I am so excited to try some new ideas I have for my word wall. I want to "do word wall, not just have a word wall" I've read that having each word on a different color will help my students visual the words in their minds. That is what I'm doing on my classroom word wall and what I've created on my smart board word wall as well. I have attached my smart board word wall to this blog. Please feel free to use it in your classroom. If you click on the words an audio will say the word. I plan to add text boxes to each of the colored boxes with my word wall words. I want to make sure it matches my classroom word wall exactly with words and colors. My students have word wall dictionaries in their writing binders. I want to have them write each word in the color it is on the board. I read a fabulous teacher's blog about "doing word wall" I cut and pasted the blog, but I can't find her name on it. I wish I could give her credit. She had so many wonderful morning routine games that I plan to implement into my whole group literacy routine. Here are a few of her ideas.
***Word Wall, Beach Ball*** -
Kids stand in a circle. I begin by calling out a word wall word and toss the beach ball to a kid. He or she tells me the color of the word on the word wall. That child then says a word wall word and calls another child's name before tossing the ball. The cycle continues. To speed the pace of the game, I count "1, 2, 3" - the ball must be tossed or it comes back to me. That prevents anyone from holding onto the ball. Also ONLY the child's name called can touch the ball. If anyone else touches the ball, he/she must sit out. I do this for safety mainly. I don't want a ton of kids diving for the ball. :0)
***Hot Potato***
We all sit in a circle. I play music as we pass a Mr. Potato Head or small ball. When the music stops, I say, "Read a red word". The child who is holding the potato/ball reads a word from the word wall that is red. That child gets to choose where the ball will start back up. My rule for this game is that you may only hold the potato for 3 seconds or you are out. That really helps keep kids from holding onto the potato too long. Sometimes I start the game with a blank Mr. Potato Head. Each time it stops on a kid who reads a word wall word - that child gets to choose a Mr. Potato Head body part to add. They LOVE this!
***Musical Chairs ***
Place chairs in a circle. Tape a different word wall word on the back of each seat - one for each of your students. We set up the chairs in a big circle. Kids sit in a seat. As the music starts, the kids start walking in a circle. When the music stops kids find a seat closest to them. I show a word wall word. The kids read the word then check to see which word is at the back of their seat. If they have the matching word wall word - they are out and can sit in the middle of the circle. Sometimes those that are out help me show a word wall word.
***Writing Chairs***
This game is very similar to the Musical Chairs above. The main difference is no one is out. Each child has a marker board and a marker. We play music and they walk around. When the music stops, they sit. Then at once all students look for the word on the back of their seats and write the word on the index card. On the count of 3 we all "showcase" - share the word we wrote. Then we erase and start again.
*** Cha Cha Word Wall ***
I have enough maracas for every student in the class to have one. So, for this activity we will get out the maracas and go to town. We sing the word wall words to the tune of the Cha-Cha!
"cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha
like, like, like, like, like, like
l-i-k-e, like -i-k-e, like l-i-k-e, like l-i-k-e, like l-i-k-e, l-i-k-e
I want to say again these are not my ideas. I wish with all my heart I could remember the teacher's name and blog to give her credit her blog has changed the way "I do word wall" and I'm forever grateful to her for sharing her ideas.
***Word Wall, Beach Ball*** -
Kids stand in a circle. I begin by calling out a word wall word and toss the beach ball to a kid. He or she tells me the color of the word on the word wall. That child then says a word wall word and calls another child's name before tossing the ball. The cycle continues. To speed the pace of the game, I count "1, 2, 3" - the ball must be tossed or it comes back to me. That prevents anyone from holding onto the ball. Also ONLY the child's name called can touch the ball. If anyone else touches the ball, he/she must sit out. I do this for safety mainly. I don't want a ton of kids diving for the ball. :0)
***Hot Potato***
We all sit in a circle. I play music as we pass a Mr. Potato Head or small ball. When the music stops, I say, "Read a red word". The child who is holding the potato/ball reads a word from the word wall that is red. That child gets to choose where the ball will start back up. My rule for this game is that you may only hold the potato for 3 seconds or you are out. That really helps keep kids from holding onto the potato too long. Sometimes I start the game with a blank Mr. Potato Head. Each time it stops on a kid who reads a word wall word - that child gets to choose a Mr. Potato Head body part to add. They LOVE this!
***Musical Chairs ***
Place chairs in a circle. Tape a different word wall word on the back of each seat - one for each of your students. We set up the chairs in a big circle. Kids sit in a seat. As the music starts, the kids start walking in a circle. When the music stops kids find a seat closest to them. I show a word wall word. The kids read the word then check to see which word is at the back of their seat. If they have the matching word wall word - they are out and can sit in the middle of the circle. Sometimes those that are out help me show a word wall word.
***Writing Chairs***
This game is very similar to the Musical Chairs above. The main difference is no one is out. Each child has a marker board and a marker. We play music and they walk around. When the music stops, they sit. Then at once all students look for the word on the back of their seats and write the word on the index card. On the count of 3 we all "showcase" - share the word we wrote. Then we erase and start again.
*** Cha Cha Word Wall ***
I have enough maracas for every student in the class to have one. So, for this activity we will get out the maracas and go to town. We sing the word wall words to the tune of the Cha-Cha!
"cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha
like, like, like, like, like, like
l-i-k-e, like -i-k-e, like l-i-k-e, like l-i-k-e, like l-i-k-e, l-i-k-e
I want to say again these are not my ideas. I wish with all my heart I could remember the teacher's name and blog to give her credit her blog has changed the way "I do word wall" and I'm forever grateful to her for sharing her ideas.
wordwall.notebook |