Harrell Section IV, Chapter 31

Chapter 31 Word Walls: Displaying and Organizing Words for Easy Access. Word walls are alphabetical lists of words created in the classroom for the purpose of word study and vocabulary development.(Harrell 183) Word walls can be as simple as a list of words written on a sheet of paper.

Bilingual, or multilingual, word walls are beneficial in a classroom where students are learning English as a second language. Bilingual word walls serve as a reference for students as they write and interact verbally in the classroom.

There are different types of word wall that teacher can create for use in the classroom. Teachers will often create high-frequency word word walls and other word walls related to words being studied in connection to a literature or science focus unit. As the class moves on to different units they may take the words from the previous units and place them on a word ring and displayed for the students reference. It is also beneficial to hang a picture of the cover of the book to which the words are related next to the word wall. This helps students locate words by simply recalling the context in which the words were studied.

Word wall can be implemented into the classroom by following three simple steps: begin word study, use the word wall, and keep the word wall interactive.

Beginning a word study includes deciding on a format and brainstorming a list of words with the students. Arranging the words on individual cards in alphabetical order allows the students to access the words more efficiently. The teacher then hangs them on a wall or places them in a pocket chart. In the multilingual classroom, translations and illustration are added to support students' use of the words in writing and speaking. It is important to involve the students when adding words to the word wall.

When using the word wall in the classroom, refer to the word wall when a word is discussed. It is imperative that the teacher helps the students see the possibilities for the use of the word wall. When students ask for the spelling of a word that is posted on the word wall, draw the student's attention to it.

Using the words for activities such as word sorts, definition games, practicing syllabication, and phoneme segmentation is an effective way to keep the word wall interactive in the classroom. As word studies change and are completed, the words should be transferred to word cards and placed on a metal ring by punching a hole in the corner of each card. The ring can then be stored on a nail or hook in the classroom, easily accessible by the students.

I would use word wall in my elementary classroom in all different subject areas. I think it would particularly useful for multilingual students in language arts and reading. After reading the new stories in the textbook each week, I would review some of the words with the studets, that they think should go on our word wall. I think that it is important to use visuals along with written language to help them have a better understanding of what the word is and how it can be used.

I think that word walls are a very effective means for supporting new English language learners as well as proficient English speaking students in the classroom. I do not really foresee any problems that a word wall could cause in the classroom. They seem like a very reliable and advantageous resource to have.