Sight Word Flashcards (Dolch, Pre-K to 3rd Grade)
All 220 Dolch sight words, sorted by level. Flip through them with your child, shuffle for a challenge, and print the set when you want cards on the table.
Choose a Dolch level
Card 1 of 400 of 40 known
Keyboard: ← and → move between cards, Space or Enter flips.
Download printable PDFs
Ready-made sheets with 12 cards per page and dashed cutting lines. Pick the paper size your printer uses.
| Level | Words | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-primer | 40 words | Pre-primer PDF, US Letter A4 |
| Primer | 52 words | Primer PDF, US Letter A4 |
| 1st grade | 41 words | 1st grade PDF, US Letter A4 |
| 2nd grade | 46 words | 2nd grade PDF, US Letter A4 |
| 3rd grade | 41 words | 3rd grade PDF, US Letter A4 |
| All 220 | 220 words | All 220 PDF, US Letter A4 |
How to use these flashcards
- Choose a level. If you are not sure, start with Pre-primer and move up when your child reads most of the cards quickly.
- Show the front and let your child read the word. Tap Listen if they want to hear it first.
- Flip the card to spell the word together, then make up a quick sentence with it.
- Tap My child knows this for words read without help. Turn on Hide known cards to focus on the rest.
- Print the set, or download a PDF, for practice away from the screen.
Which sight words should my child learn first?
Start where your child already feels comfortable. For most 4- and 5-year-olds that is the Pre-primer level: words such as I, see, the and my show up in nearly every early reader, so each one your child learns pays off on the very next page. Kindergarten classes usually move on to Primer, and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade lists follow the school year.
Short and frequent beats long and rare. Three to five minutes a day, at a calm time, works better than one long session on the weekend. Stop while your child still wants one more card.
Watch for words that look alike, like was and saw or where and there. Practice them on different days at first, then put them side by side once both feel easy.
Finally, move the words off the cards. Point them out on cereal boxes, street signs and bedtime books. When your child spots said in a story without help, that word is truly learned. Mark it as known here and enjoy the moment together.
The five Dolch levels at a glance
- Pre-primer (Pre-K, 40 words): a, and, away, big, blue, can …
- Primer (Kindergarten, 52 words): all, am, are, at, ate, be …
- 1st grade (1st grade, 41 words): after, again, an, any, as, ask …
- 2nd grade (2nd grade, 46 words): always, around, because, been, before, best …
- 3rd grade (3rd grade, 41 words): about, better, bring, carry, clean, cut …
Word list: the Dolch basic sight vocabulary (public domain). The 95 Dolch nouns are not included yet.
Questions parents ask
What are sight words?
Sight words are the short, common words children are taught to recognize at a glance, like the, said and was. Many of them do not follow regular phonics rules, so reading them by memory frees your child to focus on the harder words in a sentence.
What is the Dolch sight word list?
It is a list of 220 high-frequency words compiled by Dr. Edward W. Dolch and published in 1948. It is grouped into five levels: Pre-primer, Primer, 1st grade, 2nd grade and 3rd grade. The list is in the public domain and is still widely used in US classrooms.
How many sight words should my child practice at once?
Five to ten new words is plenty for most young children. Mix them with a few words they already know so practice ends on a win, and add new words only when the current ones are read without hesitation.
Can I print these cards on A4 paper?
Yes. Choose US Letter or A4 above the Print button, or download the PDF in the size you need. The cards are the same size on both papers, 12 per page, with dashed lines to cut along.
Is my child's progress saved?
The words you mark as known are saved in this browser only, on this device. Nothing is sent to us and there is no account. Clearing your browser data, or tapping Clear known marks, removes them.
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