A word wall is an ongoing, organized display of key words that provides visual reference for students throughout a unit of study or a term. These words are used continually by teachers and students during a variety of activities. The word wall is designed to be an interactive tool for students or others to use, and contains an array of words that can be used during writing and/or reading.
Word walls serve multiple purposes. Effective word walls:
- Support the teaching of key words and subject-specific terminology.
- Promote independence in reading and writing by building vocabulary.
- Provide visual clues and reference for language learners.
- Help students remember connections between words and concepts
Building a word wall can be easily integrated into daily activities. Key words and/or terminologies that relate to the lesson or unit of study can be added gradually as they are introduced. A word wall should be organized in a way that is useful to students with additions reflecting the skills or concepts being taught.
Often, word walls are organized alphabetically, with words printed on card stock, and taped or pinned to the wall/board. Teachers are encouraged to be creative is designing a word wall so that it engages the students and enhances their learning. Due to their flexible nature and ability to "grow" alongside the students, word walls can be used in classrooms ranging from pre-school through high school. Word walls are considered to be interactive and collaborative tools, as they are a student-created and student-centered artifact.
Word Wall Bingo #1
Each child has a bingo card with six blank spaces. The children write one word wall word of their choice in each space. Then the words are removed from the wall, placed into a container, and pulled out one by one. If the word that is pulled out is on a child's Bingo card, that word may be covered with a marker. When the entire card is covered, a child can yell "BINGO!"
Word walls serve multiple purposes. Effective word walls:
- Support the teaching of key words and subject-specific terminology.
- Promote independence in reading and writing by building vocabulary.
- Provide visual clues and reference for language learners.
- Help students remember connections between words and concepts
Building a word wall can be easily integrated into daily activities. Key words and/or terminologies that relate to the lesson or unit of study can be added gradually as they are introduced. A word wall should be organized in a way that is useful to students with additions reflecting the skills or concepts being taught.
Often, word walls are organized alphabetically, with words printed on card stock, and taped or pinned to the wall/board. Teachers are encouraged to be creative is designing a word wall so that it engages the students and enhances their learning. Due to their flexible nature and ability to "grow" alongside the students, word walls can be used in classrooms ranging from pre-school through high school. Word walls are considered to be interactive and collaborative tools, as they are a student-created and student-centered artifact.
Word Wall Bingo #1
Each child has a bingo card with six blank spaces. The children write one word wall word of their choice in each space. Then the words are removed from the wall, placed into a container, and pulled out one by one. If the word that is pulled out is on a child's Bingo card, that word may be covered with a marker. When the entire card is covered, a child can yell "BINGO!"