Dolch 1st grade sight words card game practice that gets everyone moving! This Dolch Words 1st Grade Sight Words Slap-It! Card Game is a high energy way to review all 41 Dolch 1st grade sight words with your first grade readers.

Sight words are common words children learn to read on sight, and the Dolch list is one of the best-known lists of these words. This is a "Slap Jack" style game with a center pile that tells players which card to slap. When a playing card matches the center card, the player collects the cards, a new center card is flipped and the search begins again.

With this Dolch 1st grade sight words game, you get

• Slap-It! cards for all 41 Dolch 1st grade sight words
• Red center cards and teal playing cards for easy sorting
• Matching sets you can mix, combine or reorder
• Cards you can also use on a Word Wall

Print, cut and let the slapping begin!

What's Included

• 41 Dolch 1st grade sight words on owl-themed cards, with words such as could, give, any, walk, know and when
• Sets of one red page (CENTER cards) and one teal page (PLAYING cards)
• Teacher instructions
• Directions to play for 2-4 players

Other Dolch levels are available in the store, and the complete Dolch list is included in the Dolch Sight Words Slap-It! Card Game BUNDLE.

Why Teachers Love It

• High energy review: Children have to read quickly and react, so sight word practice never drags.
• Easy to sort: Red center cards and teal playing cards keep each set organized.
• Flexible sets: Mix and match sets, combine them for a larger game or print only the pages with the words you want to review.
• Double duty: Use the cards on your Word Wall when they are not in a game.
• Adjustable game length: Print 2-4 copies of the playing cards for more thorough review and a longer game.

Skills Students Practice

Primary Academic Skills

• Sight word recognition: Children read Dolch 1st grade words such as ask, may, has, open, take and his quickly and accurately.
• Word matching: Children compare each playing card to the center card to find a match.
• Visual discrimination: Children look closely at each word letter by letter, which helps with look-alike words such as has and his.
• Reading fluency: Fast play builds automatic word reading.

Secondary Life & Learning Skills

• Taking turns
• Maintaining attention
• Following directions
• Waiting during group play
• Building confidence during group participation

How to Use It

Materials You'll Need

• Card stock and/or laminating supplies

Step 1: Print on card stock and/or laminate the cards. Card stock is recommended because some children will try to see through the cards. Print 2-4 copies of the PLAYING cards for more thorough review. More copies will create a longer game.

Step 2: For 2-4 players, place the red CENTER cards face down in a pile. Deal the teal PLAYING cards equally among players and place them face down in a pile in front of each player. Decide the first player.

Step 3: Flip over one CENTER card. In clockwise order, players flip one card at a time. When a PLAYING card matches the CENTER card, SLAP-IT! The first player to slap the card takes the center pile of played cards and adds them to the bottom of their pile. Flip another CENTER card and keep playing. The game is finished when time is up or one player has all the PLAYING cards.

Easy Differentiation

Children learn sight words at very different rates. These cards make it simple to set up the game for each reader.

For Children Who Need More Support

• Start with one set of words
• Read the center card aloud together before each round
• Play with two players and one copy of the playing cards
• Review the words on the Word Wall before playing

For On-Level Practice

• Play the game as written with 2-4 players
• Print 2-4 copies of the playing cards for more review
• Have the player who slaps read the word aloud
• Rotate in a new set as words are mastered

For an Extra Challenge

• Combine sets for a larger game
• Mix in words from another Dolch level
• Ask the player who slaps to use the word in a sentence

For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support

• Choose a small set of words and repeat it often
• Let children touch or point to the match if slapping is hard
• Use the words in short spoken sentences to build vocabulary
• Give extra processing time before each card is flipped

Perfect For

• 1st grade literacy centers
• Small groups
• Partner games
• Reading intervention
• Word Wall review
• Early finishers
• Indoor recess
• Homeschool

Standards

This card game supports 1st grade literacy standards in Common Core, the TEKS (ELAR, adopted 2017) and the Virginia English SOL (2024):

Common Core State Standards

• CCSS RF.1.3.g: Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

Texas TEKS

• TEKS ELAR 1.2.B.vi: Identify and read at least 100 high-frequency words from a research-based list, such as the Dolch list.

Virginia SOL

• VA SOL English 1.FFR.3.E: Read grade-level high-frequency words with automaticity and accuracy.
• VA SOL English 1.C.1.A.i: Listen actively and follow agreed-upon rules for participating, such as waiting for a turn.

Add the Dolch Words 1st Grade Sight Words Slap-It! Card Game to your cart and have a high energy sight word game ready for your next literacy center. Deal the cards, flip the center pile and watch your readers race to SLAP-IT!

Download Details

Please note: This is a digital download that will be available to you directly after purchase. Nothing will be mailed to you.

You will receive a link to the download in three places

• On the 'thank you' page after checkout
• In your email
• Login on the site here: https://lifeovercsstore.com/account