Essential Dolch Words for 1st Graders to Boost Reading Skills

The lists below contain the Dolch words for 1st which you might encounter in your next spelling bee.

The Dolch word list is a list of commonly used English words compiled by Edward William Dolch, a major proponent of the “whole-word” method of beginning reading instruction. The list was first published in a journal article in 1936 and then published in his book Problems in Reading in 1948.

Dolch compiled the list based on children’s books of his era, which is why nouns such as “kitty” and “Santa Claus” appear on the list instead of more commonly used words. Between 50% and 75% of all the words used in schoolbooks, library books, newspapers, and magazines come from the Dolch spelling basic sight word vocabulary.

The Dolch Word List is often referred to as the “Sight Words” or The Dolch 220. It includes the most commonly used words in the English language. Dolch word list is known to be a crucial educational goal in grades kindergarten through 3.

Because fluency in reading the Dolch words are very essential to literacy. There are various techniques that are used to teach these Dolch words like reading Dolch literature books, using flash cards, playing games, and writing activities. Repetition and practice is key in having these words imprinted in our memory.

You will find a lot of these words in different spelling bee word lists. Spelling bees like to incorporate words from different languages, origins, and culture. Hence, you are bound to run into one or more of these words at some point during your practice as well as during the competition.

Below, you will find four different lists of Dolch words. Go through these Dolch spelling words carefully and follow it up with a thoroughly worked out spelling bee training session using these same lists in co-ordination with the Spelling Bee Ninja Test app and the Smart Trainer.

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Dolch Words – For First Graders

After	Live
Again	May
Any	Old
Ask	Once
Could	Open
Every	Over
Fly	Put
From	Round
Give	Some
Going	Stop
Had	Take
Has	Thank
Her	Them
Him	Then
His	Think
How	Walk
Just	Were
Know	When
Let

Some Definitions of 1st grade dolch words

After	Next; later in time; subsequent; succeeding; as, an after period of life. – Hinder; nearer the rear. – To ward the stern of the ship; — applied to any object in the rear part of a vessel; as the after cabin, after hatchway. – Behind in place; as, men in line one after another. – Below in rank; next to in order. – Later in time; subsequent; as, after supper, after three days. It often precedes a clause. Formerly that was interposed between it and the clause. – Subsequent to and in consequence of; as, after what you have said, I shall be careful. – Subsequent to and notwithstanding; as, after all our advice, you took that course. – Moving toward from behind; following, in search of; in pursuit of. – Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to; as, to look after workmen; to inquire after a friend; to thirst after righteousness. – In imitation of; in conformity with; after the manner of; as, to make a thing after a model; a picture after Rubens; the boy takes after his father. – According to; in accordance with; in conformity with the nature of; as, he acted after his kind. – According to the direction and influence of; in proportion to; befitting. – Subsequently in time or place; behind; afterward; as, he follows after.
Again	In return, back; as, bring us word again. – Another time; once more; anew. – Once repeated; — of quantity; as, as large again, half as much again. – In any other place. – On the other hand. – Moreover; besides; further. – Alt. Of Agains
Any	One indifferently, out of an indefinite number; one indefinitely, whosoever or whatsoever it may be. – Some, of whatever kind, quantity, or number; as, are there any witnesses present? Are there any other houses like it? – To any extent; in any degree; at all.
Ask	To request; to seek to obtain by words; to petition; to solicit; — often with of, in the sense of from, before the person addressed. – To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity; as, what price do you ask? – To interrogate or inquire of or concerning; to put a question to or about; to question. – To invite; as, to ask one to an entertainment. – To publish in church for marriage; — said of both the banns and the persons. – To request or petition; — usually followed by for; as, to ask for bread. – To make inquiry, or seek by request; — sometimes followed by after. – A water newt.
Could	Was, should be, or would be, able, capable, or susceptible. Used as an auxiliary, in the past tense or in the conditional present. – A drinking cup; a vessel for holding liquids. – A vessel or case of tinned iron or of sheet metal, of various forms, but usually cylindrical; as, a can of tomatoes; an oil can; a milk can. – To preserve by putting in sealed cans – To know; to understand. – To be able to do; to have power or influence. – To be able; — followed by an infinitive without to; as, I can go, but do not wish to.
Every	All the parts which compose a whole collection or aggregate number, considered in their individuality, all taken separately one by one, out of an indefinite bumber. – Every one. Cf.
From	Out of the neighborhood of; lessening or losing proximity to; leaving behind; by reason of; out of; by aid of; — used whenever departure, setting out, commencement of action, being, state, occurrence, etc., or procedure, emanation, absence, separation, etc., are to be expressed. It is construed with, and indicates, the point of space or time at which the action, state, etc., are regarded as setting out or beginning; also, less frequently, the source, the cause, the occasion, out of which anything proceeds; — the aritithesis and correlative of to; as, it, is one hundred miles from Boston to Springfield; he took his sword from his side; light proceeds from the sun; separate the coarse wool from the fine; men have all sprung from Adam, and often go from good to bad, and from bad to worse; the merit of an action depends on the principle from which it proceeds; men judge of facts from personal knowledge, or from testimony.
Give	To bestow without receiving a return; to confer without compensation; to impart, as a possession; to grant, as authority or permission; to yield up or allow. – To yield possesion of; to deliver over, as property, in exchange for something; to pay; as, we give the value of what we buy. – To yield; to furnish; to produce; to emit; as, flint and steel give sparks. – To communicate or announce, as advice, tidings, etc.; to pronounce; to render or utter, as an opinion, a judgment, a sentence, a shout, etc. – To grant power or license to; to permit; to allow; to license; to commission. – To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to show; as, the number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship. – To devote; to apply; used reflexively, to devote or apply one’s self; as, the soldiers give themselves to plunder; also in this sense used very frequently in the past participle; as, the people are given to luxury and pleasure; the youth is given to study. – To set forth as a known quantity or a known relation, or as a premise from which to reason; — used principally in the passive form given. – To allow or admit by way of supposition. – To attribute; to assign; to adjudge. – To excite or cause to exist, as a sensation; as, to give offense; to give pleasure or pain. – To pledge; as, to give one’s word. – To cause; to make; — with the infinitive; as, to give one to understand, to know, etc. – To give a gift or gifts. – To yield to force or pressure; to relax; to become less rigid; as, the earth gives under the feet. – To become soft or moist. – To move; to recede. – To shed tears; to weep. – To have a misgiving. – To open; to lead.
Going	The act of moving in any manner; traveling; as, the going is bad. – Departure. – Pregnancy; gestation; childbearing. – Course of life; behavior; doings; ways. – To proceed or happen in a given manner; to fare; to move on or be carried on; to have course; to come to an issue or result; to succeed; to turn out. – To proceed or tend toward a result, consequence, or product; to tend; to conduce; to be an ingredient; to avail; to apply; to contribute; — often with the infinitive; as, this goes to show. – To apply one’s self; to set one’s self; to undertake. – To proceed by a mental operation; to pass in mind or by an act of the memory or imagination; — generally with over or through. – To be with young; to be pregnant; to gestate. – To move from the person speaking, or from the point whence the action is contemplated; to pass away; to leave; to depart; — in opposition to stay and come. – To pass away; to depart forever; to be lost or ruined; to perish; to decline; to decease; to die. – To reach; to extend; to lead; as, a line goes across the street; his land goes to the river; this road goes to New York. – To have recourse; to resort; as, to go to law. – To take, as a share in an enterprise; to undertake or become responsible for; to bear a part in. – To bet or wager; as, i’ll go you a shilling. – Act; working; operation. – A circumstance or occurrence; an incident. – The fashion or mode; as, quite the go. – Noisy merriment; as, a high go. – A glass of spirits. – Power of going or doing; energy; vitality; perseverance; push; as, there is no go in him. – That condition in the course of the game when a player can not lay down a card which will not carry the aggregate count above thirty-one.
Had	See Have. – of Have – To hold in possession or control; to own; as, he has a farm. – To possess, as something which appertains to, is connected with, or affects, one. – To accept possession of; to take or accept. – To get possession of; to obtain; to get. – To cause or procure to be; to effect; to exact; to desire; to require. – To bear, as young; as, she has just had a child. – To hold, regard, or esteem. – To cause or force to go; to take. – To take or hold (one’s self); to proceed promptly; — used reflexively, often with ellipsis of the pronoun; as, to have after one; to have at one or at a thing, i. E., to aim at one or at a thing; to attack; to have with a companion. – To be under necessity or obligation; to be compelled; followed by an infinitive. – To understand. – To put in an awkward position; to have the advantage of; as, that is where he had him.
Has	3d pers. Sing. Pres. Of have. – of have – to hold in possession or control; to own; as, he has a farm. – to possess, as something which appertains to, is connected with, or affects, one. – to accept possession of; to take or accept. – to get possession of; to obtain; to get. – to cause or procure to be; to effect; to exact; to desire; to require. – to bear, as young; as, she has just had a child. – to hold, regard, or esteem. – to cause or force to go; to take. – to take or hold (one’s self); to proceed promptly; — used reflexively, often with ellipsis of the pronoun; as, to have after one; to have at one or at a thing, i. E., to aim at one or at a thing; to attack; to have with a companion. – to be under necessity or obligation; to be compelled; followed by an infinitive. – to understand. – to put in an awkward position; to have the advantage of; as, that is where he had him.
Her	The form of the objective and the possessive case of the personal pronoun she; as, I saw her with her purse out. – Alt. Of Here
Him	Them. See Hem. – The objective case of he. See He.
His	Belonging or pertaining to him; — used as a pronominal adjective or adjective pronoun; as, tell John his papers are ready; formerly used also for its, but this use is now obsolete. – The possessive of he; as, the book is his.
How	In what manner or way; by what means or process. – To what degree or extent, number or amount; in what proportion; by what measure or quality. – For what reason; from what cause. – In what state, condition, or plight. – By what name, designation, or title. – At what price; how dear.
Just	Conforming or conformable to rectitude or justice; not doing wrong to any; violating no right or obligation; upright; righteous; honest; true; — said both of persons and things. – Not transgressing the requirement of truth and propriety; conformed to the truth of things, to reason, or to a proper standard; exact; normal; reasonable; regular; due; as, a just statement; a just inference. – Rendering or disposed to render to each one his due; equitable; fair; impartial; as, just judge. – Precisely; exactly; — in place, time, or degree; neither more nor less than is stated. – Closely; nearly; almost. – Barely; merely; scarcely; only; by a very small space or time; as, he just missed the train; just too late. – To joust. – A joust.
Know	Knee. – To perceive or apprehend clearly and certainly; to understand; to have full information of; as, to know one’s duty. – To be convinced of the truth of; to be fully assured of; as, to know things from information. – To be acquainted with; to be no stranger to; to be more or less familiar with the person, character, etc., of; to possess experience of; as, to know an author; to know the rules of an organization. – To recognize; to distinguish; to discern the character of; as, to know a person’s face or figure. – To have sexual commerce with. – To have knowledge; to have a clear and certain perception; to possess wisdom, instruction, or information; — often with of. – To be assured; to feel confident.
Let	To retard; to hinder; to impede; to oppose. – A retarding; hindrance; obstacle; impediment; delay; — common in the phrase without let or hindrance, but elsewhere archaic. – A stroke in which a ball touches the top of the net in passing over. – of Let – To leave; to relinquish; to abandon. – To consider; to think; to esteem. – To cause; to make; — used with the infinitive in the active form but in the passive sense; as, let make, i. E., cause to be made; let bring, i. E., cause to be brought. – To permit; to allow; to suffer; — either affirmatively, by positive act, or negatively, by neglecting to restrain or prevent. – To allow to be used or occupied for a compensation; to lease; to rent; to hire out; — often with out; as, to let a farm; to let a house; to let out horses. – To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; — often with out; as, to let the building of a bridge; to let out the lathing and the plastering. – To forbear. – To be let or leased; as, the farm lets for $500 a year. See note under Let, v. T.
Live	To be alive; to have life; to have, as an animal or a plant, the capacity of assimilating matter as food, and to be dependent on such assimilation for a continuance of existence; as, animals and plants that live to a great age are long in reaching maturity. – To pass one’s time; to pass life or time in a certain manner, as to habits, conduct, or circumstances; as, to live in ease or affluence; to live happily or usefully. – To make one’s abiding place or home; to abide; to dwell; to reside. – To be or continue in existence; to exist; to remain; to be permanent; to last; — said of inanimate objects, ideas, etc. – To enjoy or make the most of life; to be in a state of happiness. – To feed; to subsist; to be nourished or supported; — with on; as, horses live on grass and grain. – To have a spiritual existence; to be quickened, nourished, and actuated by divine influence or faith. – To be maintained in life; to acquire a livelihood; to subsist; — with on or by; as, to live on spoils. – To outlast danger; to float; — said of a ship, boat, etc.; as, no ship could live in such a storm. – To spend, as one’s life; to pass; to maintain; to continue in, constantly or habitually; as, to live an idle or a useful life. – To act habitually in conformity with; to practice. – Having life; alive; living; not dead. – Being in a state of ignition; burning; having active properties; as, a live coal; live embers. – Full of earnestness; active; wide awake; glowing; as, a live man, or orator. – Vivid; bright. – Imparting power; having motion; as, the live spindle of a lathe. – Life.
May	An auxiliary verb qualifyng the meaning of another verb, by expressing: (a) Ability, competency, or possibility; — now oftener expressed by can. – A maiden. – The fifth month of the year, containing thirty-one days. – The early part or springtime of life. – The flowers of the hawthorn; — so called from their time of blossoming; also, the hawthorn. – The merrymaking of May Day.
Old	Open country. – Not young; advanced far in years or life; having lived till toward the end of the ordinary term of living; as, an old man; an old age; an old horse; an old tree. – Not new or fresh; not recently made or produced; having existed for a long time; as, old wine; an old friendship. – Formerly existing; ancient; not modern; preceding; original; as, an old law; an old custom; an old promise. – Continued in life; advanced in the course of existence; having (a certain) length of existence; — designating the age of a person or thing; as, an infant a few hours old; a cathedral centuries old. – Long practiced; hence, skilled; experienced; cunning; as, an old offender; old in vice. – Long cultivated; as, an old farm; old land, as opposed to new land, that is, to land lately cleared. – Worn out; weakened or exhausted by use; past usefulness; as, old shoes; old clothes. – More than enough; abundant. – Aged; antiquated; hence, wanting in the mental vigor or other qualities belonging to youth; — used disparagingly as a term of reproach. – Old-fashioned; wonted; customary; as of old; as, the good old times; hence, colloquially, gay; jolly. – Used colloquially as a term of cordiality and familiarity.
Once	By limitation to the number one; for one time; not twice nor any number of times more than one. – At some one period of time; — used indefinitely. – At any one time; — often nearly equivalent to ever, if ever, or whenever; as, once kindled, it may not be quenched.
Some	Consisting of a greater or less portion or sum; composed of a quantity or number which is not stated; — used to express an indefinite quantity or number; as, some wine; some water; some persons. Used also pronominally; as, I have some. – A certain; one; — indicating a person, thing, event, etc., as not known individually, or designated more specifically; as, some man, that is, some one man. – Not much; a little; moderate; as, the censure was to some extent just. – About; near; more or less; — used commonly with numerals, but formerly also with a singular substantive of time or distance; as, a village of some eighty houses; some two or three persons; some hour hence. – Considerable in number or quality. – Certain; those of one part or portion; — in distinct from other or others; as, some men believe one thing, and others another. – A part; a portion; — used pronominally, and followed sometimes by of; as, some of our provisions.
Thank	A expression of gratitude; an acknowledgment expressive of a sense of favor or kindness received; obligation, claim, or desert, or gratitude; — now generally used in the plural. – To express gratitude to (anyone) for a favor; to make acknowledgments to (anyone) for kindness bestowed; — used also ironically for blame.
Them	The objective case of they. See They.
Then	At that time (referring to a time specified, either past or future). – Soon afterward, or immediately; next; afterward. – At another time; later; again. – Than. – In that case; in consequence; as a consequence; therefore; for this reason.
Think	To seem or appear; — used chiefly in the expressions methinketh or methinks, and methought. – To employ any of the intellectual powers except that of simple perception through the senses; to exercise the higher intellectual faculties. – To call anything to mind; to remember; as, I would have sent the books, but I did not think of it. – To reflect upon any subject; to muse; to meditate; to ponder; to consider; to deliberate. – To form an opinion by reasoning; to judge; to conclude; to believe; as, I think it will rain to-morrow. – To purpose; to intend; to design; to mean. – To presume; to venture. – To conceive; to imagine. – To plan or design; to plot; to compass. – To believe; to consider; to esteem.
Walk	To move along on foot; to advance by steps; to go on at a moderate pace; specifically, of two-legged creatures, to proceed at a slower or faster rate, but without running, or lifting one foot entirely before the other touches the ground. – To move or go on the feet for exercise or amusement; to take one’s exercise; to ramble. – To be stirring; to be abroad; to go restlessly about; — said of things or persons expected to remain quiet, as a sleeping person, or the spirit of a dead person; to go about as a somnambulist or a specter. – To be in motion; to act; to move; to wag. – To behave; to pursue a course of life; to conduct one’s self. – To move off; to depart. – To pass through, over, or upon; to traverse; to perambulate; as, to walk the streets. – To cause to walk; to lead, drive, or ride with a slow pace; as to walk one’s horses. – To subject, as cloth or yarn, to the fulling process; to full. – The act of walking, or moving on the feet with a slow pace; advance without running or leaping. – The act of walking for recreation or exercise; as, a morning walk; an evening walk. – Manner of walking; gait; step; as, we often know a person at a distance by his walk. – That in or through which one walks; place or distance walked over; a place for walking; a path or avenue prepared for foot passengers, or for taking air and exercise; way; road; hence, a place or region in which animals may graze; place of wandering; range; as, a sheep walk. – A frequented track; habitual place of action; sphere; as, the walk of the historian. – Conduct; course of action; behavior. – The route or district regularly served by a vender; as, a milkman’s walk.
Were	To wear. See 3d Wear. – A weir. See Weir. – To guard; to protect. – The imperfect indicative plural, and imperfect subjunctive singular and plural, of the verb be. See Be. – A man. – A fine for slaying a man; the money value set upon a man’s life; weregild.
When	At what time; — used interrogatively. – At what time; at, during, or after the time that; at or just after, the moment that; — used relatively. – While; whereas; although; — used in the manner of a conjunction to introduce a dependent adverbial sentence or clause, having a causal, conditional, or adversative relation to the principal proposition; as, he chose to turn highwayman when he might have continued an honest man; he removed the tree when it was the best in the grounds. – Which time; then; — used elliptically as a noun.