Sight words wheel
Thirty-six of the first words children need to read on sight, all from the Dolch pre-primer and primer lists. Spin, read it, and use it in a sentence.
SpacespinCtrl+Enterspin while typingFfull screen
One entry per line. Add *3 after a name to give it three times the chance.
Winners show up here, newest first.
Colors
Ready-made list. Edit it to make it yours: changes stay on this device, and Reset brings the original back.Open in the main spinner →
A 5-minute sight word routine
- Project the wheel full screen with F. After each spin, read the word together: see it, say it, spell it letter by letter, say it again.
- Ask one child to use it in a short sentence, such as “I can see the bus.”
- Do 6–8 spins, about 5 minutes, and stop while it is still fun. Young children lose focus quickly.
- Remove the words the whole class reads instantly, so practice time goes to the ones that are still slow.
Games for small groups
- Hop and read: write the words on paper spots on the floor. Spin, and a child hops to the matching spot.
- Knew it or worked it out: after each word, children show a thumbs-up if they knew it at once and a flat hand if they had to sound it out. You learn which words need more time.
- Rainbow writing: write the word three times in three colors.
- Find it: spin, then children hunt for the word in a big book or on a classroom poster.
Building your own list
Many schools use the Dolch or Fry lists, or a list from their reading program. Paste in this month’s words, one per line, and keep mastered words in a separate saved wheel for Friday review.
Words like “said”, “was” and “where” don’t follow the phonics children learn early, so they need more repetitions. A weight such as “said *2” makes a word come up twice as often.
Questions and answers
How many sight words should a kindergartner know?
It depends on the school and reading program. Many kindergarten programs aim for somewhere around 20–50 high-frequency words by the end of the year, so ask what your curriculum expects.
Should children memorize sight words or sound them out?
Both. Decode the regular parts (every letter in “and” makes its usual sound) and point out the tricky part (the “ai” in “said”). That sticks better than memory alone.
Can parents practice with this at home?
Yes. Send the Share link so it opens with your word list. Five minutes a day is plenty: spin, read, high five.