‘The’, ‘said’, ‘was’ — some words appear everywhere and don’t always play by phonics rules. Here is how to teach them well.
A small set of words — the, and, said, was, is — makes up a huge share of everything your child will ever read. Knowing them instantly makes every sentence easier.
Sight words are not a replacement for phonics — they are a small supplement. Most ‘sight words’ are actually mostly decodable; only the odd part (‘the’) needs memorising. Teach the regular parts with sounds and point out the tricky bit.
Practise five to eight words at a time, a few minutes a day. Games work best: word snap, treasure hunts, spotting the word in a storybook. Once a word is instant, retire it and add a new one.
Our lessons weave high-frequency words into every grade at the right CAPS moment, with audio support so children hear each word as they learn it. See how they appear in Grade 1 and Grade 2.
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Our CAPS-aligned programme turns these ideas into fun, interactive lessons. Try the first two lessons of every grade for free.
Help your child become a confident reader. Explore the CAPS-aligned Saving Grace Learn to Read programme — the first two lessons of every grade are free, no card needed.
