5 Ways to Liven Up Sight Words Reading Practice

Marla Szwast
The Homeschool Nook
7 min readMar 30, 2021

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Image created by author using Adobe Spark.

Sight word practice doesn’t need to be a boring chore. Here are some ways to liven it up while getting your kids moving, so you can get all those learning neurons fired up.

A big problem with modern education is that we sit kids down. Sitting is not healthy for their bodies or brains. Not only does it make it harder for kids to concentrate, but it also slows down neuronal growth. And you can’t learn without growing neurons.

What can we do about all the sitting?

First, we can make sure our kids are getting some good hard exercise on a daily basis. We can make sure that ‘outside time’ is write on their schedule, just like reading and math. Because it is that important.

But this isn’t always enough, especially with younger kids. Their brains are literally screaming at them for hours a day to move, and it we try to control instinct we create a slew of problems. Learning only happens when a child’s brain decides that it is safe and it’s primary needs are met. One of those needs is to wiggle and squirm. Hang upside down, roll around on the floor or ground, swing, run, jump, and tumble. Their brain needs these things just as much as it needs information, oxygen, and food. If we shut down the moving, we shut down the learning.

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Marla Szwast
The Homeschool Nook

A mom who writes, in the cracks of time, between educating, chauffeuring and feeding half a dozen kids. Top writer in Parenting.