[en español]

by Leanne Guenther

Word wall templates are large flash card printables that you can hang on the wall to aid children when they are learning or using new vocabulary words.

There is a choice of dashed letters...  This can be used as a small tracer pages to help children learn to print the words.  One viewer suggested laminating them so that the children could reuse them -- trace with crayola markers and then wipe off.

How to use word wall words:

• The templates are found at the bottom of this page. Wherever possible, they include picture clues.  There are four words per template.
• Introduce one sheet of word wall words (4 words) per week.
  • Hang the words where everyone can see them.
  • I like to glue them onto card stock and have a border -- I have one border color for nouns, another for verbs, another for adjectives, another for words that can be a noun or a verb, etc.
  • You can display them on a bulletin board, in a pocket card or strung together like a banner around the room (see image for what this looks like).

  

   

• When you introduce each word, have the classroom 'chant' the spelling of the word. While they chant, they should clap their hands for each consonant and slap their knees for each vowel. Repeat this exercise for all of the new and one or two of the old word wall words each session.
• Make sure the word wall words are spelled correctly in any writing students do
• Distribute the word list to the children for them to take home for practice.

Ideas for using the word list:

• Word Wall Guessing Game:
  • Summary: The clue giver (usually the teacher for round one) provides clues to the word, when the child knows what word it is, they raise their hand and spell it.  If they spell the word correctly they get to be the clue giver (with help from the teacher)
  • Example:
    • the teacher picks the word "cat" but does not tell the class the word he has chosen.
    • Clue 1: The clue giver says, "The first clue is that the word was added to our word wall last Monday."
    • Clue 2: The clue giver says, "The word starts with the letter C."
    • Clue 3: The clue giver says, "The word is a noun."
    • Clue 4: The clue giver says, "This animal likes milk."
    • Clue 5: The clue giver says, "The word rhymes with rat."
  • Rather than doing this in an 'out loud' game format, you can do it as a fun version of a spelling test, where you have the kids spell the words based on clues given.
• Print two copies of these worksheets to play "concentration" (the memory game).
• Or print four copies of these worksheets to play "go fish" or "snap".
• have the children work in groups to research and discuss the meaning of the words on the word wall, then create individual journals (mini dictionaries) with definitions and an example sentence for each word.

  Mini Dictionary Template

• have the children chose one of the words and draw a picture inspired by that word

  Draw a Picture inspired by the word (color template) (B&W template)

• have the children write a poem or short story using words from the word wall
• Use the complimentary sentence sequencing cards to practice creating sentences using the word wall words and common sight words.

Learning Languages:

• Print out templates in Spanish and English (see below) and for use with any of the activities mentioned so far.  The matching picture clues help the children match the words and games like "go fish" or "snap" encourage the children to say the words out loud!

Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors words provided:

Template 1:  coat, colors, dream, Egypt

Template 2:  eleven, Jonah, Joseph, moon

Template 3:  seven, stars, sun, well

Templates - solid letters:

Word Wall word template 1    color  or  B&W

Word Wall word template 2    color  or  B&W

Word Wall word template 3    color  or  B&W

Templates - dashed letters (for tracing):

Word Wall word template 1    color  or  B&W

Word Wall word template 2    color  or  B&W

Word Wall word template 3    color  or  B&W

Printable version for these instructions