I'm a newish teacher and alternatively certified. I will teach 6th grade this year and I want to use a word wall. I read about them all the time, but how do you start putting up the words and how is it used?
If you do a search for "secondary word walls" you will find some ideas to help you. Since I teach reading, my words will be vocab that we do from the stories or from our vocabulary books. There are all kinds of vocabulary you can use. Because I don't have the space to keep them up all year, I will put them up until we have mastered them (test time about once a month) and then start a new batch. I am going to introduce 5 new words each Wednesday (Word Wall Wednesday) and that will be our bell ringer for the day. They will write the word and definition, then draw a picture, list synonyms, antonyms, etc. - whatever I decide that week (or I may let them choose what to add). If you teach science, use science vocab, etc. I hope this makes sense. I have not done it like this before, so I hope it works this year. Be sure to check out these:
Well, maybe just M-Th... I have a narrow bulletin board in my room dedicated to "Wonderful Words". I choose one for each day M-Th.
The students receive a worksheet on Monday.
Each day they add the day's word, find and write a synonym and create an original sentence using the new word. I only post each word one day at a time usually with a sticky note and id'd the day of the week.
I collect these worksheets on Friday and use them as an English grade...Ah ha - sometimes when I need some more grades within the English umbrella ( you know, Grammar or Spelling) I use the grade of the Word Wall for that. Otherwise, it's a Vocab grade.
They are free to use a dictionary or a thesaurus. However, they are penalized (big time!) if they copy a sentence from the helpful thesaurus or from one of their buddies.
My 7th Graders have never really complained about the work. And it's all worth it when they discover one of those same words in their independent reading. BTW I just put words that I've come across that I think they should know, might encounter, or ones that are new to me. I invented this idea - use it or any portion of it...Have fun.
I teach 6th grade, I have 2 word walls in my classroom:
The first is for frequently misspelled words. When I look at student writing I keep a running list of words I see frequently misspelled, and then every Monday I add 3-4 new words to our wall from that list. Those word wall words I hold them accountable for spelling correctly in all their writing.
Then the second is a Nifty Thrifty Fifty word wall. I got the idea from Phonics in the Upper Grades (a FourBlocks resource book), where the 50 words that ultimately get posted by the end of the year, cover the most used prefixes, suffixes and spelling changes in English words. We add a couple words each week, and when each gets added we talk about how the prefix or suffix is used, what it means, etc.
I teach multiage 3rd-4th grade and I use a word wall that is generated by the students. After their DEAR time I will allow 1 or 2 students to put up a word that they found interesting or that they are not sure of its meaning. The student will then read the passage where they found their word and we discuss it as a class. I have found that it is a great way for kids to share their ideas, have them read out loud for a purpose, and recommend a great book to their friends.
Hi!
Read your post and I was wondering if you think the book you mentioned is worth buying??? The Nifty Fifty words sound great...is there any way to get the list or do you think buying the book is helpful/important?
I post our vocabulary words at the beginning of each week.
Throughout the week, we may have a minute a few times a day where we play a quick game with the wall: Count how many words have more than 1 syllable, which word matches this definition, can you find synonyms/antonyms, etc...
Find a copy or purchase one, Month By Month Phonics by Pat Cunningham. (You can get it for any grade level including the upper grades) It will guide you through actually teaching with the word wall. It introduces 10 words a month--------you don't just put up all the words at one time. It's fantastic and you will find it organized, full of activities that kids love, and strategies for teaching prefixes, suffixes, homophones, etc!!! The words come from the most frequently used words in writing. Also, you can use the Nifty Fifty with it. Have fun!
I agree with the recommendation to get Month by Month Phonics. I've found it really useful, the kids enjoy the activities, and it's laid out very well.
Month by Month Phonics for the Upper Grades is a good resource. I use a good chunk of it with my planning. For more word wall info. I also recommend A Teachers Guide to Big Blocks and/or Modifying Four Blocks for the Upper Grades -- they both contain a lot of good word work activities that you can do, along with the word wall and even additional information about how the word wall can connect into all the other areas of language arts.
08-02-2007, 02:15 PM
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