DIY Sight Word Folders

Are you looking for a way to differentiate your sight word instruction and create a home-school sight word program to help all of your students master reading and writing their sight words? If you answered YES, then you definitely want to make these DIY sight word folders!

You can use these little DIY folders for anything– sight words, math facts, letter cards, flash cards… anything you can think of! I start using them at the beginning of the year for sight words, and then toward the end of the year, we use new ones for math facts.

Here’s how to make your own DIY Sight Word Folders:

To get started, you need a class set of standard 2-pocket folders. I got mine at Walmart for 15 cents each… can’t get much better than that! I recommend not using the shiny kind because they don’t fold as well as the paper ones. I find that they hold up pretty well, and the flaps can always be reinforced with cute duct tape for your kiddos who are a little harder on their belongings.

First, you need a 10″ baking pan. Place it about 3/4 of the way up the folder. The folders that I bought have a little rectangle for a label, and it worked perfectly to line up the baking pan with the bottom of the label. Trace the baking pan on the folder so that you have drawn a semi-circle.

Next, take your scissors and cut on the line that you drew. You will end up with the shape shown above.

Open up your folder and cut a slit down the middle of the two halves. This makes it easier for you to fold the flaps.

Next, fold down the two semi-circles to create your flaps. The slit that you cut in the last step helps your flaps fold easier.

Finishing Touches

Now it’s time to label! I printed these labels on Avery 5163 shipping labels. They are 2″x4″.

If you’re using these as sight word pocket folders like I do, place labels on the flaps of your pocket folders so that students know where to store their sight words.

In my class, students put their sight words in the “words I’m learning” pocket. When they have mastered those words, they move them to the “words I know pocket,” and get new words for the “words I’m learning” side. I do not velcro down the flaps, but I do velcro the folder closed. As long as the folder stays closed, the flaps will stay closed as well. No need to over-velcro (and it’s expensive!)

And that’s it! Now you have cute, durable, DIY sight word folders that can be used for so much more than just sight words!

Want to read more about how I teach sight words in my classroom? Head to this blog post to keep learning!