M11: Word Walls - More than Decoration

Another topic to consider when teaching writing is the use of Word Walls. A word wall is a display area in the classroom devoted to high-frequency vocabulary that will be used or is being used during the course of a particular unit of study. Word Walls are in most of the videos we have seen of elementary classrooms and are super important components of writing instruction for kids. They can also be a helpful tool in secondary schools.

When using word walls for teaching, there are a few points to remember:

  • Word walls are not merely a decoration in the classroom. They are intended to be useful tools.
  • Words selected must be useful to students, usable by students, and frequently used in the subject area.
  • Select high-frequency words that are used in the context in which you expect the students to know them.
  • Use the same display area throughout the semester for your word wall.
  • Most word walls present words in alphabetical order. Doing this helps students find the words quicker, and it also reinforces alphabetizing skills. However, interactive word walls do not necessarily follow the 

Types of Word Walls:  

  • High frequency sight words
  • Spelling word wall 
  • Content-area word wall 
  • Unit/Chapter word wall 
  • Parts of Speech word wall 
  • Frequently misspelled words
  • Words with specific spelling patterns (prefixes, suffixes, vowel digraphs)

Make it Useful to Students

  • Once students become familiar with the Word Wall, they will look for the wall. Consistency is important when presenting organizational ideas to a class.
  • Refer to the display area as the “word wall.”
  • Having words easily visible on the Word Wall helps student who are learning English.

Using the Word Wall

  • Have students help select words.
  • Use grade-level high frequency words and/or specific content-related vocabulary.
  • Add words gradually, approximately 5 per week is enough.
  • Use the word wall daily – it’s a tool!
  • Be certain words are spelled correctly. 

You can use whole class word walls, as well as individual word walls.  The following videos show two teachers explaining how they use word walls in their classrooms: both are focusing on vocabulary, but with a different twist. Read the descriptions below the video and then jump in! 
As you can see, a word wall is an ongoing, organized display of key words that provides visual reference for students throughout a unit of study. In this video, the teacher is conducting a vocabulary lesson on a Greek prefix using a word wall. This helps students see the relationships between words and ideas, which enhances academic achievement. In this video, the teacher encourages students to stop and think about words in order to support vocabulary development. These words are also used continually by teachers and students during a variety of activities in order to help students make connections to different concepts - such as spelling and writing. 

You might want to write down your thoughts at this point about how these teachers are using the word walls, what you would imitate or change, and what you think is most valuable. 

Read more about the Word Walls Teaching Technique by reading the two following documents.

  • The first is written by Dr. Julie Jackson, TX State Professor of Science, on using interactive word walls in Science. 
  • The second is a guide on how to use the word wall as a teaching tool, including some additional photo examples.

These are both excellent resources!