what are high frequency words

High frequency words, also known as sight words, are commonly used words that appear most frequently in written texts. These words are encouraged to be memorized as a whole by sight, so that readers can automatically recognize them without having to use decoding strategies. Examples of high frequency words include "the," "have," and "to". Recognizing high frequency words by sight is critical to developing fluency in reading, and students should be able to read these words individually and in sentences and stories. It is important to note that a relatively small number of high frequency words make up a large percentage of the words we read and write, with 12 high frequency words making up 25%, 100 making up 50%, and about 300 making up 75% of the words we read and write. Therefore, teaching and practicing high frequency words is essential for developing strong reading skills in young learners.