The Fry sight word list was derived from a computer generated program that pulled the most frequently occurring words across a variety of written materials;  newspapers, magazines, books, forms etc. The word list is useful in that mastery of the entire list indicates that under average circumstances a reader will be able to access most written material. Generally speaking, most written materials in the adult world is leveled at approximately the 6th grade reading level. Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list and with increasing technology, this list may lack more recently occurring words. However, it is an excellent place to start for the student with reading delays. If you have to prioritize the words that need to be learn, this is a great list to work with.