Dolch Primer Sight Words (Ages 5-6)
The 52 Primer words: was, are, they, have, what, want, who… the words that turn single words into sentences. Printable list, flashcards, tracing, bingo and checklist.
The 52 Dolch Primer sight words
- 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
Words with an orange outline are the tricky ones, explained below.
About the Primer list
The Primer list is the second step: 52 words that let a child read real sentences ("She was at the new house"). It adds the small verbs and pronouns that every story needs (was, are, have, he, she, they, will) and the first colour and number words (black, brown, white, four).
It is usually worked on in the second half of Kindergarten and the start of Grade 1, around ages 5 to 6. Children who already know the Pre-Primer words well can start here; children who hesitate on those should go back, because Primer sentences are made of Pre-Primer words.
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.
- was
- The "a" says /uh/ and the "s" says /z/. It is also a classic reversal: many children read "was" as "saw" or write it backwards, which is normal at this age.
- are
- Looks like "care" or "bare" but is not said that way. It is one of the most common words in English, so it is worth early repetition.
- they
- "ey" says long a. It is also the doorway to "their", "there" and "they're" in Grade 2 and 3.
- there
- "ere" says "air". Learn it as a place word now, and leave "their" for the Grade 2 list.
- who
- "wh" says /h/ and the "o" says /oo/. Different from every other wh- word.
- what
- The "a" says a short o (/wot/). Same family as "want".
- want
- Like "what", the "a" says a short o. Not "wan-t" as it looks.
- have
- The silent e does not make the a long (compare "gave", "cave"). It is one of the few -ave words that breaks the pattern.
- do
- The "o" says /oo/. It rhymes with "to" and "who", not with "go".
A 11-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
all · am · are · at · ate
- Week 2
be · black · brown · but · came
- Week 3
did · do · eat · four · get
- Week 4
good · have · he · into · like
- Week 5
must · new · no · now · on
- Week 6
our · out · please · pretty · ran
- Week 7
ride · saw · say · she · so
- Week 8
soon · that · there · they · this
- Week 9
too · under · want · was · well
- Week 10
went · what · white · who · will
- Week 11
with · yes
How to teach the Primer words
- Move from words to sentences. Write five Primer words on cards and build a sentence with them plus words from the Pre-Primer list: "I see the black cat."
- Watch the pairs that children mirror: was/saw, on/no, ate/eat. Teach them in separate weeks, never on the same day.
- Colour and number words (black, brown, white, four) can be learned with a real object: sort coloured pencils or count four blocks while saying the word.
- A child who reads the word "was" slowly and correctly is ahead of one who guesses it from the first letter. Cover everything but the word and ask: "Look at all the letters."
- Keep a "words I know" jar: each time a word is read correctly three days in a row, it goes in the jar. The checklist download tracks the same thing on paper.
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 Primer list?
52 words. With the 40 Pre-Primer words this makes 92 words.
+My 5-year-old reverses "was" and "saw". Is that a problem?
Letter and word reversals are common up to about age 7 and do not mean anything on their own. Practise one word at a time, trace it with a finger left to right, and mention it to the teacher if it continues after age 7 along with other reading difficulties.
+Can my child start the Primer list before finishing Pre-Primer?
Yes, if they hesitate on only a few Pre-Primer words. Use the checklist to see which ones are missing and mix those into the Primer sets.
+What comes after the Primer list?
The Dolch Grade 1 list (41 words). The nouns list (95 words) can be worked on at any time from Kindergarten to Grade 3.
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