Word Walls

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Word Walls

• Debbie Alli
• La Porte I.S.D
• College Park Elementary

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Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills - Objectives

• (4) Listening/speaking/communication. The student
  communicates clearly by putting thoughts and
  feelings into spoken words. The student is
  expected to
• (A) use vocabulary to describe clearly ideas,
  feelings, and experiences (K-3)

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Research

• Words remain the most important tool the writer
  has to work with.
• Ralph Fletcher, (1993), What A Writer Needs,
• (p. 32).

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Research

• Words are absolutely essential in our
  classrooms. As teachers and students work through
  texts together, we need to have words in full
  view, so the students can see them and use them
  in their writing.
• Janet Allen, (1999) Words, Words, Words Teaching
  Vocabulary in Grades 4-12. (p. 75).

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What is a Word Wall?

• A word wall is a systematically organized
  collection of words displayed in large letters on
  a wall or other large display place in the
  classroom. It is a tool to use, not just display.
  Word walls are designed to promote group learning
  and be shared by a classroom of children.
• McCarrier, Pinnell Fontas (2000) Interactive
  Writing How Language Literacy Come Together,
  K-2. (p. 46).

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Word Wall - Uses

• Support the teaching of important principles
  about words and how they work
• Foster reading and writing
• Promote independence of young students as they
  work with words in writing and reading

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Word Wall - Arrangement

• Choose a location in the room where every student
  can see all the words. Put the alphabet headings,
  A-Z, at the top of the wall or bulletin board.
• Write the words on cards in large print with
  black ink
• Starting at beginning of list

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Word Wall - Guidelines

• Add words gradually, five a week
• Make words very accessible
• Be selective about what words go on the wall

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Word Wall - Guidelines

• space efficient
• useful
• memorable
• hands-on
• interactive
• Janiel Wagstaff (1999), Teaching Reading and
  Writing with Word Walls (p. 65).

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Word Wall - Example
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Word Wall - Categories

• High frequency words
• Contractions
• Antonyms
• Synonyms
• Homophones
• Irene C.Fountas Gay Su Pinnell, (1999) Voices
  on Word Matters (p. 104).

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Word Wall - Instruction

• Look at the word and study it.
• Make a mental picture of it.
• Write it down
• Check it.
• If you forget a word, look up at the word wall.
• Lucy Calkins and Natalie Louis (2003), Writing
  for Readers Teaching Skills and Strategies
  (p127).

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Word Wall - Assessment

• Make Sentences
• Rhyming
• Be a Mind Reader
• Word Sorts
• Joan P. Carroll (2001). Survival Words (p. 23).

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Word Wall - Activity

• Comics Captions 
• Procedure
• 1. Read through the comics section of the
  newspaper and select your favorite series.
• 2.  Cut out three sequential frames from the
  comic strip you like best, and glue the frames,
  in order, onto the boxes on the reproducible.
• 3. Re-write the captions/dialogue for each phrase
  using
• as many high frequency words. 
• 4. Students will share their creative endeavors.

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Word Wall - Modifications

• ESL Students
• Write words in English with their Spanish
  translation.

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Differentiating

• Auditory Learners
• Have students record themselves on cassette
  tape, reading the words and their meanings or
  translations.
• Kinesthetic Learners
• Allow students to play games that use their
  entire body or allow movement.

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Word Walls Differentiating Instruction

• GT Learners
• Allow students to research historical origins of
  words, creating a of their record derivations
• Irene C. Fountas Gay Su Pinnell (2001),
• Guiding Readers and Writers, Grades 3-6 (p. 28).
• Joan P. Carroll (2001). Survival Words, (p. 93).

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Bibliography

• Irene C. Fountas Gay Su Pinnell Voices on
  Word Matters
• Ralph Fletcher What a Writer Needs
• Patricia M.Cunningham Richard L. Allington
  Classrooms That Work
• Andrea McCarrier, Gay Su Pinnell Irene C.
  Fountas Interactive Writing-How Language
  Literacy Come Together, K-2
• Janet Allen, (1999) Words, Words, Words Teaching
  Vocabulary in Grades 4-12. (p. 75).
• Irene C. Fountas Gay Su Pinnell Guiding
  Readers and Writers, Grades 3-6
• Lucy Calkins Natalie Louis Writing for
  Readers Teaching Skills and Strategies