Sight word knowledge is so important in reading fluency. Children must be able to quickly identify these frequently occurring words so that they can pay attention to constructing meaning as they move through a story. Readers also use the common spelling patterns in many sight words to help them attack new words that share those same spelling patterns. The ability to automatically recognize sight words increases fluency and comprehension.

Use these entertaining stories to practice sight words in engaging contexts. There are two versions of these stories available. The first is unedited and can be used to gain familiarity with the text. The “altered version” gives students the ability to fill in the blank with the correct sight words. Additionally, there are Flash Card and Bingo-type games that allow children to practice with the words in isolation or in groups.

A sequence of activities is provided to guide you in your use of the Easy Readers. Feel free to adapt and amend them to fit your teaching situation.

We think you will find that your readers will want to return to the materials again and again to see Garfield and his friends. They won’t even realize that this repetition is improving their fluency, word recognition, and comprehension skills!