Word walls in the classroom

If you teach elementary students, you probably have a word wall, but a word wall doesn't meet the needs of all students. I'm sharing the reasons I stopped using a word wall and what I do instead in this post. Your second-grade and third-grade students may have more writing success with word wall alternatives like personal student dictionaries. Grab free differentiated word lists and read about the word wall alternatives that my 2nd and 3rd-grade class loved! #wordwall #studentdictionary

Today's classrooms contain more information posted than ever—learning goals, success criteria, classroom expectations, anchor charts, word walls... I could go

I’ve been using a Word Wall with my high school students for 9 years now, and the results have been incredible. How: I have 90-minute classes, so I’m able to give my students 8-10 minutes of free reading time each day. I put this time at the BEGINNING of the class for several reasons. 1. ... Read More about How and Why to Use Word Walls with Older Students

Word walls can do so much more than just be a nice display! This is a lesson I wish I could give my younger teaching self. Over my career I have struggled with word walls in general. But since I started teaching in a high ESL population, I’ve realized that a good word wall can be the most important visual cue in the classroom. After researching and delving into this task, I

Have you heard of the interactive word wall? The one that can save your time and energy and make vocabulary learning more effective?

Are you wanting to revamp your word wall? I have used this word wall for two years in a row and I LOVE IT! If you are interested in a word wall like this one on the left, follow these simple steps below: You are going to need scrapbook size paper (12inx12in). I found mine ... Read More about Classroom Word Wall

A sound wall is just what it sounds like- a place on a wall where you can organize sounds-spellings that different letter combinations can make. It’s similar to a word wall, but better! Sound cards display phonics patterns that help students learn to read in an organized, or systemic, manner. For example, a student would need […]

This is the phonics wall in a first grade classroom at Haslet Elementary School. The wall contains different phonemes that are consistently referred to in the class. Additionally, the phonemes directly correspond to words on the word wall in the classroom. As students are sounding out/spelling words, the teacher encourages them to use this phonics wall to associate different vowels to their sounds. I have found this to be one of the most useful tools in the classroom regarding phonics.

Spanish teachers, if you are wondering how to decorate your classroom and visually support students at the same time, post a Spanish word wall! I love using word walls to provide meaningful input, make the language visible, and support students. Spanish word walls are a must-have visual resource in the world language classroom. Here are five reasons to use Spanish word walls in Spanish class.