A word wall is a

literacy Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...

tool composed of an organized collection of vocabulary words that are displayed in large visible letters on a wall,

bulletin board A bulletin board (pinboard, pin board, noticeboard, or notice board in British English) is a surface intended for the posting of public messages, for example, to advertise items wanted or for sale, announce events, or provide information. ...

, or other display surface in a classroom. The word wall is designed to be an interactive tool for students or others to use, and contains an array of words that can be used during

writing Writing is the act of creating a persistent representation of language. A writing system includes a particular set of symbols called a ''script'', as well as the rules by which they encode a particular spoken language. Every written language ...

and/or

reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

. The frequent exposure to words in the environment is thought to enhance students' memory. Word walls have been shown to be effective in teaching

English Language Learners English-language learner (often abbreviated as ELL) is a term used in some English-speaking countries such as the United States and Canada to describe a person who is learning the English language and has a native language that is not English. Some ...

and students with disabilities.

History of word walls

Word walls increased in popularity due to Dr. Patricia Cunningham's publication ''Phonics They Use: Words for Reading and Writing''. The book, used by preservice and practicing teachers alike, provides a myriad of hands on activities to teach phonics in the classroom.

Methods of usage

Word walls can be used in classrooms ranging from

pre-school A preschool (sometimes spelled as pre school or pre-school), also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school, is an educational establishment or learning space Learning space or learning setting refers to a physical s ...

through

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

. Word walls are becoming commonplace in classrooms for all subject areas. High schools teachers use word walls in their respective content areas to teach spelling, vocabulary words, and mathematics symbols. Word walls are considered to be interactive and collaborative tools, as they are a student-created learning artifact due to their flexible nature and ability to "grow" alongside the students. Many variations of the word wall are currently in existence, including those featuring illustrations of the words and color-coded lists. Vocabulary words are often ordered alphabetically or grouped to support a certain area of study. Words can be selected through the process of

recognition of prior learning Recognition of prior learning (RPL), prior learning assessment (PLA), or prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) describes a process used by regulatory bodies, adult learning centres, career development practitioners, military organizati ...

. Teachers assess the students' vocabulary knowledge in order to determine which words should be reviewed and which should be taught as new words. Often, words are paired alongside pictures to enhance understanding. Typically associated with reading and writing instruction, word walls are used to foster

phonemic awareness Phonemic awareness is a part of phonological awareness in which listeners are able to hear, identify and manipulate phonemes, the smallest mental units of sound that help to differentiate units of meaning (morphemes). Separating the spoken word " ...

, display connections throughout word families (ex. "ack" - back, crack, slack, etc.), serve as a support/reference for students, and create meaningful experiences with new vocabulary words. It is notable that word walls are not to be used alone to teach vocabulary. Students also need to be encouraged to interact with the words in intentional ways for their word knowledge to increase. For example, teachers can ask students to produce synonyms for a particular word or how to use it in a sentence.

Research on students

English language learners

Research has suggested that word walls are a helpful tool for students who are learning English as a new language. English-language learners are shown to benefit from word walls because of the visual element and words that are pre-selected as appropriate for the student to use. For example, students learning English may refer to the word wall to use academic language in classroom conversations.

Students with disabilities

In a 2007 study, word walls in classrooms were found to improve the spelling skills of students with disabilities. Moreover, students used the words on the word walls in their writing pieces, which improved their writing. There was also a jump in students' motivation towards writing.

References

{{Reflist Literacy