Dolch second grade · 2nd grade

The Sight Word "why"

Hear it, read it in a sentence, then play it.

Play "why"
why

Do you know why the sky is blue?

How to teach "why"

  1. Say it. Read the sentence together, then say why on its own.
  2. Good to know. The y at the end sounds like long i.
  3. Spell it. It has 3 letters. Say them aloud while tracing them on the table with a finger.
  4. Find it. Hunt for why in a book you're reading. Then play a round of the game below.

Words it gets mixed up with

Early readers often confuse why with words that look like it: who, way, we, wish. The game uses these on purpose, so children learn to look at every letter.

Play "why"

"why" shows up in every question

Free to play · no signup · works on phones, tablets and computers

Open the game full screen

Quick quiz: which word do you hear?

Print and practice

PrintFlash cards with "why"This word and its look-alikes. PrintRead, trace, writeTrace it, then write it from memory.

More words

←whichAll second grade words→wish

Questions

Is "why" a sight word?

Yes. It's on the Dolch second grade list, usually taught around 2nd grade.

What's a good sentence for "why"?

Try this one: Do you know why the sky is blue?