Upper Elementary Sight Words Intervention

The gap between fluent readers and non-fluent readers becomes ever-increasing as students move up grade levels. By time they land in my classroom students (ideally) have transitioned from "learning to read" to "reading to learn". But what happens when they get to my door and they haven't learned to read yet? 

I have been teaching fourth grade for over 15 years. I have a master's degree in reading. I am still learning to navigate the choppy, deep, uncharted waters of reading. With the brain needing to synchronize so many pathways and systems in order to reach the levels a "fluent" reader obtains, I have found this intervention hones in on specific student needs and helps upper elementary students close the gap---> Sight Word Decks.

It sounds simple. It is. This technique can be long and tedious. It requires a commitment to stay the course. However, it is easy. It is student-specific. And, the end results will amaze you.

STEP ONE: GET A LIST OF WORDS

My packet uses a blended list of the most common sight words and high-frequency words. It is a Kindergarten through Fifth Grade list. It's lengthy and segmented by grade level until third grade. The third through fifth grade list in one big, long list.

STEP TWO: CHECK YOUR DATA

Using DIBELS, or whichever fluency check your district uses, check out which students did not meet benchmark. I zero in on the lowest. The students whose low scores are due in part to lack of sight word knowledge. I target them. Typically, students who are just below benchmark can make up the gap through other strategies or interventions (sustained silent reading, phonics, phonemic awareness drills, etc...) Sight Word Decks are for the lowest of lows. As such, I don't have too many decks running at the same time. 

STEP THREE: START TESTING YOUR STUDENTS

I sit with each student individually, one at a time. I have two lists ready to go. One test packet for the student. One master list (per student) for me to take notes. You will take notes on each student on "their" list. When you start to test a new student, you will get a fresh packet and take notes specific for that student. I write the student's name on the top of each master list.

I hand the student test packet to the student and ask them to start at the kindergarten list and read each word. If they read it automatically, I leave it blank. If they read it incorrectly, take too long, or need to stretch the word, I place a check mark next to the word on my list. 

I have the students read until I have enough words to start a sight word deck. For some students, they will stop during the first grade list, for others, it will be further into the packet. The goal is to get enough words without exhausting the student. Generally, I like to have about 30 cards in a deck. It is very common for me to test students in more than one session. The goal is to ensure that errors are due to a lack of word attack skills and not just exhaustion or boredom.

When I am working in the master list, I will sometimes note what the student incorrectly read. That notation also helps me understand where the gaps are. 

First Column: Initial Test
Second Column: Subsequent Testing
(Note Percentage Increase at the Bottom)

STEP FOUR: WRITE THE WORDS ON INDEX CARDS

Once you have enough words, its is time to transfer the words the student read incorrectly onto index cards. To stay organized, each student is assigned a different color. The color-coding helps me easily identify which decks belong to which student. The master word list packet I use to generate the sight words also has the student's name written in the same color.

STEP FIVE: RUN THE CARDS

Run the cards every day. Sit with the student and have them read each card. If the student correctly reads the word place a star (or whatever symbol) on the back of the card. If they don't, just flip the card and move onto the next one. When they have earned ten stars, the card is removed from the stack and placed on a ring.

As the student learns more words, and the ring cards increase, you will need to go back to the master list and test for more words. You will be replacing the words that have been removed with new words the student needs to learn. Students love to watch their ringed deck grow. There is no mistaking the look of pride on their face when they add cards to the ring.

STEP SIX: CHECK YOUR DATA

Periodically check your student's growth. Go back to the master sight word list. Ask them to read the words they missed. Indicate on the list if they have correctly read the word (using a star or other symbol) or not (another check). I will take the master list data and plug it into an excel sheet to see the growth over time. It helps to share the data with the student and their family. This data is especially helpful at report card conferences or during IEP meetings.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

This is not a five-minute fix. It is easy to implement but takes time and commitment to see the growth. 

It is easy enough that it can be done with parent volunteers, TAs, or college students.
It is quick enough that I sometimes "run cards" during bus dismissal.

You will be amazed at what you learn about your students as readers. When I am running cards with the students I will oftentimes pick up on the strategies they use and what they are lacking. Their word attack skills become quite evident. You will begin to see patterns and be able to better target their gaps. 

Some of the things I've noticed and still look out for:
- understanding of vowels (short, long, and teams)
- "magic e"
- dropping of endings
- using the onset only
- prefix and suffix
- digraphs
- blends

Click below to get the lists and recording forms for free!

Upper Elementary Sight Words Intervention System

Like anything worthwhile, time and commitment are required. Sight Word Decks are a great way for students to start closing the gap between them and their peers. Along with helping them create and restore reading pathways, this intervention helps teachers pinpoint specific student needs. One of the best parts of the intervention is the ability to see growth in a very short amount of time.