DIY Personalized Sight Word Books

If you have a preschooler who is ready to learn a few early sight words, this quick project is for you.

When my twins were at that stage, I made them tiny, personalized books. My results weren’t beautiful, but my girls loved them.

Mini-Reader Suspense

Part of what sparked my kids’ interest was watching me create the little books, and giving their own input. 

Kids love anything they get to give input on. Except vegetables. That trick never works in our house!

DIY First Sight Word Book

Start by announcing that you’re making something special. Be mysterious about it. Let your child watch as you fold and cut the paper. 

Fold a blank sheet into thirds, like a letter. Then fold that into thirds again. Trim off the folds, leaving 9 little pages.

Staple them into a booklet.

At this point your child will likely guess that you’re making a book of some kind. 

Cat Book or Dog Book?

Ask your child whether he or she wants a cat or a dog in the book. 

When I made these, I purposely offered phonetic, easy-to-sound-out animal names. Plus, I knew I could draw cats and dogs. 

Sort of. 

Outline the chosen animal on each page. 

Mine looked pretty much like something a fourth grader doodled. My girls adored them anyway.

Kids love anything you make for them with love.

To make your own mini-reader, lay out crayons in 7 different basic colors. Ask your kid to choose a new color for each page. 

Color each animal. Then write underneath it, varying only the color name on each page. Write “This dog is blue.”  “This dog is red.”, etc.

On the last page, change it up a little. Personalize it by writing, “This is [your child’s name]’s dog!” and color the dog a rainbow of colors.

Sight Word Variations

Depending on which word you want your child to practice, you could try a different variation. For example:

The dog is blue.
A blue dog.
My blue dog.

Just be consistent until the last page. It’s okay that your child memorizes the pattern. This early stage is just about building confidence and familiarity. 

Made With Love

I made a short video showing the whole simple process. This is my very first attempt at making a craft video. I made it for you with love — so be kind!

I’ve learned the hard way that I need to cede control with my kids’ reading. Once the book is finished, let your little one take the lead. 

Then just sit back. Savor your little reader’s joy and excitement.