Word Walls

Overview

A word wall helps build Vocabulary for reading fluidity. Doing activities with the wall, such as gesturing, encourages participation, helping students remember the words even better.

Use It in the Classroom

Watch how a teacher uses a word wall in a game format to promote recall of Vocabulary through Sight Recognition.

Learners can refer to word walls in their classrooms or personal word walls on their desks as visual support during class activities. Using external memory aids like this helps students increase their ability to recognize sight words. Research shows that the more words a student knows as a kindergartener, the stronger their reading comprehension is throughout elementary school.

Design It into Your Product

Videos are chosen as examples of strategies in action. These choices are not endorsements of the products or evidence of use of research to develop the feature.

By using Padlet, students and teachers can co-create word walls, helping to move words from Short- to Long-term Memory. Watch this video to see how collaborative digital word walls can support learning.

A digital word wall can adapt , and previous word walls can be referred to with ease. Providing this type of word wall can bring Working and Long-term Memory into action.

View References

Resources

Below are additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.

Cognition & Memory

Topic that includes cognitive science theories about how the brain processes information on Digital Promise's Research Map

Content Strategies and Pitfalls

Six tips on how to get started with a word wall

Personal Word Wall

Free template to create individual word walls

Word Wall Strategies

Overview of word wall strategies that is also separated by content

Working Memory

Subtopic that describes the function of the brain's working memory on Digital Promise's Research Map