Make Sight Word Cards: 7 Simple Tricks To Help Kids Read Faster (Without Boring Drills) – Learn how to make sight word cards that kids actually enjoy using, plus an easy app to keep everything organized.

What Are Sight Word Cards (And Why They Matter So Much)?

So, you’re trying to figure out how to make sight word cards that actually help your kid read faster, right? Sight word cards are just simple flashcards with high-frequency words like the, said, because that kids need to recognize instantly without sounding them out. When kids can read these on sight, their reading becomes smoother, faster, and way less frustrating. The cool part? You can make sight word cards on paper or in an app like Flashrecall and have them show up with smart review reminders so your kid actually remembers them:

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

Why Sight Word Cards Work So Well

Sight words show up everywhere in kids’ books, homework, and even signs outside. If they have to stop and sound out the or was every single time, reading feels like a chore.

Sight word cards help because:

• They train instant recognition
• They build reading confidence quickly
• They make practice short and focused (perfect for short attention spans)
• You can turn them into games instead of boring drills

And if you use an app like Flashrecall, you don’t have to keep track of which words they already know and which they keep forgetting—the app does that automatically with spaced repetition.

Step 1: Pick The Right Sight Words

Before you make sight word cards, you need a good word list. Don’t just grab random words.

Use These Common Lists

Most teachers use one of these:

• Dolch Sight Word List (Pre-K to 3rd grade)
• Fry Sight Words (1,000 common words, in groups of 100)

Just Google “Dolch sight word list PDF” or “Fry sight word list” and you’ll find printable lists instantly.

How Many Words To Start With?

Keep it small at first:

• Pre-K / Kindergarten: 5–10 words
• 1st grade: 10–15 words
• 2nd–3rd grade: 15–20 words

Once your kid can read a word instantly (no pause, no guessing), you can swap that card out for a new one.

Step 2: Decide – Paper Cards Or Digital Cards?

You can make sight word cards in two main ways:

Option A: Old-School Paper Cards

What you need:

• Index cards or cardstock
• A thick marker
• Optional: colors, stickers, pictures

Pros:

• Tactile, kids can hold and flip them
• Easy to use at the table or on the floor
• Good for crafts and hands-on learners

Cons:

• Cards get lost, bent, or drawn on
• Hard to track which words they know
• You have to remember to review them (and honestly, life is busy)

Option B: Digital Sight Word Cards In Flashrecall

With Flashrecall, you can make sight word cards right on your phone or iPad in seconds:

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

You can:

• Type words in manually
• Paste word lists
• Snap a photo of a printed list and turn it into cards
• Add audio so kids can hear the word spoken
• Use images if that helps your kid remember

Pros:

• Automatic spaced repetition (the app decides when to review each word)
• Study reminders so you don’t forget
• Cards never get lost or destroyed
• Works offline (use it in the car, waiting rooms, anywhere)
• Great if you’ve got multiple kids or want to add more advanced vocab later

Cons:

• Less arts-and-crafts, more screen-based (though sessions can be super short)

You can absolutely use both: paper cards for games at home, Flashrecall for quick practice on the go.

Step 3: How To Make Sight Word Cards The Right Way

Here’s how to set them up so they’re actually effective.

Keep The Front Super Simple

For each card, the front should just be the word, nice and clear:

• Use lowercase (that’s how kids usually see words in books)
• Write in large, bold letters
• Avoid fancy fonts or cursive

Examples:

• “the”
• “because”
• “said”

In Flashrecall, just type the word as the “front” of the card.

What To Put On The Back

The back is where you can add support:

• A sentence: “I see the dog.”
• A simple picture (for some words)
• A quick hint: “This is a tricky one, sounds like ‘sed’ but spelled said.”

In Flashrecall, you can:

• Add example sentences
• Add images
• Add audio (you or your kid reading the word in a sentence)

This makes the word much easier to remember and less abstract.

Step 4: Use Spaced Repetition (Without Doing Any Math)

Here’s the thing: kids forget stuff fast if they don’t see it again at the right times. That’s where spaced repetition comes in—reviewing words right before the brain is about to forget them.

With paper cards, you’d have to:

• Sort cards into piles: “know well”, “sort of know”, “don’t know yet”
• Review the “don’t know” pile more often
• Try to remember when you last reviewed each pile

With Flashrecall, this is all built in:

• When your kid sees a sight word card, they try to read it
• You (or they) tap how hard it was: easy / okay / hard
• Flashrecall schedules the next review automatically
• Hard words show up more often; easy words get spaced out

So instead of you thinking, “Did we practice because this week?”, the app just pops it up at the right time.

Step 5: Turn Sight Word Cards Into Games

If you just hold up cards and say “Read this… next… read this… next…”, kids get bored fast. Here are some easy games you can play with either paper cards or digital ones.

1. Speed Round

• Set a timer for 1 minute
• See how many cards your kid can read correctly
• Try to beat their own score next time, not “be better than someone else”

In Flashrecall, you can just do a quick 1–2 minute review session and call it a “speed challenge.”

2. Word Hunt

• Lay the cards out on the table or show them one by one in the app
• Say a sentence: “Point to the word that says because”
• They tap or grab the right word

This helps with recognizing words in context, not just in isolation.

3. Memory Match (Paper)

• Make two sets of the same sight words
• Lay them face down
• Take turns flipping two at a time to find matches
• Say the word every time you flip one

4. Sentence Builder

• Pick 3–5 sight word cards
• Add a few picture cards or noun cards (dog, cat, park, ball)
• Help your kid build silly sentences:
• “The dog said no.”
• “I can see the cat.”

In Flashrecall, you can add example sentences to the back of each card and have your kid read them out loud.

Step 6: Keep Sessions Short (But Consistent)

You don’t need 30-minute sessions. Honestly, that’s overkill for most kids.

Aim for:

• 5–10 minutes a day
• At a consistent time (after school, after dinner, before bed)
• Stop while it’s still fun, not when they’re melting down

Flashrecall helps here with:

• Study reminders so you don’t forget
• Quick sessions you can do while waiting in line or in the car
• Offline mode so you’re not stuck needing Wi‑Fi

Short, daily practice beats long, once-a-week cram sessions every time.

How To Make Sight Word Cards In Flashrecall (Step-By-Step)

If you want to go digital, here’s how to set it up quickly:

1. Download Flashrecall

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

2. Create a new deck

• Call it “Kindergarten Sight Words” or “Ava’s Sight Words”

3. Add words

• Type them in manually
• Or copy-paste from a Dolch/Fry list
• Or snap a picture of a printed list and turn it into cards

4. Customize the backs

• Add simple sentences
• Add audio of you saying the word
• Add images if helpful

5. Start reviewing

• Sit with your kid, show one card at a time
• Let them try to read it
• Mark how hard it was so spaced repetition kicks in

6. Let Flashrecall handle the schedule

• The app will auto-plan which cards show up when
• Hard words come back sooner, easy ones later

You can also use Flashrecall for:

• Phonics words
• Vocabulary for older kids
• Language learning
• School subjects later on

So you’re not just making sight word cards—you’re setting up a system that grows with them.

Extra Tips To Make Sight Word Practice Stick

A few small tweaks make a big difference:

• Celebrate small wins: “You read because without even thinking—that’s huge.”
• Rotate words: Don’t show the same 20 words forever. Swap in new ones as they master old ones.
• Mix old and new: Start with 2–3 easy/known words, then slide in 1–2 new ones.
• Use real books: After practicing, grab a book and say, “Hey, can you spot the on this page?”

Flashrecall even lets you chat with the flashcard if something’s confusing—great for older kids or if you expand into bigger vocab later.

Final Thoughts: Make Sight Word Cards The Easy Way

To make sight word cards that actually work, you just need:

• A solid word list
• Simple, clear cards
• Short, fun practice
• A way to review words at the right time (spaced repetition)

You can totally do this with paper, but if you want to save time, avoid card chaos, and let something else handle the “when should we review this?” part, Flashrecall makes it way easier:

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

Start with 5–10 words, keep it fun, and you’ll be surprised how quickly your kid starts recognizing those sight words everywhere.

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.

What's the most effective study method?

Research consistently shows that active recall combined with spaced repetition is the most effective study method. Flashrecall automates both techniques, making it easy to study effectively without the manual work.

How can I improve my memory?

Memory improves with active recall practice and spaced repetition. Flashrecall uses these proven techniques automatically, helping you remember information long-term.

What should I know about Sight?

Make Sight Word Cards: 7 Simple Tricks To Help Kids Read Faster (Without Boring Drills) – Learn how to make sight word cards that kids actually enjoy using, plus an easy app to keep everything organized. covers essential information about Sight. To master this topic, use Flashrecall to create flashcards from your notes and study them with spaced repetition.

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