Word /Vocabulary Walls

Word walls are just what they sound like: A wall of words. And NO, it's not just a reading thing. The thing about word walls is that it's just a wall of words with no meaning unless the teacher makes it interactive. In other words, if the students don't have to use the words on the wall in their speaking and writing, then it's not interactive. If the words are random and not related to anything they are learning, then they are not interactive.

This page will be added to throughout the year as an ongoing "online PD" on word/vocabulary walls, their benefit, and how they are being utilized in our district.

Reading Rockets has some useful tips on using word walls:

A PowerPoint on Building effective word walls HERE

And, yes, even for secondary people!! :)

You can:

Have students write synonyms of the words and put them around the word in a different color, test on the words, or other games and vocabulary activities which correlate to what the students are learning. 

See this resource:

Sight Words:

For Elementary: Remember we are calling our sight words "Power Words" to match the language from Waterford. We all need to use the same "Power Words". They are found at the back of the Fountas and Pinnell "When Readers Struggle" book. Here's a copy (25, 50, and 100 word list):