Free sight word stories for kids, to read and print

What a sight word story is

A sight word is a common word a child learns to know at a glance, like the, I, see and can. Many cannot be sounded out, and they turn up on almost every page of a first book. A sight word story is a very short book made from a few of them, repeated, with a picture for the one word that changes: "I see a cat. I see a dog." After a page or two a child can read the repeating part at a glance, sound out the one word that changes, and check it against the picture. Books like these are also called emergent readers, for a child who is just starting to read.

How to use them

Read the first page aloud and point under each word. On the next page, let your child read the words that came back. For the word that changed, have them sound it out first and then check it against the picture, so the picture confirms the word and does not give it away. Read the same book again on another day, and when they can read it on their own, let them read it to you, or to a stuffed animal. Print it and they can color it and keep it.

Where the sight words come from

Each card lists the common words its own book repeats, and how many times, counted from the story's text. Peabody does not build its books from a published word list, so a card may show a word your school's list leaves out, or miss one it has.

Teaching the sight words

Words like the, was and said cannot be sounded out, so they are taught as whole words: show the word, say it, have your child say it and spell it out loud, then say it once more. Pick three to five words from a card, write each on a small card and put the cards on a ring. Through the week, any grown-up can ask your child to read the ring and put a star on each word read right. When every word has three stars, add new ones. Go slowly: a few words at a time is plenty.

Words like in, and and had can be sounded out, so let your child sound those out first, then practice them until they come quickly. A quick game: hold up a card and count to three. If your child reads it in time, it goes in the "got it" pile; if not, tell them the word, and it goes in the "again tomorrow" pile.

Read it more than once

Repeated reading is how these words start to feel easy. Read the book together once, then on another day read a page and have your child read it back, or take turns by page. Three reads of the same short book beat three different ones.

Where these ideas come from

Teaching irregular common words as whole words, practicing them on cards, and rereading are described in the U.S. Department of Education's practice guide Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade. Peabody's books are not a reading program, and your child's teacher may use different words or a different order, so follow them first.

Print a book

Every card has a Print button. It opens a page with two layouts of the same book: a small book to cut and staple, made on sheets of paper turned sideways, and the whole book on one page. Both keep the picture on every page and are free, with no account. Try I See a Boy first, since it has the fewest different words.

What comes next

When a child reads these easily, the decodable readers are sorted by the sounds they practice, and beginning reader books has the whole shelf of level 0 and 1 books. There are also free sight word games, and the next step up is level 2.

More free stories

• The whole library: free stories by reading level, no account needed.
• Classic stories retold short: fables, fairy tales, myths and legends.
• Free decodable readers, sorted by phonics pattern
• Free beginning reader books for kids just learning to read
• Free short stories for 1st graders
• By level: Level 1

Questions parents ask

What are sight words?

Sight words are common words a child learns to know at a glance, such as the, I, see, can and said. Many are hard to sound out, and they make up a large share of the words in a first book.

Can I print these books?

Yes. Press Print on a card. It opens a page where the book prints as a small cut-and-staple book or all on one page, with its pictures. Free, with no account.

How do I teach sight words at home?

Teach a few at a time. Show the word, say it, have your child say it and spell it out loud, then say it again. Keep three to five words on cards, ask for them through the week, and add new ones when those come quickly. Words that can be sounded out, like in and had, should be sounded out first. Reading the same short book more than once helps the words stick.

Are these the sight words my school uses?

Peabody does not build its books from a published word list. Each card shows the common words its own book repeats, counted from the story, so some may match your school's list and some may not.

How many books are there?

15 on this page, all at level 0 or level 1, and each one reads in a minute or two. I See a Boy has the fewest different words.

Do the books cost anything?

No. Every story on this page is free to read through the end of 2026, with no account and no card.