• Encourage the introduction of new words.
• Show the importance of letters and words.
• Promote letter and sound recognition.
• Provide ongoing support for learners at differing levels.
• Develop independence in learning.
• Create authentic learning using words from stories being read.
• Supply a familiar list of words that become part of children’s speaking, reading, and writing vocabularies.
• Scaffold children as they begin reading and writing independently.

• The alphabet will be displayed in alphabetical order, with uppercase and lowercase letters together. Most ELLM/Plus classrooms use the Word Wall Header Cards because they also display the picture of each object named in Come Along, Sing the Alphabet Song.
• No word cards will be on the Word Wall on the first day.
• Sing Come Along, Sing the Alphabet Song a few times with the children on the first day of school, pointing to each letter on the Word Wall with a pointer as you sing. This will introduce the song and teach your class that the Word Wall is arranged in alphabetical order.
• After the class has sung the song a few times, begin adding children’s names and pictures, reviewing the first letters in the children’s names.

• Write children’s first names on index cards and place a picture beside each name.
• Begin adding children’s names to the Word Wall on the first day of school.
• As soon as children’s names are on the wall, begin posting additional word cards.
• Besides selecting Word Wall cards and Vocabulary and Concept cards from the ELLM/Plus instructional packets to add to your wall, you may want to add color words, numerals, or shape words that you introduce to your class.

• Select one or two name cards to add to the Word Wall each day.
• Help children identify the child in the picture, and the letters in the name on each card.
• Letter Count – Count the number of letters in the name as a group.
• Cheerleading – Create a cheer for the name with a motion for each letter.
• Comprehension – Have the class wave to the child as they say the name.
• Add the name card to the Word Wall.

• Talk with the children about new words. Discuss how the word looks, sounds, and how it compares
  to other words on the wall.
• Complete the following activities:
  - Letter Count – Count the number of letters in the word as a group.
  - Cheerleading – Create a cheer for the word with a motion for each letter.
  - Comprehension – Have the class wave to the child as they say the name or word.
• Add the card to the Word Wall.

• Recognition of pictures, letters, sounds, words, rhyming words, and spelling patterns
• Concept of word
• Syllable segmentation
• Spoken words can be written
• Print has meaning
• Alphabetical order
• Spelling patterns

• Shortage of space – words that children are no longer discussing or using in their writing can be removed from the Word Wall to make room for new words
• To allow children to focus on new words
• To create portable Word Walls or posters
• To develop thematic or seasonal Word Walls
• To develop an environmental print Word Wall

Word Wall Research and References (PDF 2.1MB)

Word Wall Sample Activities (PDF 24KB)

Word Wall Web Sites