Early in a child’s schooling parents will encounter a large group of words called Hotwords or sight words. What are these words? Why are there so many? And why are they so important?
All languages have a group of common words which are constantly used. These words make up the framework of the language, which in turn, helps you to read the contextual words like jargon or topic-based words.
It’s amazing, but 50% of our written material is made of 100 of these most frequently used words. They are considered ‘service’ words which hold ideas together. These words have no picture attachment. Learning these words by sight, automatically, helps readers to maintain speed and fluency. Mastery of these 100 words contributes considerably to a student’s progress in Literacy.
The next 100 words, together with the first 100, combine to make up approximately 2/3 of all words encountered in general reading.
Yes, that’s right, 200 words make up 2/3 of your reading!
Studies worldwide consistently highlight the link between a continuously increasing bank of automatic sight words and improved comprehension. So practise those words nightly with your children and help them on the road to being literate.
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