First Grade English: Fry First 100 Words: Part 1
While Dr. Dolch created his famous lists based on children's literature, another reading scientist named Dr. Edward Fry analyzed modern school textbooks and reading materials to rank words strictly by how frequently they occur in all printed English. The Fry First 100 Words list represents the absolute most common words in our entire language. In this chapter, you will master the first fifty words of the Fry First 100, which make up about one-third of every book, newspaper, and article ever written!
The Scientific Power of the Fry List
Dr. Fry discovered that just twenty-five words account for roughly one-third of all printed English text, and the top one hundred words account for nearly half! When you achieve automatic recall of these words, your reading speed skyrockets.
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| THE FRY FREQUENCY PYRAMID |
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| /\ |
| / \ Fry Top 10 Words |
| / 10 \ Account for 25% of all print! |
| /------\ |
| / 50 \ Fry First 50 Words |
| /----------\ Account for over 40% of print! |
| / 100 \ Fry First 100 Words |
| /--------------\Account for 50% of all print! |
| |
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Instant Word Recognition
Instant recognition means naming a word within one-tenth of a second, without needing to decode letter-by-letter. This automaticity allows your working memory to focus entirely on understanding what the characters are doing and feeling.
Fry First 100: Words 1 through 50
Here are the first fifty words of the Fry First 100 list, organized in groups of ten according to their rank.
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| FRY FIRST 100: WORDS 1 TO 50 |
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| Rank 1 - 10 : the, of, and, a, to, in, is, you, that, it |
| Rank 11 - 20 : he, was, for, on, are, as, with, his, |
| they, I |
| Rank 21 - 30 : at, be, this, have, from, or, one, had, |
| by, words |
| Rank 31 - 40 : but, not, what, all, were, we, when, your, |
| can, said |
| Rank 41 - 50 : there, use, an, each, which, she, do, |
| how, their, if |
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The Mega-Ten: Words 1 through 10
The ten most common words in all of written English are: "the," "of," "and," "a," "to," "in," "is," "you," "that," and "it." You will find several of these words in almost every single sentence you will ever read or write in your entire life.
Tricky Sight Words in the First Fifty
Notice word 24: "have." Phonics rules say a silent e should make the a long ("hayv"), but in "have," the vowel is short (/hav/)! Notice word 41: "there" and word 49: "their." These words sound identical, but "there" refers to a location (over there), while "their" shows ownership (their wagon).
Sentence Strips: Practicing in Context
Reading sight words inside connected, meaningful phrases trains your brain to recognize them far faster than practicing them on isolated cards alone.
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| SENTENCE STRIP PRACTICE |
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| Strip 1: "You said that we had to use the words." |
| Strip 2: "They were with his dog by the tree." |
| Strip 3: "Each of them can do what is on their list." |
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Pacing and Phrasing
When reading sentence strips, do not read like a robot tapping each word with a heavy pause. Group words into natural phrasing units. Instead of: "You ... said ... that ... we ... had ... to ... use," read it as two smooth musical scoops: "You said that / we had to use the words."
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Read the following sentences aloud as smoothly and quickly as you can: What was that in his hand? She had one of your words. They were at the park with each of their friends. Can you do this for all of them?
Exercise 2: Write down five words from the Fry 1 to 50 list that begin with the digraph "th".
Exercise Solutions
Solution to Exercise 1: Students should read the four sentences fluently and with natural vocal expression, without hesitating on high-frequency words such as what, was, that, in, his, hand, she, had, one, of, your, words, they, were, at, park, with, each, their, can, you, do, this, for, and all.
Solution to Exercise 2: Five words from the Fry 1 to 50 list that begin with "th" are: "the", "that", "they", "this", and "there" (or "their").