The Power of a Word Wall: Building Vocabulary Brick by Brick

It's no secret, I LOVE words. They evoke power, msytery, and love at depths that defy the human imagination.

And yet, they can be one of the most challenging things for students to have at the ready in their head.

Enter: the word wall.

As the name suggests, it is a visual display of vocaulary words for use in a classroom, albeit a formal school setting or a homeschool setting. These walls can be based around themes and ideas, such as holidays, events in history, seasons, interesting verbs, emotion words, etc. They can be done with any age level, from kindergarten into adult classrooms.

But just how will you students benefit from a word wall?

Tip #1 - Word walls develop vocabulary.

Word walls expose students to a wide range of vocabulary, encouraging them to learn new words and expand their lexicon. Seeing the words regularly helps reinforce their meaning and usage, and makes them available for use in classroom exercises involving sentences, paragraphs, essays, speeches, and everyday life.

Tip #2 - Word walls improve spelling.

By visually displaying correct spellings, word walls serve as a constant reference for students, helping them improve their spelling skills and build confidence in their writing. They are more likely to make connections with other words, and as they use the words in their writing, the spelling will further be reinforced.

Tip #3 - Word walls enhance reading comprehension.

A strong vocabulary is crucial for reading comprehension. Word walls help students understand the meaning of key words, making it easier for them to comprehend complex texts and multiple meanings.

Tip #4 - Word walls increase writing fluency.

The number one problem students have with writing is there are not enough words at the ready in their head. Having a readily available resource of vocabulary words empowers students to use more descriptive and varied language in their writing, improving their writing fluency and expression. This is especially important when it comes to subject matter topics in history, science, art, etc.

Tip #5 - Word walls provide interactive learning.

Not only can the word walls be used for classroom exercises and assessements, but they can also be used in various interactive activities, such as word games, matching exercises, and sentence building. This active engagement makes learning vocabulary more fun and memorable.

Easy to Start and Use

So, grab those index cards and/or markers, find a space or get writing charts, and get started! You will be noticing your student's vocabulary changing and morping into something magical in no time at all!

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Donna Hechler Porter, a graduate of Texas A & M University, is a life-long educator, a published author, and an arm-chair historian. When not writing or teaching, she rescues old furniture from the side of the road, stops at all garage sales, and never meets a thrift store she doesn't fall in love with! Donna has created Donna Hechler Porter, Tutor, to expand her love of reading and writing to help more students, young and old alike, fall into the magic of words and pens and to launch themselves into the futures they were destined for! Contact Donna at dhportertutor@gmail.com 

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