Dolch first grade · 1st grade

The Sight Word "could"

A tricky one. Hear it, read it in a sentence, then play it.

Play "could"
could

When I was two, I could not read.

How to teach "could"

  1. Say it. Read the sentence together, then say could on its own.
  2. Find the tricky part. The oul sounds like the "oo" in book. The l is silent. Draw a little heart over those letters: that's the part to learn by heart.
  3. Spell it. It has 5 letters. Say them aloud while tracing them on the table with a finger.
  4. Find it. Hunt for could in a book you're reading. Then play a round of the game below.

Words it gets mixed up with

Early readers often confuse could with words that look like it: would, clean, coat, chair. The game uses these on purpose, so children learn to look at every letter.

Play "could"

"could" 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 "could"This word and its look-alikes. PrintRead, trace, writeTrace it, then write it from memory.

More words

←byAll first grade words→every

Questions

Is "could" a sight word?

Yes. It's on the Dolch first grade list, usually taught around 1st grade.

What's a good sentence for "could"?

Try this one: When I was two, I could not read.