High-Frequency Words

One reading area that is important for teachers to work with students on is to improve students’ knowledge of high-frequency words and sight words. This will help the students to read with fluency. High frequency words are those words that are often seen in reading passages.

One web site that has a list of 1200 High Frequency Words for Writing and reading is:
http://school.elps.k12.mi.us/donley/classrooms/berry/sitton_spelling_activities/4thgrade_spelling/sitton_word_list.htm
 

Another list of the top 300 High Frequency Words can be found at:
http://www.eyeonthesky.org/pdfs/HighFrequencyWords.pdf

Instructions:

1. High Frequency Words need to be explicitly taught with examples of use given.
2. Only a few words should be taught at one time.
3. Many of the words are abstract which is why examples of use are a must.
4. Words walls, where words are listed for students to see as they are learned is one way to display them.
5. Word Banks of the High Frequency Words is another strategy to help students as they learn them.
6. Activities such as using the words to create sentences, manipulating word bank words to form sentences, and highlighting high frequency words as they are read can be done to help students remember these words.  Students can also use sticky notes to identify High Frequency Words as they read.