Interactive Word Walls

Word walls are an essential part of a word-rich environment. A word-rich environment happens when a teacher uses the classroom walls to intentionally display vocabulary words that can be referenced, built upon, and manipulated.

To effectively use word walls, consider the following three activities: show, shelve, and shuffle.

Show

When discussing key terms and concepts, consider taking a word card from your word wall (pocket chart) and hold it close to your chest. As you talk about the word, students are listening to you and looking at the word. This helps students understand that everything you are talking about is related to the word you are holding. In the beginning, you can have students say the word out loud. For example, you can say, “This word is counterargument. Say it together, “Counterargument.” As you layer concepts or make connections to other ideas, consider holding two related cards close to your chest. You can also use magnets to adhere word cards on a whiteboard. When you finish talking about the word, “shelve it.”

Shelve

It’s important to display relevant, unit specific words in the classroom so students can easily see them and refer to them. “Shelving” words ensures students can continue to see essential words in a unit and use those words while speaking and writing. “Shelved” words can be pulled from the pocket chart and shown during lecture and in small group instruction. The words can also be used to engage students in higher level thinking with station activities like “Shuffle.”

Shuffle

Shuffle can be done independently or in small groups. Students sit in front of a pocket chart with words they are learning. Students categorize the words or make connections among the words. Students rearrange the words based on the task. To scaffold this activity, the teacher can predetermine category titles. Students move words around on the word wall (pocket chart) so that all students can see what is happening. Leaving the words in the pocket chart also helps the classroom teacher observe the group’s decisions and activity.

We hope this article provides some practical ways to "breath" new life into your word walls.

As seen on Learning with LeMaster