How does Hilary Erickson's method for using sight words outperform traditional techniques?

I focus on using sight words as a confidence builder and blending them naturally into real reading, instead of treating them as a huge, separate memorization project.

Traditional approaches often:

• Rely heavily on rote drills or only use sight words that “can’t be sounded out”
• Keep kids sounding out every single word for too long
• Make practice feel like drudgery instead of progress

What I do differently:

• Mix sight words in early with simple books so kids see them in context
• Go beyond “unsound-out-able” words and quickly teach the 100 most-used words so kids feel fluent fast
• Use short flashcard sessions with rewards and games (like hiding the words, finding them in newspapers) so it feels fun, not like a test
• Let sight words flow alongside phonics, rather than picking one camp or the other

The “win” is that kids quickly experience, “Hey, I can really read!” That sense of mastery is what keeps them motivated to tackle the harder decoding work.

What’s your child’s age and current reading level so I can tailor how you’d start using sight words with them?