Dolch Grade 1 Sight Words (Ages 6-7)
The 41 Grade 1 words: after, again, could, every, give, of, once, some, walk… Free printable list, flashcards, tracing sheets, bingo game and progress checklist.
The 41 Dolch Grade 1 sight words
- after
- again
- an
- any
- as
- ask
- by
- could
- every
- fly
- from
- give
- going
- had
- has
- her
- him
- his
- how
- just
- know
- let
- live
- may
- of
- old
- once
- open
- over
- put
- round
- some
- stop
- take
- thank
- them
- then
- think
- walk
- were
- when
Words with an orange outline are the tricky ones, explained below.
About the Grade 1 list
The Grade 1 list adds 41 words that appear in the longer sentences of first-grade readers (after, again, could, every, from, think, thank, when). Together with the Pre-Primer and Primer words, it gives the 133 words most first-grade classrooms aim for.
It matches ages 6 to 7. A child who turned 7 during Grade 1 usually works on this list, while the Grade 2 list is for the following year. If your child is 7 and reads comfortably, check the Grade 2 page too.
The tricky words, one by one
These words do not follow the sound-letter rules children have learned so far. They are the ones worth spending extra time on.
- of
- The "f" says /v/. It is the only word where this happens, and it is among the most common words in English.
- once
- Starts with /w/ and ends with /s/, with no letter showing the w. Learn it with "one".
- could
- The "l" is silent and "ould" says /ood/. It teaches the family for "would" and "should" in Grade 2 (the whole group follows one pattern).
- again
- Usually said "uh-GEN", not "a-gain". The spelling suggests a different sound than the one children hear.
- any
- The "a" says a short e. Children spell it "eny" until the picture of the word is fixed.
- every
- Said "EV-ree" (two syllables in everyday speech), so the middle "e" seems missing. Tap out the letters as you say it.
- walk
- The "l" is silent; "talk" and "chalk" follow the same pattern, so they come for free once "walk" is known.
- give
- The silent e does not make the i long. Same pattern as "have" from the Primer list.
- live
- Two pronunciations: "I live here" (short i) and "a live show" (long i). Children need context to choose.
A 9-week study plan
Five words a week, five minutes a day. On the last day of each week, revise the words of the weeks before. The list is in alphabetical order; change the order to start with the words your child meets most in books.
- Week 1
after · again · an · any · as
- Week 2
ask · by · could · every · fly
- Week 3
from · give · going · had · has
- Week 4
her · him · his · how · just
- Week 5
know · let · live · may · of
- Week 6
old · once · open · over · put
- Week 7
round · some · stop · take · thank
- Week 8
them · then · think · walk · were
- Week 9
when
How to teach the Grade 1 words
- Sort the confusable pairs and teach them in different weeks: when/then/them, were/where, of/off, from/form. Use a short sentence with each.
- Begin reading short decodable books and highlight the Grade 1 words with a pencil afterwards. Seeing them in real text beats isolated drills.
- Spell them, not just read them. Once a word is recognised in under three seconds, ask your child to write it from memory (the tracing sheet then a blank line is built for this).
- Be careful with "words by heart" overload: children at this level also need phonics. If your child guesses unknown words from the first letter, return to sounding out.
- Test with a sheet that mixes Pre-Primer, Primer and Grade 1 words in random order. A child who only knows them in list order has memorised the order, not the words.
More Dolch printables
Make the same sheets for another list, or find the list that fits another age.
Frequently asked questions
+How many words are on the Dolch Grade 1 list?
41 words. The three lists a Grade 1 child usually works through (Pre-Primer 40, Primer 52, Grade 1 41) add up to 133 words.
+What Dolch list is right for a 6-year-old?
Most 6-year-olds are on the Primer or Grade 1 list. Use the checklist: as a rule of thumb, when your child reads about 90% of a list instantly, move to the next one.
+What Dolch list is right for a 7-year-old?
Usually the Grade 1 list if they are in Grade 1, and the Grade 2 list if they are in Grade 2. Check the Grade 1 words first: gaps there slow down Grade 2.
+Are the Dolch words the same as the Fry words?
No. Both are lists of frequent words, but Fry's list is longer (1,000 words, ranked by frequency) and was built from more recent texts. Many words appear on both lists, so learning one helps with the other.
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