The Dolch word list is a list of frequently used English words (also known as sight words), compiled by Edward William Dolch, a major proponent of the "whole-word" method of beginning reading instruction. The list was first published in a journal article in 1936 and then published in his book Problems in Reading in 1948.
Dolch compiled the list based on children's books of his era, which is why nouns such as "kitty" and "Santa Claus" appear on the list instead of more current high-frequency words. The list contains 220 "service words" that Dolch thought should be easily recognized in order to achieve reading fluency in the English language. The compilation excludes nouns, which comprise a separate 95-word list.
Eighteen stories, based on true episodes, about the people and animals in a circus, such as the first woman trapeze artist to do the triple somersault, and the elephant who stole lemonade.
Seventeen legends which tell how different animals came to have certain characteristics, such as why the bear has a little tail, and how the tiger got his stripes.
