Which of the following best describes sight words?

The definition of sight words refers to those words that can be recognized immediately without the reader needing to sound them out or analyze their components. This is significant in early literacy as it helps children develop fluency in reading. Familiarity with sight words enables readers to spend less cognitive effort on decoding, thus allowing them to focus more on comprehension and meaning.

Recognizing sight words quickly supports greater reading confidence and overall literacy skills. These words are often high-frequency words that appear frequently in texts, enabling smoother reading experiences. The other options do not align with the fundamental characteristic of sight words, which is the ability to recognize them at a glance, contributing to effective reading practices.