by Hadar Maor, Guest Columnist
Word walls are an integral part of any classroom. It is a great way to provide a rich-print environment, to give students access to their learning, and to teach them how to use references during the day in a busy classroom! I’ve included some tips on setting up word walls and a few ideas on how to use them in your classroom.
Word Walls
Make them large and an important part of your classroom! Your students will not only learn the importance of words and how they play a role in our everyday lives, but they can also use word walls as a reference in writing, reading and more!
Here are some tips on how to create word walls in your classroom!
- Incorporate pictures and letters into your word walls. To help your younger students build phonemic awareness, it’s good to have a picture that matches the letter’s sound. It is also very helpful for young students and English Learners to associate pictures with words.
- Add your students’ names and pictures onto your word walls. This is a great way to help students build ownership of their classroom and also to teach them that even their names are comprised of letters that make a new word.
- Teach several grade levels or as a resource teacher? Set up word walls for different grade levels. Each grade level’s words can be backed with colored construction paper. Plus, your younger students will build confidence knowing that they can read older grade level’s words!
- Don’t have enough bulletin board space in your classroom for a word wall? You can make portable word walls using tri-fold boards, with pockets for each letter. Or you can just display sight words that you want your students to learn.
Important things to remember:
1. Start your word wall by adding the students’ names in your class.
Have your students help you decide where their name belongs. It is a great way to teach letter to sound correspondence and helps your students feel like they are a part of the class.
2. Always teach a word before adding it to the word wall.
In order for the word wall to benefit your students, they need to know what words are on the wall. If your theme for the week is color words, add the words as you teach each color.
3. Practice reading words from the wall.
I love using songs in the classroom, so I came up with some songs to practice reading words from our word wall. I use these songs when we have a few minutes left at the end of the day, or during a transition into a new lesson.
Here are three songs you can use:
Sight Words {to the tune of BINGO}
We learned a new sight word this week
And _________ is our sight word.
{spell out the word 3 times}
__________ is our sight word!
A Word on the Wall {to the tune of The Addam’s Family}
A word on the wall {clap, clap}
A word on the wall {clap, clap}
A word on the wall, a word on the wall, a word on the wall {clap, clap}
We can read them, we can spell them, if you ask us, we can tell them!
We love to learn and share them!
A word on the wall!
I Can Spell a Word on the Wall {to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell}
A word on the wall,
A word on the wall,
I know how to spell
A word on the wall!
Now go try them!
About the Author
Hadar Maor, author of the education blog Miss Kindergarten, has known that she’s wanted to be a teacher since she was in second grade. She loves organizing, crafting, DIY projects, baking, the beach, bargain shopping and sharing her passion of teaching and blogging with others. Find her on Facebook!
Miss T says
Great post Hadar!
I agree that word walls are an important part of the classroom. I see kids use them all the time during writing and they are so much more independent that way!
Elizabeth says
Great article, Hadar. I totally agree with you on the importance of a word wall. I also love your idea of starting the year with students’ names. Great idea!!
Jana Wilson (@cimeronejana) says
I love the word wall songs. I am going to share this post with my teachers. Thanks!
Debbie Magnin says
Word walls are an essential part of my classroom and now having some songs/poems to go along with it will be an much needed addition.