Dolch Primer Sight Words (52 Words)
This page lists all 52 Dolch primer sight words, the second Dolch level, with words like he, she, was, they and like. Your child can practice them with flash cards, find the word, build the word and memory match. You can print the words as cards or worksheets too. Below are weekly groups, the look-alikes to watch, and how to tell when your child is ready for the next level.
Dolch primer words
The 52 Dolch primer words
Dolch primer list(52 words)
- all
- am
- are
- at
- ate
- be
- black
- brown
- but
- came
- did
- do
- eat
- four
- get
- good
- have
- he
- into
- like
- must
- new
- no
- now
- on
- our
- out
- please
- pretty
- ran
- ride
- saw
- say
- she
- so
- soon
- that
- there
- they
- this
- too
- under
- want
- was
- well
- went
- what
- white
- who
- will
- with
- yes
Print primer flash cards and worksheets
Where the primer level fits
Primer comes right after the 40 pre-primer words. It adds people words like he, she and they, past tense verbs like ate, came, ran, saw and did, and position words like under, into and out.
Primer words are often taught in kindergarten, together with pre-primer. For both levels in one list, see the 92-word kindergarten list.
Primer look-alikes that trip kids up
- was and saw: the same letters in reverse order.
- there, they, this and that: all start with th.
- want and went: one vowel apart.
- on and no: two letters, swapped.
Ask your child to look at every letter, left to right, before saying the word. Find the word puts look-alikes side by side on purpose, so this habit gets plenty of practice.
Primer words in weekly groups
- he, she, they, am, are
- on, no, at, all, but
- was, saw, came, ran, ate, did
- this, that, there, what, who
- want, went, will, with, well
- black, brown, white, four, new, pretty
- like, have, get, eat, ride, say
- good, please, yes, so, too, soon, now
- be, do, must, our, out, into, under
Nine groups cover all 52 words. Look-alikes are split up at first and mixed later, once each one is steady on its own.
Short sentences with primer words
Mixed with pre-primer words, the primer list makes real sentences:
- She ran out.
- Who ate my red one?
- They saw a little black one.
- He came with me.
- Please come and play.
- We want to ride.
Frequently asked questions
Should my child finish pre-primer before starting primer words?
Mostly, yes. A few slow pre-primer words can stay in review while you begin primer, but the first level should feel easy.
How do I know my child is ready for Dolch first grade words?
When nearly all 52 primer words are read right away, in about 3 seconds, on two or three different days, and also in books. Then move to the first grade level on the Dolch list.
Why do primer words like was and saw get mixed up so often?
They use the same letters. Young readers often glance at the shape or the first letter. Slow, left-to-right looking fixes it with time.
Are the primer words read aloud in the games?
Words are read aloud by your device's built-in voice, when it has one; otherwise the word is shown and a grown-up can read it.
Can I print primer flash cards?
Yes. Print the primer words as cards, 8 or 12 to a page, or as trace and write and word search sheets. For tips on using the cards, see sight word flash cards.