Norms
• Actively participate
• Show mutual respect
• Limit side conversations
• Use mobile devices courteously
• Be extraordinary!
Expected Outcomes
• Learn what an interactive word wall is
and the importance
• How to create a word wall
• What word walls look like
• Activities for your word wall
What is a word wall?
A displayed collection of
words that support
ongoing teaching and
learning in the classroom.
They can be sight words,
words related to a unit of
instruction or theme or
commonly used words.
Why use a word wall?
• They can make an immediate and
significant difference in student’s
writing.
• Starting with student’s names builds
interest and motivation for using the
word wall.
• Helps to build strategies for decoding.
• Promotes independence in reading
and writing by building vocabulary
• Helps students remember connections
between words and concepts
• Provides visual clues and reference for
language learners
• Foster reading and writing
Research
Vocabulary refers to knowledge of
words, word meaning, and how to use
words effectively to communicate.
Scientific research on vocabulary
instruction reveals that most vocabulary
is learned indirectly, while other
vocabulary must be taught directly.
(Armbruster, Lehr & Osborn, 2001)
What Does a Word Wall Look Like?
Example
Example
Example
Example
Example
Example
Example
Example
Example
Word walls don't
have to be fancy.
Handwritten
walls
work just as well
as typed ones!
Possible special word walls
• Holiday Vocabulary
• Science Vocabulary
• Rhyming Word Chunks
• Character Names
• Unit of Instruction
Example
Example
Here is a
Winter word
wall located on
a cabinet door.
Example
Example
Environmental
Print Wall
Making Word Walls Work in
the Classroom (Wagstaff, 1999)
• Make them memorable
• Make them useful
• Make them practical
• Make them hands-on
• Make them space efficient
• Make them your way
Setting up a word wall
• Find a space in your room you can use
that will be accessible to your students
(wall, bulletin board, cabinet doors,
below chalkboard or white board, etc)
• Use butcher paper, fabric if necessary
to block the area
• Decide what you will use to keep the
words up: velcro, masking tape, sticky-
tak, magnets, etc.
• Library pocket word wall
• Pocket charts
• Project board
• Back of a shelf
• Make sure it is accessible and at eye
level for your students!!!
What words do I use?
• Names
• Words that appear in morning
message, daily news, poems being
used regularly ( and, a, the, today)
• Thematic words
• Words from a story you are reading
(fiction and non-fiction)
• Environmental print
• Only choose words you really want
your students to learn
How do I display the words?
• They can be written on sentence
strips, construction paper, or printed
out.
• Write or print them out in black.
• Cut around the words to show tall and
short letters
• Make sure they are big enough for
students to see them
• Make sure they are spelled correctly
• Have student study the words. “What
do you notice about this word?”
• When adding a picture make sure it
comes after the word
Removing words
• Make sure to remove words after 3 to
4 weeks or when you feel students
have them in their knowledge bank.
• Keep names up all year round
• Word Wall should look a little different
each week.
• Avoid letting it get cluttered
• Keep them in a basket or folder so
students can continue to access them
when needed
• Use a binder with pocket sleeves to
make an alphabet book
• Keep them in a pocket chart station
Using the Word Wall in
Workstations• Writing Workstation (Make lists, make
their own ABC book, write stories,
write a letter, etc.)
• ABC Workstation ( Use letters to make
words, stamp out words, wiki sticks,
use alphabet strip to let students make
words from the word wall next to the
letter)
• Write the Room (Basket with
clipboards, fun pens and pencils,
paper)
• Read the Room (Basket with pointers,
clip boards, words cards, etc.)
Let’s look at some
chants and activities!
Resources
Vocabulary Cards
Books/Read Alouds
Boards:
Word Wall
Environmental Print
Make and Take
Cut the activities out. Punch
hole in top left hand side of
each card. Use binder ring to
put all cards together.
Word Wall Activities
Questions & Comments
Thank you for coming!
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