Learning Worksheets Sight Words Sight word “can”

Free printable PDF · Dolch pre-primer

Sight Word “can” Worksheet – Trace, Write and Find

“Can” is the word for things we are able to do: “I can hop”, “you can help”. It turns up in nearly every early reader.

Sight word "can" worksheet: read and trace can, write it, find and circle it, and trace the sentence "I can hop."

Free for home and classroom use · A4 · PDF, 44 KB

What’s on the “can” worksheet

Read and trace “can”, write it alone, circle it among cat, man, car, fan and cap, then trace “I can hop.”

Prints on A4 or US Letter (choose “Fit to page”).

How to teach “can”

Can is fully decodable: c-a-n. Ask your child to tell you three things they can do and write each one as a short sentence starting with I can. Reading their own sentences back is one of the quickest ways to make a sight word stick.

Sentences with “can”

  • I can jump high.
  • Can you help me?
  • We can play outside.
  • The cat can run fast.

Game: I can… challenge

Write I can on a card. Take turns pulling an action card from a pile (hop, clap, spin, wave). Read the full sentence aloud, then do the action. Your child keeps the card if they read it before doing it.

Practise next

Try “help” and “make” next: they finish “I can…” sentences nicely.

Questions about “can”

Why do early readers use can so much?

It lets books build simple, repeated sentences like “I can see” and “I can run”, which give new readers lots of success.

Should I mention that a can is also a tin?

Yes, once your child reads the word well. Children enjoy discovering that one word can mean two different things.

More answers in the sight words FAQ.