High-frequency words are those that are most commonly used in spoken and written language. Whether a word is decodable or not does not impact its classification as a high-frequency word. For example, does is both a high-frequency word and a Red Word, whereas stop is a high-frequency word but not a Red Word. When high-frequency words are read automatically, they are considered sight words. With the exception of proper nouns, the PAF program incorporates all high-frequency words for beginning readers from the Dolch and Fry lists, both being collections of words commonly used in children’s books, making these words essential for early reading development.

Please see below for a list of high frequency words that appear in each of the PAF Reading Program decodable chapter books.

Red Words

Red Words are words that cannot be entirely phonetically decoded, regardless of what you know about phonics. Examples include: said, does, or eye. The term is also used in other programs.

Oval Words

Oval words appear in the PAF chapter books and are specific to the program. They are decodable words that students cannot sound out yet because they have not learned the needed phonetic elements. Examples include like, book, and see. Students are not asked to spell or read oval words in isolation. These words were selected and used judiciously to provide coherence to the stories.

Sight Words

Sight words are words that students recognize instantly. They can fall into any of the previous categories: decodable, oval, or Red Words. Building an extensive sight word vocabulary is essential for fluency and reading comprehension. It is important to note that what is a sight word for one student may not be a sight word for another.