Secret Message Sight Words

Make sight word practice more fun with a secret message activity that motivates kids to read and write.

I've been trying to make sight word practice a little more fun for my kindergartener. While I like and admire his teacher, her suggestion of making flashcards and playing a game of "Your Pile, My Pile" is not my son's idea of a good time. (If he reads the word correctly the card goes in his pile, if he misses the word it goes in mine.) I knew I was going to have to think of something else to make practice more enjoyable (and easier) on both of us.

Since he's got quite a few sight words now, we can play secret message sight words. To play, I make up a phrase that uses many of his sight words. I find the corresponding flashcards and put them in order before we sit down to practice. I show him each flashcard, he reads the word, and then writes it down.

When he's finished he reads his secret message.

I usually include some words in the message that are not on his list of sight words. When it's time to give him the word I just say it out loud rather than showing him the card. It gives him practice listening to the sounds in words and writing the letters. I never correct his spelling unless it's one of his sight words. I just ask him to write out the sounds he hears in the word. If he needs help, I say the word slowly with him a few times.

For example, the last message I gave him was "I love you so much and I am going to kiss and hug you." All of the words were sight words except "much", "kiss", and "hug". Even though my messages aren't particularly clever or creative he still likes them and he complains a lot less about practicing since we started doing this.