Kindergarten Sight Words (Full Dolch Primer List)
Quick answer
The 52 kindergarten sight words are the Dolch primer list, the high-frequency words a child learns to read on sight in kindergarten: all, am, are, at, ate, be, black, brown, but, came, did, do, eat, four, get, good, have, he, into, like, must, new, no, now, on, our, out, please, pretty, ran, ride, saw, say, she, so, soon, that, there, they, this, too, under, want, was, well, went, what, white, who, will, with, yes. Most kindergartners are expected to master these 52 words by the end of the year, on top of the 40 pre-primer words from Pre-K. Below is the full list with a sample sentence for each.
Kindergarten Sight Words
All 52 Dolch primer sight words every kindergartner learns to read on sight, with a simple example sentence and pronunciation for each. Native-audio flashcards with spaced repetition — buy once, no subscription.
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All 52 kindergarten sight words (Dolch primer)
Each word with a simple example sentence. These build on the 40 Pre-K (pre-primer) words.
| Sight Words | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| all | awl | We ate all the cake. | |
| am | am | I am a big kid. | |
| are | ar | We are so happy. | |
| at | at | The cat is at home. | |
| ate | ayt | I ate the cake. | |
| be | bee | Be good to the dog. | |
| black | blak | I have a black cat. | |
| brown | brown | The dog is brown. | |
| but | but | I like cake but not bugs. | |
| came | kaym | Mom came home. | |
| did | did | Did you see the cat? | |
| do | doo | Do you like cake? | |
| eat | eet | We eat cake now. | |
| four | for | I have four cats. | |
| get | get | I get the ball. | |
| good | gud | You are a good dog. | |
| have | hav | I have a red ball. | |
| he | hee | He is my dad. | |
| into | in-too | The cat ran into the box. | |
| like | lyke | I like my dog. | |
| must | must | We must go now. | |
| new | noo | I have a new ball. | |
| no | noh | I have no cake. | |
| now | now | We play now. | |
| on | on | The cat is on the bed. | |
| our | ow-er | This is our dog. | |
| out | owt | The dog ran out. | |
| please | pleez | Please give me cake. | |
| pretty | prit-ee | The cat is pretty. | |
| ran | ran | The dog ran fast. | |
| ride | ryde | I ride my bike. | |
| saw | saw | I saw a big dog. | |
| say | say | Say hi to mom. | |
| she | shee | She is my mom. | |
| so | soh | I am so happy. | |
| soon | soon | Mom will be home soon. | |
| that | that | That is my dog. | |
| there | thair | The ball is there. | |
| they | thay | They are my cats. | |
| this | this | This is my cake. | |
| too | too | I want cake too. | |
| under | un-der | The cat is under the bed. | |
| want | wont | I want the ball. | |
| was | wuz | The day was fun. | |
| well | wel | I feel well today. | |
| went | went | We went to the park. | |
| what | wut | What is that? | |
| white | wyte | I have a white cat. | |
| who | hoo | Who is that? | |
| will | wil | I will play soon. | |
| with | with | I play with my dog. | |
| yes | yes | Yes, I want cake. |
Frequently asked questions
How many sight words should a kindergartner know?
By the end of kindergarten, children are typically expected to read the 52 Dolch primer words on sight, in addition to the 40 pre-primer words introduced in Pre-K, for a running total of about 92 words.
What is the difference between pre-primer and primer sight words?
Pre-primer is the first Dolch set (40 words), usually taught in Pre-K and early kindergarten. Primer is the next set (52 words), the core kindergarten list. A child generally learns pre-primer first, then primer.
What is the best way to practice kindergarten sight words?
Short, frequent review works best: a few minutes a day with the child saying each word aloud, hearing it, and using it in a sentence. Spaced repetition, which brings back words just before they are forgotten, makes the practice stick faster than repeated drilling.
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