What role do high-frequency words play in reading?

High-frequency words are essential in early literacy development because they often make up a significant portion of the text that children encounter. These words, which include simple and commonly used terms like "the," "and," "is," and "to," serve as foundational building blocks for young readers. By mastering these words, children can improve their ability to quickly recognize them in text, which in turn enhances their overall reading fluency.

The ability to recognize high-frequency words automatically allows children to focus their cognitive resources on decoding less frequent and more complex words. This is because if they can read the common words effortlessly, they can dedicate more attention to understanding and sounding out the unfamiliar ones. As a result, high-frequency words play a critical role in developing effective reading strategies and fostering comprehension skills, making them indispensable for early readers as they progress in their literacy journey.