Dolch Sight Words Flash Cards: 7 Powerful Tricks To Help Kids Read Faster (Most Parents Don’t Know These)

What Are Dolch Sight Words (And Why Should You Care)?

Dolch sight words are those super common words like the, and, said, where, because that show up everywhere in kids’ books.

The problem?

A lot of them can’t easily be sounded out. Kids just have to remember them by sight.

That’s where Dolch sight word flash cards come in. They’re one of the fastest ways to help kids:

• Read more smoothly
• Stop getting stuck on every second word
• Feel more confident with books

Instead of printing and cutting a hundred cards (and losing half of them under the couch), you can keep everything in one app like Flashrecall:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Flashrecall lets you create Dolch sight word flashcards in seconds, and then it automatically reminds your kid to review them at the right time so they actually remember them.

Let’s break down how to use Dolch sight word flash cards the smart way—not the “drill until everyone is frustrated” way.

Why Flash Cards Work So Well For Dolch Sight Words

Dolch words are all about instant recognition. Your kid shouldn’t have to stop and think about them—they should pop into their brain automatically.

Flash cards are perfect for this because they use:

• Active recall – your child sees a word and has to remember it, not just recognize it in a sentence
• Repetition – but ideally smart repetition, not just endless drilling
• Short sessions – kids learn better with quick bursts, not 45-minute marathons

Flashrecall has active recall and spaced repetition built in, so instead of you guessing when to review, the app schedules the reviews automatically. Your kid sees each word right before they’re about to forget it. That’s what makes it stick.

The 5 Dolch Sight Word Lists (So You Don’t Overwhelm Your Kid)

Dolch words are usually broken into groups:

• Pre-Primer – for early readers (like a, I, can, jump, look)
• Primer – kindergarten-ish
• 1st Grade
• 2nd Grade
• 3rd Grade

You don’t need to dump all 220+ words on your kid at once. That’s a meltdown waiting to happen.

Instead:

1. Pick the right level (or one slightly below their level if they’re struggling).

2. Start with 10–15 words only.

3. Add more once those are easy.

In Flashrecall, you can create separate decks like:

• “Dolch – Pre-Primer”
• “Dolch – Primer”
• “Dolch – 1st Grade”

That way, you can track how your kid is doing at each level and keep things organized.

How To Create Dolch Sight Word Flash Cards (The Easy Way)

You’ve got options here, depending on how “done-for-you” you want this to be.

Option 1: Type Them In Manually (Simple And Clean)

In Flashrecall, you can:

1. Create a new deck called “Dolch Sight Words – Pre-Primer” (or any level).

2. Add a new card.

3. Front: just the word (e.g., `said`)

4. Back:

• A simple sentence: `He said yes.`
• Optional: a quick hint like “irregular word – can’t be sounded out easily”

This gives your kid both instant recognition and context.

Option 2: Turn A Dolch Word List Into Cards Instantly

If you already have a Dolch list in a:

• PDF
• Screenshot
• Text file
• Photo
• Or even a website link

You can drop that into Flashrecall and let it auto-generate flashcards for you.

Flashrecall can make flashcards from:

• Images
• Text
• PDFs
• YouTube links
• Audio
• Or just a typed prompt

So instead of copying every word manually, you can paste or upload the list and let the app do the boring part.

7 Powerful Tricks To Make Dolch Flash Cards Actually Work

Here’s where most people mess up: they make the cards… and then just flip them randomly until the kid is bored.

Let’s fix that.

1. Keep Sessions Short (Seriously Short)

For younger kids, aim for:

• 5–10 minutes max
• 3–5 times per week

Short, frequent sessions beat long, occasional ones every time.

Flashrecall helps here because it has study reminders. You can set gentle nudges like “Dolch words time!” so you don’t forget and suddenly realize it’s been two weeks.

2. Use Spaced Repetition Instead of Random Review

Random review = your kid sees easy and hard words the same number of times.

Spaced repetition = they see hard words more often, easy words less often.

Flashrecall does this automatically:

• If your kid knows a word well → it shows up less often
• If they struggle → the app brings it back more frequently

That way, you’re not wasting time on words they already nailed.

3. Add Simple Sentences To The Back Of Each Card

A word alone is good.

A word in a sentence is way better.

Example card:

• Front: `where`
• Back:
• `Where is my book?`
• “Question word – usually asks about a place.”

This helps your kid:

• Understand meaning
• See how it’s used
• Connect it to real reading

You can even ask your kid to read the sentence out loud once they get the word right.

4. Mix Reading And Speaking

Don’t let it just be a silent pointing exercise.

Try this routine:

1. Show the card.

2. Ask: “What’s this word?”

3. Once they say it: “Great, now use it in a sentence.”

4. If they’re stuck, flip the card and read the example together.

In Flashrecall, you can also add audio to cards if you want the word spoken out loud—really helpful for early readers or ESL learners.

5. Turn It Into A Game (Kids Love This)

A few easy game ideas:

• Speed Round – “How many words can you get in 60 seconds?”
• Three Strikes – They get 3 “I don’t know”s before the round ends. Try to beat yesterday’s score.
• Word Hunt – After practice, open a book and see how many of today’s sight words they can find.

Because Flashrecall is fast and modern, it’s easy to flip through cards quickly and track progress without it feeling like “homework.”

6. Focus On 1–3 New Words At A Time

Don’t introduce 20 new words in one session.

Better approach:

• Keep a small set of “learning now” words (1–3).
• Mix them with “already know” words so your kid feels successful.
• Once a word is easy several times in a row, add a new one.

Spaced repetition in Flashrecall basically automates this for you by naturally pushing mastered words further apart and keeping tricky words in the mix.

7. Let Your Kid Help Create The Cards

Kids remember better when they feel involved.

You can:

• Let them choose example sentences
• Ask them: “What picture do you think of for this word?” and write a small note
• For older kids, let them type some cards themselves in Flashrecall on an iPad

That sense of ownership makes them way more engaged.

Why Use An App Instead Of Physical Dolch Flash Cards?

Physical cards are totally fine… until:

• You lose them
• They get mixed up
• You want to track progress
• You want to study on the go (car, waiting room, etc.)

With Flashrecall:

• Everything lives on your iPhone or iPad
• It works offline, so you can use it anywhere
• It sends auto reminders so you don’t forget to practice
• It uses spaced repetition so your kid reviews smarter, not just more
• You can chat with the flashcard if you’re unsure about a word or want more examples (super handy for parents who aren’t teachers)

And it’s free to start, so you can test it out without committing to anything:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Example: A Simple Dolch Sight Word Deck Setup

Here’s a quick way you could set this up in Flashrecall:

1. Create deck: “Dolch – Pre-Primer”

2. Add cards like:

• Front: `the`

• Front: `look`

• Front: `come`

3. Turn on spaced repetition (it’s built-in, so just study normally).

4. Set a study reminder: 5–10 minutes, 4x per week.

5. Sit with your kid for the first few sessions and make it fun, not stressful.

Within a few weeks, you’ll notice your child:

• Getting stuck on fewer words
• Reading more smoothly
• Feeling more confident with books

Dolch Sight Words + Flashrecall = Way Less Stressful Practice

Dolch sight words don’t have to be this huge, painful memorization project.

With the right setup:

• Short sessions
• Smart repetition
• Fun examples and mini games
• A tool that actually keeps things organized for you

…your kid can make real progress without you turning into a full-time teacher.

If you want an easy way to build and review Dolch sight word flash cards—without printing, cutting, or keeping track of a million paper cards—give Flashrecall a try on your iPhone or iPad:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Start small, keep it fun, and let the app handle the boring parts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the fastest way to create flashcards?

Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.

Is there a free flashcard app?

Yes. Flashrecall is free and lets you create flashcards from images, text, prompts, audio, PDFs, and YouTube videos.

How do I start spaced repetition?

You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.

Related Articles

• Dolch Sight Words Flash Cards: 7 Powerful Tricks To Help Kids Read Faster (Most Parents Don’t Know These) – Turn boring word drills into fun, fast progress your kid actually enjoys.
• Sight Words Flash Cards: 7 Powerful Ways To Help Your Child Read Faster (Most Parents Skip #3) – Turn boring drills into fun, smart practice that actually sticks.
• Pre Primer Sight Words Flash Cards: 7 Powerful Tricks To Help Kids Read Faster (Most Parents Don’t Know These)