Dolch Pre-Primer Sight Words (Ages 4-5)
The 40 first words of the Dolch list: the, a, and, I, you, see, go… Print the list, the flashcards, the tracing sheets, a bingo game or a progress checklist, all free.
The 40 Dolch Pre-Primer sight words
- a
- and
- away
- big
- blue
- can
- come
- down
- find
- for
- funny
- go
- help
- here
- I
- in
- is
- it
- jump
- little
- look
- make
- me
- my
- not
- one
- play
- red
- run
- said
- see
- the
- three
- to
- two
- up
- we
- where
- yellow
- you
Words with an orange outline are the tricky ones, explained below.
About the Pre-Primer list
The Pre-Primer list is where the Dolch lists start. It has 40 very short words (most have one to four letters) that children meet on almost every page of their first picture books: the, a, and, I, to, you, see, go, look, it, is.
It is meant for children who are learning their letters and sounds, usually around ages 4 to 5 (Pre-K and Kindergarten). You do not need to finish it before reading to your child or sounding out simple words: sight words and phonics grow side by side.
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.
- the
- Said "thuh" or "thee", and the vowel follows no rule your child knows yet. It is the most frequent word in books, so learn it first.
- said
- The "ai" says a short e (/sed/). Children often write "sed".
- come
- The "o" says /u/. It sounds like "cum" and looks like "home" or "go", which is why it is memorised, not sounded out.
- one
- Starts with a /w/ sound that no letter shows. Pair it with "two" (silent w).
- two
- The "w" is silent. It will meet "to" and "too" later, so show the three side by side only once "two" is solid.
- where
- The "ere" does not say what children expect. It shares "wh-" with the words they will meet next (what, who, when).
- you
- "ou" says /oo/ here, unlike in "out" or "found".
A 8-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
a · and · away · big · blue
- Week 2
can · come · down · find · for
- Week 3
funny · go · help · here · I
- Week 4
in · is · it · jump · little
- Week 5
look · make · me · my · not
- Week 6
one · play · red · run · said
- Week 7
see · the · three · to · two
- Week 8
up · we · where · yellow · you
How to teach the Pre-Primer words
- Start with 3 to 5 words, not the whole list. A child who is sure of 5 words learns faster than one who half-knows 20.
- Begin with the words your child already sees: their favourite book, a sign at home, or "I", "the" and "and" in a bedtime story. Point at the word as you read it.
- Many words on this list are easy to sound out once letter sounds are known (can, in, it, is, up, not, run, big, red). Use them to show your child that reading works, then spend the extra effort on the tricky ones above.
- Five minutes a day beats half an hour on Sunday. Stop while your child still wants more.
- Let the hands help: trace the word in sand or salt, build it with letter magnets, or write it large with a finger on a back. The tracing sheets in the downloads are built for this.
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 Pre-Primer list?
40 words. They are the first of the five Dolch grade lists (Pre-Primer, Primer, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3), which together make 220 words, plus a separate list of 95 nouns.
+What age should a child know the Pre-Primer words?
Children usually work on them at 4 to 5, in Pre-K and Kindergarten. Many schools expect most of them to be familiar by the end of Kindergarten, but the pace varies a lot from child to child and from school to school: your child's teacher is the best guide.
+Is it too early to teach sight words at 4?
Not if it stays playful. Recognising a handful of words (their name, "the", "I") fits naturally with story time. Keep sessions to a few minutes and drop anything that feels like a test.
+Should my child learn the words in order?
No. The list is alphabetical, not a teaching order. Choose words your child meets in books first, then group them in sets of five (the study plan above does it for you).
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