This guide explains the purpose, components, and use of the Sight/Sound System, which is an alternative reading instruction approach designed to meet the individual needs of learners of all ages who have poor decoding skills. Described in the first section are the ways in which the system works to accomplish the following goals: develop confidence, build sight vocabulary, develop decoding skills without extensive use of phonics, teach contextual reading skills, increase time on task, develop new visual tracking patterns, and increase comprehension. Guidelines for setting goals for individual students are offered. Presented next are a discussion of the role of environmental words in developing decoding skills, steps in creating word lists from the environment, sample environmental word lists, and exercises involving environmental words. Reasons for using compound words as a means of increasing reading vocabulary quickly are provided along with compound word lists and exercises. The importance of word parts in the Sight/Sound System is explained; and lists of prefixes, suffixes, and combinations thereof are presented along with word part exercises. Concluding the guide are ideas for developing and using word lists and sample word lists developed with students of various ages/grade levels. (MN)