Sight words are critical to reading not only because they are used so frequently, but also because many of them cannot easily be sounded out. Since they are used so often, it is important that readers be able to recognize these words on sight (hence the term “sight words”).

These words should be read automatically and fluently (without hesitation or sounding out). One of the best ways to practice and learn these words is through repeated exposure and repeated reading (by using flash cards, for example).