Free worksheets / First grade reading / Phonics & Sight Words
First grade phonics & sight words worksheets
Phonics and sight word worksheets for first grade: find, read and write high-frequency words with word searches and short practice pages.
1 set · every set has a free sample to print today
Phonics and sight words in first grade
Foundational reading skills are the building blocks of reading: knowing letter sounds, blending them into words, and recognizing common words on sight. In first grade kids learn short and long vowels, digraphs like sh and ch, and a growing list of sight words.
Word searches are a simple way to practice sight words: kids read each word, find it letter by letter in the grid, then write it — reading, spelling and handwriting in one page.
Skills kids practice
- Recognize and read grade-level sight words (RF.1.3g)
- Know the sound for each letter and common digraphs (RF.1.3a)
- Decode one-syllable words with short vowels (RF.1.3b)
- Spell sight words correctly in writing
Tips for teachers and parents
- Say the word, spell it aloud, then find it — saying it helps kids remember it.
- Keep a sight word ring and add the words from each page as kids master them.
Questions about phonics & sight words worksheets
Are word searches good for learning sight words?
Yes, when kids read the word first and write it after. Searching letter by letter makes them look at the spelling closely.
Which sight word list do you use?
Our first grade pages use common Dolch and Fry words that first graders meet in their reading.
Standards covered
- RF.1.3g Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.