What this section is
This is a complete set of ready-made tracing worksheets for the Dolch sight word list — the same 220 words used in early reading programs for decades, organized here by grade level and then by list within that grade. Each word has its own dedicated worksheet with a real, print-ready layout, generated through the same rendering engine that powers the interactive editor on this site — not a placeholder.
Who Edward Dolch was, and why this list exists
Edward William Dolch was an American educator who published his list of high-frequency "service words" in 1936, after analyzing the vocabulary of children's books used in classrooms at the time. He deliberately left most nouns off the list, reasoning that nouns are usually specific to whatever a particular book is about, while his 220 words — articles, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and common verbs — show up constantly across almost any children's text regardless of subject. Nearly ninety years later, the same list is still in wide use, a testament to how stable the core structure of everyday English really is.
Why sight words are taught separately from phonics
Many of the most common English words — "the," "was," "said" — don't follow regular spelling rules, so sounding them out doesn't work well. Sight words are taught by repetition and recognition instead, which is exactly what a tracing worksheet supports: seeing the word, writing it, and building the visual memory of its shape. Trying to phonetically decode "said" every single time a child encounters it is slower and less reliable than simply recognizing the whole word on sight, the way a fluent adult reader does automatically.
How the worksheets are organized
Words are grouped by Dolch grade level (Pre-K through Grade 3) and then split into smaller lists of about 10-13 words each, matching how most classrooms introduce them in manageable batches rather than all at once. Each word's own page includes the worksheet, a short description, and links to nearby words in the same list, so browsing from one word to the next stays within the same, appropriately-scaled group.
Reading and writing together
Recognizing a sight word by sight and being able to write it from memory are related but genuinely different skills. When a child physically traces "said" or "there" repeatedly, they're building motor memory of the specific letter sequence, not just reinforcing what the word looks like — and that motor memory reinforces visual recognition in return. This is part of why every word here has a real tracing worksheet, not just a list to read aloud.
Built for home and classroom use alike
A parent working with one child and a teacher preparing a whole class both start from the exact same worksheets here — the only difference is how many words get printed and how practice is paced. For a full class working through several sight words at once, the Teacher Worksheets tool (linked in the main navigation) generates one combined PDF with a worksheet per word from a pasted list, built on the same rendering engine as everything in this section.
A practical way to work through the list
Start at Pre-K regardless of a child's actual age or grade in school — the Dolch levels track word difficulty and frequency, not a strict age requirement, and skipping ahead before the earlier lists are solid tends to leave real gaps. Move through each grade's lists in order, spending a few days on each rather than rushing through an entire grade's words in one sitting. A child already comfortable with the earlier lists can move through later grades more quickly, while a child just starting out benefits from lingering on Pre-K and Primer until recognition feels automatic.
Don't see the word you need
This section covers the full standard 220-word Dolch list, laid out exactly as Edward Dolch organized it by grade. For any other word — including words outside the Dolch list entirely — the interactive sight word tracing tool generates a matching worksheet instantly, in the same print-ready format as every page in this section.
Also on this site: the Fry Instant Words list
Dolch isn't the only high-frequency word list covered here — this site also has the full 1,000-word Fry Instant Words list, organized by frequency rank rather than grade level. The two lists overlap heavily in their most common words but Fry extends much further, so many teachers use both side by side rather than choosing one over the other.
A teacher's guide to Dolch sight word tracing
Few ideas in early reading have lasted as long as the sight word list. Teachers, parents and tutors have been using the same collection of 220 words since the 1930s, and when you look at the list, it is easy to see why. These are not exciting words. They are the, and, was, said, with, they. But they are the words that a child meets on nearly every page of nearly every early reader, and a child who can read them smoothly is a child who can read.
This gallery has a tracing page for each of the 220 words, arranged by grade level and then into small lists, and this guide explains how to use it. It covers where the list comes from, what "sight word" really means, how the gallery is organized, and a practical plan for teaching the words in a way that sticks.
Every page has the same design: the word is written six times in dotted letters on three-line guide paper.
Who made the list, and why
The list was compiled by Edward William Dolch, an American educator who published it in 1936 after studying the vocabulary of the children's books used in classrooms at the time. He noticed that a small group of words came up again and again, whatever the book was about, and he gathered 220 of them. He called them "service words," because they do the work of serving the sentence: articles, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, common verbs and a few adjectives and adverbs.
Dolch left nouns off the main list on purpose. His reasoning was that a noun usually belongs to a particular topic. A book about a farm has cow, barn and hay, and a book about space has rocket, star and moon, but the, was and with appear in both. He compiled a separate list of common nouns, and many teachers use the two together.
The list was built from the books of its time, and it is now about ninety years old. Even so, the words on it are still among the most common in children's reading, because the basic structure of English sentences has not changed. That is why the list has lasted.
What "sight word" means
The phrase has two meanings, and it helps to keep them apart.
A word recognized instantly. To a fluent reader, almost every word is a "sight word," because they recognize it at a glance without sounding it out. This is the goal of reading instruction.
A word that cannot be sounded out easily. In classrooms, "sight words" often means irregular words, such as was, said, the, of, they. Their spelling does not match the usual sound-letter patterns, so they have to be learned by sight, or at least with extra care.
The Dolch list mixes the two. Many of its words are irregular, and many are perfectly regular: can, did, get, him, not, run, up. A good teacher treats them differently. A regular word can be sounded out, and the sound-letter connection should be pointed out. An irregular word should be marked, "This part is tricky," and practiced until it is automatic.
In both cases, the aim is automaticity, the ability to recognize a word without effort so that the reader's attention is free for meaning.
How the gallery is organized
The 220 words are divided into five levels, following Dolch's own grouping, and each level is split into four short lists.
| Level |
Words |
Lists |
Example words |
| Pre-K |
40 |
4 lists of 10 |
a, and, big, can, go, I, look, my, the, you |
| Primer |
52 |
4 lists of 13 |
all, are, but, did, good, have, like, no, they, was |
| Grade 1 |
41 |
3 lists of 10, 1 of 11 |
after, as, could, from, her, how, of, some, take, then |
| Grade 2 |
46 |
2 lists of 12, 2 of 11 |
always, because, buy, first, made, their, very, work, would |
| Grade 3 |
41 |
3 lists of 10, 1 of 11 |
about, better, bring, draw, grow, light, only, show, today, warm |
The five levels add up to 220. The "Pre-K" level corresponds to what Dolch called the "pre-primer" list. The names are a guide to the order in which the words are usually taught, not a strict requirement. A child may be in second grade and still need the Pre-K list, or may be in kindergarten and already read the Grade 1 words.
The small lists, of ten to thirteen words each, are a deliberate choice. They match how most classrooms introduce words, in manageable batches, rather than all at once.
The words, list by list
Here are the words in each list, in the order the gallery presents them. A teacher or parent can use these as a checklist.
Pre-K
- List 1: a, and, away, big, blue, can, come, down, find, for
- List 2: funny, go, help, here, I, in, is, it, jump, little
- List 3: look, make, me, my, not, one, play, red, run, said
- List 4: see, the, three, to, two, up, we, where, yellow, you
Primer
- List 1: all, am, are, at, ate, be, black, brown, but, came, did, do, eat
- List 2: four, get, good, have, he, into, like, must, new, no, now, on, our
- List 3: out, please, pretty, ran, ride, saw, say, she, so, soon, that, there, they
- List 4: this, too, under, want, was, well, went, what, white, who, will, with, yes
Grade 1
- List 1: after, again, an, any, as, ask, by, could, every, fly
- List 2: from, give, going, had, has, her, him, his, how, just
- List 3: know, let, live, may, of, old, once, open, over, put
- List 4: round, some, stop, take, thank, them, then, think, walk, were, when
Grade 2
- List 1: always, around, because, been, before, best, both, buy, call, cold, does, don't
- List 2: fast, first, five, found, gave, goes, green, its, made, many, off, or
- List 3: pull, read, right, sing, sit, sleep, tell, their, these, those, upon
- List 4: us, use, very, wash, which, why, wish, work, would, write, your
Grade 3
- List 1: about, better, bring, carry, clean, cut, done, draw, drink, eight
- List 2: fall, far, full, got, grow, hold, hot, hurt, if, keep
- List 3: kind, laugh, light, long, much, myself, never, only, own, pick
- List 4: seven, shall, show, six, small, start, ten, today, together, try, warm
Notice that the gallery spells the word don't without its apostrophe, so its page shows Dont. A teacher should add the apostrophe by hand, and talk about the missing letter.
Why the words are worth the effort
The case for teaching these words is a practical one. Imagine a child reading this sentence: "She said that they were going to the park with her friend." Of the twelve words, ten are on the Dolch list. A child who knows them has to decode only park and friend. A child who does not know them has to decode every word, and may not reach the end of the sentence before forgetting how it began.
The share of any particular book that these words cover varies from book to book, but it is a safe claim that they are words a child cannot avoid.
That is why the words are taught early, often, and in small batches.
What tracing adds
A sight word list can be taught by flash cards alone. Tracing adds something flash cards cannot.
- It makes the child look at every letter. The eye stops skipping across a word, and the letters are noticed in order.
- It builds a motor memory. The hand learns the word's shape, and that supports spelling.
- It connects reading and writing. A child who writes a word reads it better, and a child who reads it writes it better.
- It is calm and independent. A child can do it alone, with a pencil, and feel a sense of control.
- It produces something. A finished page is a record of work, and it can be shown to a parent or hung on a wall.
Tracing is most powerful when the child says the word aloud as they work, and when the word is used in a sentence afterward.
A routine for introducing a word
A repeatable routine is more effective than a clever one. Here is a simple pattern for one word at a time.
- Show and say. Hold up the card. "This word is said. Say it with me."
- Use it. "She said hello." Ask the child for a sentence of their own.
- Spell it. Say the letters, pointing to each. "s, a, i, d."
- Mark the tricky part. "The ai makes an e sound. That is the part we have to remember."
- Trace. Trace the first row, saying the word at the end of each row.
- Cover and write. Hide the page. Write the word from memory on a blank line.
- Check. Compare with the model. Fix any mistakes with a kind word.
- Find it. Hunt for the word in a book.
This takes about five minutes per word, and it covers seeing, hearing, saying, writing and using the word.
How many words in a week?
The usual answer is: fewer than you think. A reasonable pace is a list every one to two weeks, which means five to ten words, with daily review. A child who is moving quickly may do a list in a few days, and a child who needs more time can spend three weeks on one.
Some practical points:
- Start where the child is. Test them on the Pre-K list. If they know most of it, move on.
- Do not skip. Gaps in the early lists cause trouble later.
- Review constantly. Each day, go back over old words before adding new ones.
- Aim for speed and ease, not only accuracy. A word that takes ten seconds to recall is not yet automatic.
- Celebrate progress. A chart with stickers is a very good motivator.
At a steady pace, a child can work through the whole list over a year, which is just about what most classrooms aim for.
Games that make the words stick
Repetition is essential, but it need not be dull. A few games have been used by teachers for decades.
- Bingo. Make cards with a grid of words, call them out and let the child mark them.
- Memory. Write each word twice, turn the cards face down and find pairs.
- Fly swat. Spread the words out, and let the child swat the one you call.
- Word hunt. Give the child a highlighter and a page of a book, and ask them to find a particular word.
- Sand and shaving cream. Write the word in a tray of sand or a smear of shaving cream. The body helps the memory.
- Roll and read. Number six words, and roll a die to choose which to read.
- Snap. Two players flip cards at the same time, and call out when two match.
- Build it. Use magnetic letters or tiles to make the word, and then check against the model.
- Secret code. Write a sentence with a blank, and have the child fill it in with a sight word.
Each of these takes only a minute or two, and each gives the child another look at the word.
Putting the words into sentences
A word that is known in isolation may not be recognized in a book. The next step is to practice it in a sentence.
- Write a sentence together. Use two or three of the week's words. "They were going to the park."
- Cut and paste. Write the sentence on strips, cut it into words and rebuild it.
- Fill in the blanks. "I ___ a big dog." The child chooses see or saw.
- Read decodable books. Pick books that include the words you have been practicing.
- Write a daily line. A child who writes one sentence a day will use many of the words naturally.
- Read it aloud. Hearing the sentence read fluently is a model for the child.
The aim is to move the words from a list into the child's reading and writing life.
Words that are often confused
Several pairs and sets of words trip up children, and it helps to teach them side by side.
| Words |
The difference |
A tip |
| was / saw |
The same letters, reversed |
Say each in a sentence: "It was big," "I saw it" |
| where / were |
Look alike, sound different |
Where has the same wh as "what" and "when" |
| there / their |
Sound the same |
Here is hidden in there, so it means a place |
| to / too / two |
Sound the same |
Two has a w like "twin." Too has two o's, "too much" |
| no / know |
Sound the same |
Know has a silent k |
| of / off |
One letter different |
Of sounds like "uv" |
| them / then |
One letter different |
Them ends with an m like "me" |
| were / went |
Similar shapes |
Say each in a sentence |
| saw / said |
Share the sa- |
Said has an i |
A word that is confused is not a word that is unknown. It simply needs extra attention, and a gentle way to tell it from its twin.
Handwriting tips for small words
Because sight words are short, they make a good place to work on the basics of handwriting. A few small habits make a large difference.
- Start at the top. Most letters begin at the top and move down. Remind the child where to place the pencil.
- Keep letters the same size. Point to the dotted middle line, and ask the child to keep the small letters between it and the base line.
- Leave a finger space. When two words sit side by side, a finger's width between them keeps them apart.
- Check the capitals. Words such as I are always capitals, and a word at the start of a sentence needs one too.
- Sit well. Feet on the floor, back supported, paper tilted slightly. Comfort makes neat writing easier.
- Praise one thing. "I like how you made your a closed" is more helpful than a general "nice work."
Common difficulties and what helps
A child knows a word on the card but not in a book. Practice in context. Highlight the word in a short sentence, and read it.
A child guesses from the first letter. Cover the end of the word, and uncover it slowly. Teach the child to look at the whole word.
A child writes a word backward or reversed. Common in early writing, and not a sign of any problem. Return to the model, and say each letter.
A child confuses b and d. Use a visual cue, such as making a "bed" with the fists, with the b on the left and the d on the right.
A child is bored with repetition. Change the activity. A game or a different material will bring it back to life.
A child forgets words from week to week. That is normal. Increase the review, and keep the number of new words small.
A child is anxious. Limit the number of unknown words, and always end with something they know.
Adjusting by age
- Age 4 to 5. A few Pre-K words at a time, such as I, a, the, and, to. Short sessions, finger tracing, and lots of play.
- Age 5 to 6. The Pre-K and Primer lists. Write words from memory, and read them in simple sentences.
- Age 6 to 7. Grade 1 and Grade 2 lists. Use the words in writing, and play games for fluency.
- Age 7 to 8. Grade 2 and Grade 3 lists. Add spelling, and use the words in longer pieces of writing.
- Older children who struggle. Start at whatever level they need, without fuss. The words are not "baby" words. They are the words everyone needs.
For teachers
A list of 220 words fits neatly into a school year, and the small lists make it easy to plan.
- Screen at the start of the year. A quick check with flash cards shows where each child stands.
- Group by need. Children working on the same list can share a center.
- Make a word wall. Add each list as it is introduced, and keep it visible.
- Send lists home. A list of ten words and a tracing page is a manageable homework.
- Track progress. Keep a simple chart of lists mastered.
- Make a class set. Batch / Teacher Mode can produce a page for each word you choose, in a single PDF.
- Mix it up. Alternate tracing with games, so that repetition stays fresh.
Dolch and Fry together
This site also has the Fry Instant Words gallery, with one thousand words ranked by frequency. The two lists overlap heavily at the top, so many words appear in both. A common approach is to start with the Dolch list for its grade-by-grade structure, and then move to the Fry list for a longer, more flexible path. Neither is better than the other. They are two maps of the same country.
Questions that come up
Are sight words the same as high-frequency words? Largely, yes. "High-frequency" describes how often a word appears, and "sight word" describes how it is learned. The terms overlap.
Does my child need to know all 220? Most children learn them over several years, and many read them automatically by the end of third grade. There is no need to rush.
What about the nouns? Dolch's list of common nouns is separate. If you want pages for those words, such as apple, bird, farm, house, tree, the sight word generator will make a page for any word.
Is tracing enough? It is one tool. A child learns words best by reading them, saying them, writing them and using them.
What if my child's school uses a different list? Use whichever list matches. The pages teach the skill of writing a word, and any word will do.
How do I know a word is learned? When the child reads it quickly and correctly, in a list and in a book, over several days.
These 220 words are small, and the work of learning them is quiet. But a child who has them at their fingertips has what they need to read, and with that, nearly every book they will want to open.