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!