApp Store