Building Powerful Word Walls Building Powerful Word Walls in Every PAISD Classroomin Every PAISD Classroom

Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and School LeadershipSchool Leadership

August 21, 2007August 21, 2007District-Wide Professional DevelopmentDistrict-Wide Professional Development

Johnny E. Brown, Ph.D.Johnny E. Brown, Ph.D.SuperintendentSuperintendent

Training OutlineTraining Outline Purpose and Desired Outcomes of TrainingPurpose and Desired Outcomes of Training Why Word Walls?Why Word Walls? Elements of a Powerful Word WallElements of a Powerful Word Wall Importance of Word WallsImportance of Word Walls Strategies for Engaging Students in Building the Strategies for Engaging Students in Building the

Word WallWord Wall How to Teach Students to Provide On-Going How to Teach Students to Provide On-Going

Maintenance of the Word Wall Maintenance of the Word Wall Sharing Ideas for Building Powerful Word WallsSharing Ideas for Building Powerful Word Walls Campus-Wide Word Wall Implementation Campus-Wide Word Wall Implementation

ActivitiesActivities District-Wide Monitoring ExpectationsDistrict-Wide Monitoring Expectations

Purpose and Desired Outcomes of Purpose and Desired Outcomes of TrainingTraining

This training is designed to assist teachers This training is designed to assist teachers in in all content areas to: all content areas to:

appreciateappreciate

buildbuild

use use

maintain Word Wallsmaintain Word Walls

What is a Word Wall?What is a Word Wall?A word wall isA word wall is

a systematically organized collection of words a systematically organized collection of words

displayed in large letters on a wall or other displayed in large letters on a wall or other large display place in the classroomlarge display place in the classroom

a tool to use, not just displaya tool to use, not just display

designed to promote group learning designed to promote group learning

to be shared by a classroom of studentsto be shared by a classroom of students

Why Word Walls?Why Word Walls?

Words -- the most important tools of a Words -- the most important tools of a reader or a writerreader or a writer

Words -- absolutely essential in our Words -- absolutely essential in our classrooms classrooms

Words -- must be in full view so thatWords -- must be in full view so that– teachers and students can work through teachers and students can work through

texts together texts together – so that students can see them and use so that students can see them and use

them in their writingthem in their writing

Importance of Word WallsImportance of Word Walls

Word Walls promote vocabulary growth and lead Word Walls promote vocabulary growth and lead to improvement in literacy.to improvement in literacy.

Word Walls serve many purposes: Word Walls serve many purposes:

– Provide meaningful building of vocabulary with Provide meaningful building of vocabulary with emphasis on student engagement and higher level emphasis on student engagement and higher level thinking skillsthinking skills

– Build vocabulary thereby improving reading Build vocabulary thereby improving reading comprehension and writing stylescomprehension and writing styles

Importance of Word WallsImportance of Word Walls

– Provide students with high-frequency words that Provide students with high-frequency words that will be encountered in particular units of studywill be encountered in particular units of study

– Reinforce understanding of subject-specific Reinforce understanding of subject-specific vocabulary with a focus on students vocabulary with a focus on students internalizing key conceptsinternalizing key concepts

– Help students to improve spelling and spelling Help students to improve spelling and spelling patternspatterns

Importance of Word WallsImportance of Word Walls

– Provide visual clues for studentsProvide visual clues for students

– Encourage increased student independence Encourage increased student independence when reading and writingwhen reading and writing

Regardless of the grade level or the subject Regardless of the grade level or the subject area, word walls are an extremely effective area, word walls are an extremely effective teaching and learning toolteaching and learning tool..

Elements of Effective Word WallsElements of Effective Word Walls

Build over time with shared student-Build over time with shared student-teacher responsibilityteacher responsibility

Words added with caution—at least five Words added with caution—at least five words per weekwords per week

Simple and uncluttered as possibleSimple and uncluttered as possible Practical and used on a daily basisPractical and used on a daily basis Space efficient -- easily seenSpace efficient -- easily seen Hands-onHands-on

Types of Word WallsTypes of Word Walls PersonalPersonal Content or ThematicContent or Thematic High FrequencyHigh Frequency Current EventsCurrent Events GenreGenre Common patterns, phonograms, Common patterns, phonograms,

phasesphases

Strategies for Engaging Students in Strategies for Engaging Students in Building the Word WallBuilding the Word Wall

Use students’ ideas and suggestions in Use students’ ideas and suggestions in determining words to be useddetermining words to be used

Use word walls daily Use word walls daily

Vary activities for using words on the word Vary activities for using words on the word wallwall

Word Wall ActivitiesWord Wall Activities

Erasing RelayErasing Relay Mind ReaderMind Reader Hot SeatHot Seat Word Wall BingoWord Wall Bingo Mystery WordsMystery Words Visiting WordsVisiting Words Word Pictures/Word RelationshipsWord Pictures/Word Relationships Word Origins and Root WordsWord Origins and Root Words

How to Teach Students to Provide How to Teach Students to Provide On-Going Maintenance of the Word On-Going Maintenance of the Word

Wall Wall Students mayStudents may Serve as weekly Word Wall Monitors to assess Serve as weekly Word Wall Monitors to assess

condition of the wallcondition of the wall– Easy to read and useEasy to read and use– Words in good condition or in need of repairWords in good condition or in need of repair

Suggest words to be added to the wallSuggest words to be added to the wall

Develop ideas for Word Wall activities Develop ideas for Word Wall activities

Sharing Ideas for Building Powerful Sharing Ideas for Building Powerful Word WallsWord Walls

Word Walls should be used in every content Word Walls should be used in every content

area and every grade level.area and every grade level.

For exampleFor example…..…..

Elementary Word WallsElementary Word Walls

Grade 2Grade 2

Urbanization

Migration

13th Amendment

Middle School Word WallsMiddle School Word Walls

Hazardous Environmental Conditions

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources

Renewable Resources

Bill of Rights

French and Indian War

High School Word WallsHigh School Word Walls

1492

1939-1945

Cold War

Albert Einstein

Cultural Change

Campus-Wide Word Wall Campus-Wide Word Wall Implementation ActivitiesImplementation Activities

Review PowerPoint presentation of Powerful Word Review PowerPoint presentation of Powerful Word WallsWalls

Share Word Walls used in the past and ideas for Share Word Walls used in the past and ideas for future onesfuture ones

Meet by grade levels and subject areas to Meet by grade levels and subject areas to brainstorm appropriate Word Walls brainstorm appropriate Word Walls

Make long-range plans for the first six weeksMake long-range plans for the first six weeks Visit peers’ room to view Word WallsVisit peers’ room to view Word Walls Assess degree of implementation at each grade Assess degree of implementation at each grade

level/department meetinglevel/department meeting

District-Wide Monitoring District-Wide Monitoring ExpectationsExpectations

Each teacher will establish classroom Word Each teacher will establish classroom Word WallsWalls

Word Walls will be appropriate for grade Word Walls will be appropriate for grade level/departmentlevel/department

Students and teachers will use Word Walls Students and teachers will use Word Walls dailydaily

Word Walls will be changed as necessary to Word Walls will be changed as necessary to accompany units of studyaccompany units of study

““Make no mistake about it:Make no mistake about it:when we teach a child to read,when we teach a child to read,

we change the world.”we change the world.”