Setting up a Great Word Wall
A Word Wall is a collection of words that are easily visible in the classroom. This wall provides a dictionary of sorts for those high frequency words that generally break phonics rules or appear regularly in print, color words, and student names. This wall provides support for students, enabling them to become independent writers.
SETTING UP THE WALL
Place the Word Wall in a central location that can be easily seen from various views in the classroom.
Use a font that is easily read.
Refer to the wall often to practice words and train students to look at the wall for support.
Put up the words one at a time as they are taught. If you litter the wall with the year’s worth of words in advance they will not easily see the dictionary pattern of the wall or completely learn its purpose.
As you place words, use the think-a-loud approach to teach reference skills that allow words to be easily found.
A great way to begin the wall is by introducing student's names in a dictionary fashion as letters are being introduced. Do not add the entire class to the wall at one time. The process is more important than the product. Add the names as you introduce each letter.
Research has shown that words that are printed in red ink with a yellow background promotes visual performance and brain connections (2010 Dyslexic Online). The term power words connects the importance of learning sight words with the power of knowledge. Constructing the word wall as a dictionary; connecting letters and visual sound cards that are used frequently in the classroom (or home), makes for a powerful connection between letter-sound-word.
This packets contains all the materials you'll need to prepare students and organize your word wall. Also tips for extension and use, a personal student-size alphabet/word dictionary, alphabet chant (to promote alphabet knowledge), and an alphabet poster are included.
You will love the connections that this word wall kit will make with your students. And, you will be happy to see that research pays off as its all inclusive, interactive nature will create independent early readers!
NOTE: Contains over 200 power word cards and available in two styles. The one pictured above on the pin, and the other, also pictured above, filled our lovable alphabet zoo animals!
