Dolch Words & Fry Words
Dolch Words are common words targeted to students in grades pre-K through 3. There are 315 Dolch Words divided into ten groups. The Dolch Word List was last published in 1948.Who was Dolch? Edward William Dolch, Ph.D., was a faculty member at the University of Illinois in the mid-1900's. He was a proponent of whole language learning. In 1936, Dr. Dolch first published his list, which was based on children's books of the time (which is why nouns such as "kitty" and "Santa Claus" appear on the list). The list was again published in 1948 in Dolch's book Problems in Reading. Dolch words are commonly divided into groups by grade level, ranging from pre-kindergarten to third grade with a separate list of nouns. Dolch Words comprise 80% of the words found in a typical children’s book and 50% of the words found in writing for adults. Once a child knows this list of words, it makes reading much easier, because the child can then focus his or her attention on the remaining words. Other names for Dolch Words are sight words, heart words, camera words, and tricky words. Do you need Dolch Word lists or flashcards? We have them! |
Fry Words are common words targeted to students in grades 1 through 5. There are 1,000 Fry Words divided into ten groups. The Fry Word List was last published in 1996.Who was Fry? Edward B. Fry, Ph.D., was a reading researcher who taught at Loyola University and Rutgers University. In 1996, he compiled a list of 1,000 words divided into groups of 100 based on frequency of use. These words make up 90% of the words used in children’s reading materials. Fry Words are an expanded, updated list of sight words (i.e., compared to the Dolch list of 220 sight words compiled in 1948). Many advocates of beginning literacy programs support having their students practice these words to build reading success. Do you need Fry Word lists or flashcards? We have them! |