Your child has worked hard on their first 20 sight words. Now it is time for Set 2 - another 20 words that show up EVERYWHERE in their reading life.

These are the words on stop signs, on cereal boxes, in library books, on the bus - they are the building blocks of everything your child will read.

What To Do

Day 1-3: Introduce 5 new words at a time

Write these words on index cards or sticky notes: the, and, was, for, they, said, had, wrote, come, can

Pick just 5 to start. Keep the rest for tomorrow.

Say each word together. Have your child trace the word in the air while saying it. Put the cards face up on the table.

Now play "Find the Word". Call out one word and have your child find it on the table and pick it up. Do this slowly.

Day 4-6: Practice all 10 together

Mix the first 10 words with the words from Set 1. This review is important - kids forget if you stop practicing.

Play a quick game each day. 5 minutes. Set a timer. How many can you find before the timer goes off?

Day 7-9: Add the next 5 words

Now add: little, out, will, her, him

Same routine - introduce, practice, mix with old words.

Day 10-14: Review and test

Mix all 20 words from Set 2 with Set 1. Do a quick test each day - time how many words your child can read in one minute. Celebrate when they beat their time!

Why This Works

Repetition builds automaticity. When sight words become automatic, your child has more brain power left for understanding what they are reading. These 20 words appear in maybe 25% of all early reading material, so mastering them gives you a huge return on investment.

Pro Tips

• Use real life: Point out these words on cereal boxes, street signs, and library books. "Look! There is the word AND!"

• Keep sessions short: 5-10 minutes is enough. You are building confidence, not endurance.

• Make it a game: Timing, points, stickers - whatever makes your child want to play the word game again tomorrow.

• Don't stop practicing: After you think they know these words, keep mixing them in with new words for weeks.

A Note on Patience

Some kids grab sight words like magic. Others need more time. Neither is a problem. If your child needs a week instead of 3 days for one group, that is fine. The words will stick eventually.