In this episode of Play On Words, Miss Beth is bringing the heat—and the research—on one of the most asked-about early reading topics: sight words.

What even are sight words? Should your child be memorizing them? Is there a better way? What do syllables have to do with all this? And what should you do if your child’s school is sending home flashcards and calling it a day?

Whether you’ve got a preschooler being told to memorize a word list or you’re just trying to figure out what “high frequency” really means—this one’s for you.

✨ We’ll cover:

• The difference between sight words and high-frequency words (yes, there’s a difference!)
• Why some approaches to teaching sight words are actually holding kids back
• What you can do to help your child recognize words with confidence
• Open vs. closed syllables (in a way that actually makes sense)
• Miss Beth’s favorite sight word activities that don’t rely on memorizing

📩 A real parent question kicks things off:
“My child goes to a play-based preschool. I asked what their literacy goals are and they said they’re introducing memorizing sight words. Is this the right track?”

Spoiler: Miss Beth has thoughts. And she’s not afraid to say what’s helpful—and what’s just hype.

Grab your headphones, kiss your brain, and let’s talk about what really works when it comes to growing strong, confident readers.