Valentine's Day Crafts for Kindergarten: Sight Words

When Kindergarten students learn Dolch sight words, reading is less of a challenge. These words are common and are required for reading fluency. Once they recognize the list of high frequency words, they will be more likely to try reading Level 1 books, because they know how to pronounce the words. Learning sight words boosts confidence of young readers and learning them should be fun. Parents and teachers can use sight words in Valentine's Day crafts and card making, to combine art with literacy skills.

Valentine's Day Crafts for Kindergarten: Sight Words

Clay Word Tiles

Kindergarten students can make their own clay word puzzles. Use a self-hardening clay, or some Play-doh that you don't mind letting dry out. Roll out a large piece until it's flat, like a good pie crust. Cut the dough into square and rectangular tiles.

Use a pencil to write basic sight words: I, you, can, do, to, go, have, with, she, are, and, he, we. Also add some Valentine's Day words: love, heart, cute. Sit and form short sentences with the Kindergarten students, or play a timed game where the student needs to find each word as you call it out.

Valentine's Day Paper Quilt

Start with the shape of heart, cut out of red construction paper. Cut out small squares of white paper which can be later glued onto the heart. On the bottom of the paper, write a Valentine's Day sight word (Source: Scholastic): flowers, chocolates, cupid, card, Valentine, love. Kindergarten students can draw a picture to go with the words and then glue them in a quilt-like fashion onto the heart.

Rebus and Sight Words Valentine's Day Cards

Make homemade mini flash cards with index cards cut in half, or use pieces of construction paper. Provide a list of sight words and show the Kindergarten students how to use both sight words and rebus puzzles to make Valentine's Day cards. For example, they can draw an eye for "I" or a heart for love.

Sight Word Valentine's Day Tree

Decorate any plant or faux tree in the classroom or at home with sight word hearts. Cut out hearts from card stock or heavy paper. Use a hole punch to make a nice round opening for a piece of ribbon. Kindergarten students can write sight words on the hearts and hang them on the tree or plant. Make a game of it when they're done and call out the words for the Kindergarten students to find on the tree.