During my guided reading session last week in Tennessee , I was asked how I track sight words. I did my best to describe these little leveled sight word and fluency phrase books, but I decided a blog post about this was definitely in order!
These little booklets make teaching sight words and fluency phrases a breeze! Everyone can move through the lists at their own pace, allowing all the varied levels of readers to progress using the same tool. WIN.
Here’s how it works:
First students start with booklet one. Each page has 10 fry’s words on the front and ten fluency phrases with those same words on the back. When students read front and back, automatically and accurately, they move on to the next list. (editable template too)
Below is the very first list. on the left, are the first ten words. On the right, are the very beginning fluency phrases.
Once students work through an entire booklet, they graduate to the next. If they can get through all 5 booklets, that’s 500 sight words and 500 fluency phrases!
I dated the bottom of the levels to keep a record of mastery. Below is a little mock up of how you can quickly write it in there.
My students loved to keep these in their book boxes and take home bags so they would be ready to “level up” at any time. There are ten spots on the front of each book for coloring, stamping, or placing stickers on to show what levels have been completed.
Color coding the different levels is helpful for keeping track of the order of difficulty. Also, these tuck perfectly into a data binder or take home folder.
I only gave the student one booklet at a time to work through. It was a big deal to move on to the next color.
How often you check students can be up to you. If you are a Friday assessment type of school then you can do that. I usually did it as a quick check for one student each day at the start or end of guided reading small group time. If a student really practiced and wanted to read their list to me, I would sometimes allow it more than once a week. It takes 30 seconds to test both sides if a student is ready and reading with automaticity.
If I had a student reading far above the norm, I would not start them at
booklet one. The more I used the booklets, the more comfortable I became with
the lists and how they related to my students.
According to Fry’s, each
set of 100 words was a grade level. So booklet 5 would be 5th grade
high frequency words. I had three students get to booklet 5 in the
year. I also had a couple that worked through booklet 1 the entire
year. Of course everyone else was somewhere in the middle.
If Fry’s are not the words for you, I also included an editable template so you can make your own word list and fluency phrases.
I keep a tool box (student supply box) on my desk with my sheets of stickers. Allowing students to choose the sticker that they want for the cover was a HUGE motivator for them. If you are short on stickers, they can color or stamp each level.
Now just to share a little about the conference referenced above! Cara told me that Tennessee was wonderful, and boy was she right! I really enjoyed my time there. I spoke for two days, eight different sessions. It was so fun to see these smiling faces and many more. I know their students were missing them, but what lucky students they have for sure!!!!
Making Sight Words STICK!
Guided Reading Resources the Smart Cart
Bats, Stellaluna, and Visual Plans!
Guided Reading and Guided Math Essentials
Paula Hamand says
November 22, 2015 at 6:13 amGREATTT idea! I can see it would be very motivating for the kids. thanks for sharing, Paula
Jenni Kozak says
November 22, 2015 at 2:58 pmThanks so much for all your wonderful ideas. I work at a highly impacted school. I teach 3rd grade, but I have 3 students reading at a kindergarten level and another 8 at 1st grade. Your ideas and resourses have helped me differentiate for them.
Jenni Kozak says
November 22, 2015 at 2:59 pmThanks so much for all your wonderful ideas. I work at a highly impacted school. I teach 3rd grade, but I have 3 students reading at a kindergarten level and another 8 at 1st grade. Your ideas and resourses have helped me differentiate for them.
Diane Tarbet says
November 22, 2015 at 3:05 pmGreat idea! Could this be adapted to multiplication fact fluency?
Abby says
November 22, 2015 at 6:46 pmLove this! So, you would only have students move to the next list when they master 100% of the current list?
ReaganTunstall says
November 28, 2015 at 11:13 pmFor most yes, but for those that really struggle I may write the word they are not able to get on the next list and just have them keep practicing it.
Mrs. H. says
November 22, 2015 at 7:59 pmI love these! So simple and kid friendly!!
Terri Stanford says
November 23, 2015 at 1:17 amWhat all do you have them keep in their book boxes?
ReaganTunstall says
November 28, 2015 at 11:15 pmMy students got 6 books at most. my classroom library was leveled so they shopped in their level. They also kept their sight word book, and sometimes they got to borrow a flipping for phonics book from me to help practice reviewing phonics chunks.
Terri Stanford says
November 23, 2015 at 1:17 amWhat all do you have them keep in their book boxes?
Lee Ann Rasey says
November 23, 2015 at 2:24 amI love this idea! I teach kindergarten so I wouldn't need as many books. How do you help those kiddos who are just not getting the sight words? If they don't know them, then they are unable to practice them.
ReaganTunstall says
November 28, 2015 at 11:16 pmThe book went home with students nightly for practice with a parent. Also, students would practice/test each other in partners or with me during guided reading.
Anonymous says
November 25, 2015 at 1:35 amI am soooo in live with this!! I've always taught and tracked high frequency words and I have the phrases for games, but love the idea of having both together to track! I cannot even imagine the growth that would occur!! Thank you!!
Jennifer
Holly says
November 27, 2015 at 4:42 pmDo you know what an awesome talent you are? Just love these and YOU! Think of you often and keep you in my prayers just as much!
ReaganTunstall says
November 28, 2015 at 11:13 pmWow thank you so much Holly! 🙂
Kim Harville says
December 2, 2015 at 1:39 pmThese are awesome. Are there any for grades 3-5?
Shannon says
December 6, 2015 at 12:48 amI love the leveled books of words and phrases. Other than students practicing reading sight words from the leveled books with partners, how do students practice sight words? Do the sight word sticks you use correlate with each of the levels so students can work specifically on a targeted list of words? How do you introduce each new group of words to students since they are likely at different levels and possibly moving on at different times? Do you do any whole group instruction for sight words?
Nerida says
December 16, 2015 at 11:06 pmI wanted to say a huge thank you Reagan for sharing your fabulous ideas! I think this is a great way to track student sight words! My school has its very own sight word lists which differ from every other list on the face of the earth! You can imagine how happy I am when I find something that I could easily tweak for my own kiddies 🙂 Thank you so much, and please keep sharing your wonderful ideas!
Cindyp94 says
December 18, 2015 at 2:00 amThis is great and I can't wait to use them. Just wondering if you sent a letter home to the parents explaining this?
Michelle Dellosa says
December 27, 2015 at 11:27 amI love this idea. Do you sell these books?
ReaganTunstall says
December 28, 2015 at 8:56 amYes You can find them here https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Fluency-Phrase-Booklets-2219642
Megan Conway says
January 24, 2016 at 3:47 pmLove these so much! I started using them about a two weeks ago in my Kindergarten classroom, and the kids are so excited to “move up”! I keep one copy in our Fluency center, and each student keeps their own book in their Guided Reading Envelope to practice at home. Then when I call students to my table for Guided Reading, it is readily available to quickly test each student. Thanks for making these!
Shelly Taylor says
February 18, 2016 at 5:52 amHi I can’t wait to download the sight word booklets. Also is there a blend booklet? I would love to have that. I am very excited to start using this in my class. Thank you!
ReaganTunstall says
February 23, 2016 at 11:33 amI am in process of blends, r controlled, and vowel teams. 🙂
Jillian says
February 19, 2016 at 6:00 pmI love these!! Just one important question about using them-Do you keep a master copy of each list for each student to mark up the ones they know or don’t know when you assessed them?? (For example they might be stuck at list 1 in book one for 5 weeks. Do you record this some place else because it seems there might only be one list one in the booklet. I’d love your advice!!!
ReaganTunstall says
February 23, 2016 at 11:30 amWe have first grade data binders. We track their progress in there. (it’s also in my shop) If they are stuck for two weeks and only getting stuck on one word, I will write that word on the next list and let them move on with that word in tow. 🙂
Yessi says
July 26, 2018 at 10:13 pmFirst graders should at least be able to get to what booklet number? I’m curious about what would be an attainable goal for students in first grade.
Alina says
February 22, 2016 at 10:31 amHow do you set it up to print the way you have it here? I am trying different ways to print it double sided, but can’t seem to get it right!
ReaganTunstall says
February 23, 2016 at 11:25 amI print the 5 covers first separately and only one sided. Then I go back and print the inside pages back to back. Once they are printed I cut them down the center of the page at 4.25 on the papercutter. Next I just order the pages to match the front cover. I tuck them in the colored cover and staple.
RaDonna says
February 24, 2016 at 3:30 pmDo you have an expected time limit for reading the words and phrases?
ReaganTunstall says
February 26, 2016 at 4:56 amYes this should be an automatic read. If students are stuck, sounding out, or unsure on a word, then they do not pass. If they can read all of the words well except one, I sometimes write that one word on the next list and let them move on. If they can’t pass two or more words automatically, they stay on that list.
Courtney Zousel says
April 22, 2016 at 7:00 amHow are the numbers on the front used? Do they put a sticker for every word they know or the level they are on?
ReaganTunstall says
April 24, 2016 at 9:35 amYes after they can read the list and fluency phrases of a particular level, they get to put a sticker on that spot on the cover.
Kristin says
June 1, 2016 at 5:22 pmSince there are ten spots on the cover for stickers do they end up reading it to you 10 times and they get a sticker each time?
ReaganTunstall says
June 3, 2016 at 3:44 pmSometimes they whip through more than one list but typically we do one front and one back.
Gemma says
May 21, 2016 at 7:26 pmI love these! Do you use sight word centers for your students to practice the words?
Justina says
June 13, 2016 at 7:46 pmHave you shared your leveled library? I am very interested in seeing what is in there and how it is organized to use with these! So excited to use these!
Kimberly Clinard says
June 26, 2016 at 7:53 pmDo you give them two separate books, one to go home and one for book boxes? Or are they just that good at bringing them back and forth? I worry about them never coming back, so I am curious! 🙂 Thanks!
Jenny says
August 27, 2016 at 11:34 amRandom question….what paper did you use for these? In sure they’re Astrobrights, but where did you get the packs of specific colors from? #obsessed
Briana Hawks says
June 7, 2017 at 1:01 pmDo your students get any rewards for “leveling up”, or just a new book? I had thought about a reward for finishing a book, but wondered what you did. Thanks!
ReaganTunstall says
June 11, 2017 at 5:09 amThey got to take their book home with all of the stickers and then yes, the new book. 🙂
Leigh says
May 17, 2018 at 6:12 pmI like this! Question: Do you assess them by having them just read the words directly from their book to you? If so, do you find that they have memorized the list in order but when given the words separately on flash cards in random order they don’t know them?
Josefina Miller says
August 29, 2018 at 8:50 amI was wondering if you offer the editable version on these booklets by itself. If so, would you mind providing me a link to it. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this.
gina says
September 3, 2018 at 10:09 amHi! I love this idea and plan to use with my first graders. You may have mentioned it and I didn’t see, but do they get a sticker for each word they get correctly in their book? Thank you!