Digital Sight Word Centers

In order to help my students practice and reinforce sight words independently, the first thing I check is the directions they'll be following. It needs to be crystal clear what they are supposed to do to complete the task.

The clearer – the better!

This is also a time to preview the list of included sight words to make sure there's been previous instruction or exposure. New words could be included, but this is a time to activate prior knowledge versus taking an educated “guess.”

The above qualifications could extend to any sight words centers, so why choose digital?

In my experience, digital increases ENGAGEMENT. I find that if my students are spending 15 minutes in a digital sight word centers, then they are receiving 14.5 minutes of practice (just a tad bit of wiggle room to get settled!).

In a hands-on center, that time may be decreased just a bit for organizing the materials. It's okay and perfectly understandable, but I'm always looking to increase time on task!

Check out these digital options I designed for sight word practice and reinforcement:

Can digital sight word centers be an effective learning tool?

Here's a quick summary of criteria I used to choose the “just right” activities for my students:

• Clear directions – keeping the focus on the sight word content
• Previously learned sight words – spiral review to keep them sharp!

That's it!

If any centers didn't meet that minimum criteria, I may have been able to incorporate into small groups as an engagement tool.

I'm hoping this helps you decide if adding a digital center option is just right for your students!