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A quick recap of important EL teaching practices

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A quick recap of important EL teaching practices

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1. Increase ELL students' English language production and peer interaction

2. Explicitly teach English language vocabulary and structures

3. Build on ELLs' background knowledge to increase comprehension

4. Increase ELL parent involvement

5. Increase writing opportunities

You are welcome to print copies or republish materials for non-commercial use as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact info@readingrockets.org.

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Five Things Teachers Can Do to Improve Learning for ELLs in the New Year

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This Bright Ideas article recommends five specific and measurable actions teachers can implement to assist ELL learning in the upcoming year. The resource section has links to helpful articles and websites for further support.

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Describing the important elements that make up cultures

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Describing the important elements that make up cultures

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Website that provides curriculum and module maps for ELs in K-8th

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Website that provides curriculum and module maps for ELs in K-8th

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Activity that encourages peer talk and builds reading confidence (Jigsaw Method)

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Activity that encourages peer talk and builds reading confidence (Jigsaw Method)

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Simple ways to integrate your students' cultures into the classroom

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Simple ways to integrate your students' cultures into the classroom

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University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education

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Educators today are working in an increasingly diverse world, which translates to an equally diverse classroom. Just look at the statistics: the 2020 U.S. Census found that the population of all minorities in the United States increased from 2010, and the multiracial population specifically grew 276% over a 10-year period. When you consider a previous Census Bureau report that forecasted that half of all U.S. students in public schools would be minority students by 2020, it becomes clear why culturally responsive teaching is becoming increasingly important.

However, knowing how to implement a culturally relevant pedagogy isn't inherently easy, and requires a balancing act on the part of you, the educator. To help you start to introduce these concepts and tactics into your classroom, here is a breakdown of culturally responsive teaching and 10 examples of CRT being implemented in schools.

What is Culturally Responsive Teaching?

According to Edutopia, culturally responsive teaching "attempts to bridge the gap between teacher and student by helping the teacher understand the cultural nuances that may cause a relationship to break down - which ultimately causes student achievement to break down as well."

When put into practice, teachers can develop culturally responsive pedagogies which are "student-centered approaches to teaching in which the students' unique cultural strengths are identified and nurtured to promote student achievement and a sense of well-being about the student's cultural place in the world."

Why Use Culturally Responsive Teaching?

There are numerous studies that point to the benefits of culturally responsive teaching (CRT). CRT has been shown to increase student engagement, cultivate critical thinking and problem solving skills, and ultimately improve a students' sense of belonging in the classroom. For educators, culturally responsive pedagogy has been critical for improving their ability to reach students, especially in the time of remote teaching and COVID-19. Reports show that teachers who use this teaching style are better able to respond to student needs, and is an effective way to combat educational inequities that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

From an overall educational perspective, the biggest benefits of culturally relevant teaching include:

Teachers and students are more actively contributing to the classroom environment and culture.

Students get to learn from more interactive, collaborative and culturally conscious activities.

This teaching style helps foster a sense of belonging for students of all backgrounds.

It has been proven to improve brain processing and student engagement.

10 Examples of Culturally Responsive Teaching in the Classroom

There is no one way to implement elements of culturally responsive teaching into your classroom. There are countless different tactics to try that align with your style - here are 10 of the most common:

1. Learn About Your Students: Kick the school year off with exercises that help you get to know your students. Distribute surveys or questionnaires that allow your students to share a bit more about their backgrounds, and their learning styles. With these responses you can go into the year with a complete picture of your classroom makeup.

2. Interview Students: This is a more personal approach to getting to know your students better. Face-to-face communication will help create an open dialogue between you and your pupils, and will encourage them to open up about things like their hobbies, favorite subjects and their preferred in-class exercises.

3. Integrate Relevant World Issues: There are many different ways to do this. Consider implementing a current events roundup into your morning meetings or classroom routine. You can also use culturally relevant terms in word problems that relate back to student interests and cultures.

4. Leverage the Power of Story: Many cultures have oral traditions, myths and stories that are passed down through the generations. These stories can be used as teaching tools about manners, morality and more. Use your students' diverse cultural stories to teach valuable lessons to your classroom, while also sharing some unique history of other groups.

5. Gamify Lessons: Gaming is hugely popular amongst school-aged children. Consider "gamifying" your lessons - popular tactics include offering reward badges or setting standards for new "levels" students can move up to for certain projects or proficiencies.

6. Use Media that Positively Depict a Range of Cultures: Find age-appropriate media outlets from different cultures and languages to use in your curriculum. These outlets can be used to teach a differing perspective on a current or historical event.

7. Encourage Students to Propose Ideas for Projects: Turning the tables and letting students propose ideas for projects is a great way to let students play to their strengths and get creative. Encourage them to use their cultural heritages or backgrounds as an inspiration, and support them in taking projects from concept to completion.

8. Experiment with Peer Teaching: It is suggested that teachers try allowing students to participate in peer-to-peer teaching. In this exercise, students are able to use their own vocabulary and cultural references to teach each other about a topic or subject.

9. Encourage Students to Leverage Cultural Capital: Empower your students that come from varying backgrounds to use their voices and speak about their diverse backgrounds. For example, if you teach an English class that includes ESL students, try to find ways to include them in lessons and allow them to share experiences they have had.

10. Involve Parents by Using Take-Home Letters: Open the door to parent participation at the start of the school year, when starting a new unit or trying an education tool for the first time. Parents can provide cultural context and support, and will appreciate being kept in the loop regarding their child's education.

How to Implement Culturally Responsive Teaching in the Classroom

There isn't a step-by-step process that every teacher must follow to introduce culturally relevant teaching into their classroom. Instead, here are some elements of a culturally inclusive classroom, and some choices you can make to begin this exciting process:

Gather demographic information on students such as background, languages spoken, etc.

Identify students' assets and their cultural capital.

Create a welcoming classroom environment and develop authentic, caring relationships with your students.

Examine the curriculum to identify where you can tie in cultural elements.

Explore CRT resources to deepen your own understanding of the concept.

Share your own background and experiences with students to open lines of communication.

Encourage students to talk in pairs or small groups before sharing their own experiences with the whole class.

Learn about your students' traditions, holidays and family or other cultural activities, and try incorporating some of these traditions or activities into classroom activities.

Choose media, like stories or poems or video, that reflects the culture of the students so they can relate to the topic or characters, and teach their classmates about their heritage.

How Does Culturally Responsive Teaching Apply to Parents & Families?

Students' parents and guardians can be one of your most valuable resources when it comes to building a culturally relevant pedagogy. Because they are your students' resource when it comes to learning about their own cultural backgrounds. As such, you should be sure to engage with families from the beginning, inviting parents and guardians into the classroom community. They can share books from their native cultures or country, or participate as a guest speaker to tell their own stories. This helps them actively participate in their child's learning and share a bit about what makes them unique.

Resources for Culturally Responsive Teaching

Some easily accessible CRT resources available to teachers include:
Mathematica Education Northwest ChangeKidsLives Inclusive Schools Network Culturally Responsive
Professional Development for Culturally Responsive Teaching

There are a number of introductory resources available online for educators interested in culturally responsive teaching. However, these articles and eBooks provide a surface-level overview of CRT. While this information is hugely valuable, for educators who seek to have a more comprehensive understanding of this practice, there are other options.

Consider the Teaching for Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity in the Classroom Series offered by the University of San Diego. This program is available through the school's Division of Professional and Continuing Education, meaning each course in this series is available completely online. Through the Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity program, learners will learn how to celebrate diversity, and also strategize how to promote inclusivity, equity and anti-racism in the classroom. To learn more about this program, please contact us.

FAQs

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University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education

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Culturally Responsive Teaching Guide (+10 Examples) - University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education

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Culturally Responsive Teaching Guide (+10 Examples). Advance your career with professional and continuing education from the University of San Diego.

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Ellevation: EL Program Management Tools for K-12

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Intelligence Tests to Better Identify Gifted and Talented ELs

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Teaching with Comprehensible Content: Definition & Examples

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See how you can increase progress of English Language Learners (ELLs) with comprehensible input. Complete with background and classroom techniques.

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Stephen Krashen's theory of language acquisition 

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Stephen Krashen's theory of language acquisition 

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List of ideas of classroom activities that align with ELL standards

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List of ideas of classroom activities that align with ELL standards

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Every student learns a little differently. This is especially true when it comes to ELLs who may struggle to sit through a lesson or reading they simply can't understand. As an ELL teacher, you'll need to find engaging and educational activities that help students learn the curriculum and grow social skills.

Luckily, there are hundreds of creative vocabulary, writing, listening, and speaking activities for ELLs to choose from. We've compiled some of our favorite tried-and-true activities for ELLs that get students excited about learning. While not every activity will be appropriate for your students' age group or fluency level, many of these activities can work in your classroom with modifications. Just remember - you know your students best, so choose (and adjust) the activities that work best for your classroom!

Vocabulary Activities for ELLs

ELL newcomers must build their English vocabularies quickly and exponentially. Additionally, ELLs need support in developing mastery of academic language. Here are some of our favorite in-context and isolated vocabulary activities for ELLs.

Previewing Text - Before reading, have students scan the text for words or phrases they don't know. Create a list on the board and then work together as a class to see how many you can define based on context clues and prior knowledge. You may want to create a vocabulary word wall so that students can reference these terms. Celebrate the process of discovering new words and understanding their meanings.

Word Bingo - If you have a large amount of vocabulary to cover at once, try playing word bingo. Call out the words to practice recognition, and as your students' understandings grow, you can call out definitions or fill-in-the-blank sentences to check for comprehension as well. In order to check their winning board, students must read back the words they've marked. Games like bingo can also help students build confidence in their pronunciation alongside other listening and speaking activities for ELLs.

Mad Libs - This simple game is a great way to test word recognition and teach definitions at the same time. Create a paragraph of text using your vocabulary words. Then, remove either the vocabulary words themselves or the context clues around them. Students take turns filling in the words or the context clue words that reveal their definitions.

Picture Dictionary - Picture dictionaries are a great classroom resource, but having students create their own picture dictionaries is one of the best vocabulary activities for ELLs. Provide a template with words in place and then offer drawing materials, magazine clippings, clip art, or even a camera to help students create images that will help them remember each word. Since they choose what to draw and how to draw it, they'll be more likely to create personal connections with each word, assisting with vocabulary retention.

Categorizing and Connecting - Appropriate for all levels of ELLs, categorizing vocabulary and showing connections among words is easy and effective. Give students familiar and new vocabulary words in whatever platform you'd like. Students should categorize the words according to what makes sense to them. You can pair it with discussions or short writing activities. Throughout the unit, build upon the vocabulary and have students repeat the activity as many times as you'd like as a formative assessment. By the end of the unit, students should be able to make connections and categorize the vocabulary for the unit. This is a great way to scaffold a large writing or speaking assignment and can be modified for newcomers with the use of pictures.

Writing Activities for ELLs

In addition to listening and speaking activities for ELLs, writing is less time-depending and therefore offers unique opportunities to build vocabulary in context and demonstrate critical thinking. For many, writing activities for ELLs are one of the best ways to check their understanding without the pressure of speaking in front of the class. Here are some of our favorite writing activities for ELLs.

Social Media Writing Prompts - Social media prompts are a great way to make writing more fun and engaging for students. Ask them to summarize a story they read in five "tweets" or short sentences. Provide photos and ask them to write an "Instagram" caption for each. The possibilities are endless and students love the tie-in to social media.

Write an Advertisement - Ask students to bring in a favorite object (or a photo of it) and then write an ad that tells the class why they should buy one, too. This is a great way to introduce persuasive writing and allow students to share their passions and hobbies with the class.

Practicing Proofreading - Proofreading can be stressful for students because they are often asked to correct another student's work and identify errors on their own. Instead, create a writing sample yourself and ask for your students' help as a class to take turns finding mistakes and correcting them.

The "New" Student - This is one of the best writing activities for ELLs because it also tests their understanding of classroom rules and procedures. Tell the class you want to compile a list of tips for an imaginary new student joining the class. Then, ask each student to create a list, letter, or idea web of everything they think the new student should know. Review the final list as a class to reinforce any classroom procedures that still need practice.

Listening Activities for ELLs

Listening is one of the most essential skills students will need to develop to find success in the classroom. Listening activities test cognition, retention, and their ability to follow instructions. Check out these engaging and interactive listening activities for ELLs.

Simon Says - This classic game is fun and practical. It can be played traditionally or with classroom-oriented instructions like "Simon says pick up your red marker" to practice relevant vocabulary. You can also extend the game by adding flashcards.

Two Truths and a Lie - Students come up with three statements about themselves, including two true statements and one false. The other students discuss and choose which is the lie. This game can be played in pairs, small groups, or as a class. You can also provide groups of three statements about a current topic in the classroom.

Back-to-Back Interview - This game is one of our favorite listening and speaking activities for ELLs because it eliminates facial expressions and gestures, forcing students to truly rely on their listening skills. Students sit in pairs, facing away from one another. One student is the interviewer and asks the other student questions to learn more about them. Then the students switch. Once both students have been interviewed, they share what they learned about the other student with the class. This game can also be played where you or a student play as a book character or celebrity and the other students have to figure out who you are.

Flashcard Games - These games can be especially helpful with tricky vocabulary sets like minimal pairs. Students lay out a set of flashcards on their desk and listen carefully for the word the teacher calls out or uses in a sentence. Color code your flashcards for a quick way to check the class's answers.

I Spy/Scavenger Hunt - Instead of giving an object or a color, start by giving students phonemes or letter sounds (e.g. I spy something that starts with "ch"). You can then follow up with additional clues about the object until the class finds it.

Long-Form Listening - In addition to short-form listening and speaking activities for ELLs, offer your students audio options during silent reading time as well. Audiobooks, podcasts, and even kids-oriented news shows provide engaging listening for ELLs of all ages and skill levels. Follow up the listening with a discussion or questions to check for comprehension.

Speaking Activities for ELLs

Speaking in front of the class can be difficult for many students, so fun and engaging listening and speaking activities for ELLs can make a big difference in the classroom. Here are a few of our favorite ideas to get your students talking.

Question of the Day - This speaking activity for ELLs is a perfect option for morning work as students arrive. Each day, choose a simple, silly, or strange question and have students answer it as they enter the classroom. This is a great activity even for ELL newcomers since all eyes won't be on them, and you have the option to ask follow-up questions or continue the conversation as much or as little as you want to.
To make this activity even more newcomer-friendly, offer a handful of questions all week long and allow students to choose the question they want to answer each day. This way they can get to know the questions better and practice their answers over time.

Desert Island - In pairs, small groups, or as a class, students take turns choosing an object in the room. The next student has to come up with a way to use the object to survive on a desert island. There are no wrong answers, which can take some of the pressure off of speaking in front of the class. For another fun twist on this activity, have students role play and pretend to be a character instead of themselves, explaining how the character might use the item in their story.

Mini Debates - Create a list of opinions you want the class to weigh in on. They can be related to a recent lesson or reading, or something random like "purple is the best color." Create two groups: one to make an argument for your statement, and one to make an argument against. This is a great way of teaching persuasive speech and also helping ELLs learn to think on their feet. It can also be an exercise in empathy since the student may not agree with the stance they're given.

Similarities and Differences - Students pair off (or turn to the student next to them) and take turns asking questions until they discover one commonality and one difference between them. Then the students take turns sharing with the class. In addition to being a great speaking activity for ELLs, this is also a good way to explore and celebrate cultural differences in your classroom.

Songs, Rhymes, and Responses - Especially for ELL newcomers, speaking in front of the class can be daunting. Group speaking can help take the pressure off, so don't be afraid to experiment with different formats like songs, rhymes, and "call and response" to get ELLs speaking. Whatever you choose, use it often to help students learn and memorize their parts.

Thank you to Ellen Richardson, an ELL teacher at Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Lancaster, PA for consulting on this blog post. This blog was originally published on May 28, 2021. It was updated on January 19, 2023.

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Writing, Listening, and Speaking Activities for ELLs | Continental

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Writing, listening, and speaking activities for ELLs are an interactive way to teach new subject matter. Here are 20 of our favorites to try.

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Activities that focus on developing speaking abilities in ELs

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Activities that focus on developing speaking abilities in ELs

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There are a variety of activities for teachers to engage their K-8 classrooms with students who have English as their second language. English Second Language (ESL) is also referred to as English Language Learners (ELL) or English Learners (EL). Effective language learning involves active engagement, especially in spoken communication. This blog presents a curated collection of 12 engaging ESL speaking activities designed to foster fluency, confidence and interactive skills in learners.

Whether you're an educator seeking innovative classroom exercises or a language enthusiast looking for fun ways to practice speaking, this resource can offer a diverse range of activities suitable for various proficiency levels. Dive into these interactive exercises that can help transform language learning into an enjoyable and enriching experience.
In This Article:
1. Introduction Song

Singing can be an active way for English Language Learners (ELL) to practice their skills. Introduction songs are great for almost any classroom with younger learners, as they can be icebreakers that potentially help students get to know one another while also seeing how fun learning can be in the classroom. Introduce yourself to your students by singing your name, then instruct them to follow one-by-one until everyone has introduced themselves to the class.

2. Interviewer

When it comes to ESL activities for students, this can be a great option that may encourage students to get to know one another while also becoming more comfortable speaking English in the classroom. Set students up in pairs or small groups and instruct them to interview one another. Their questions can be based on their current abilities or any topics you are covering in class. Beginner students can ask one another about their families and interests, while more advanced students can ask questions that let them practice using the past tense.

3. 20 Questions/Guess Who

Similar to the activity mentioned above, this activity can help students ask questions to find a specific answer. One student will choose a person or object and keep it a secret from the rest of the class. Then, other students can ask yes or no questions to determine what the selector has chosen. The group only has 20 questions, so they need to choose their questions carefully to win.

4. Poll the Class

Take a class poll by asking students which one they prefer out of two choices. Topics can relate to colors, animals, pop culture or anything else that might interest your students. Give students a chance to discuss why they prefer one choice over the other and see where the conversations go. This may even lead to a debate and other activities for ESL students.

5. Short Speeches

Each student will have 30 seconds to one minute to give a short speech to the rest of the class. These speeches can be prepared in advance, giving students an opportunity to plan exactly what they want to say. You can make things more challenging by creating a random list of topics and have each student select a topic then give a speech on the spot without preparation.

6. Describe and Draw

Break students up into pairs, then instruct one member of each pair to draw a picture that they keep hidden from the other member. The drawer must then describe their drawing to their partner, who must try to draw the same image themselves without looking at the original image. This is a fun way to help students practice their abilities to describe various items in English.

7. Teach a Class

This is similar to the short speech activity but may require more preparation. In pairs or groups, students must pick a topic that they will teach the rest of the class about for a designated period of time. Students must prepare what they will say and how they will use the classroom space during their time as the teacher. Encourage students to ask the presenting group questions about their topic once their presentation/class is complete.

8. Group Storytelling

Have students sit in a circle and tell them that you will be creating a story as a group. You can start the story with a few sentences, then choose a student to continue the story however they want. You can set a specific amount of time or give each student a few sentences before moving on to the next storyteller in the group.

9. Choose Your Words

Write vocabulary words down on strips of paper then fold them in half and place them in a bowl or container. One at a time, students will come to the front of the class and pick a few strips of paper out of the bowl. They must then tell a short story that incorporates the words they have chosen. Students can choose all the words and look at them before starting their story, or you can make the activity more challenging by telling students when to choose a new word as they are telling their story, then have them incorporate that word into the story as they go.

10. Guess the Word

This is another activity that requires you to come up with vocabulary words and write them down on strips of paper. It is similar to charades, except instead of silently acting out the word, the student will have to use other words to describe the word they have chosen. The other students must try to guess what the chosen word is. Whoever correctly guesses the word will be the next person to choose a word.

11. Spot the Lie

With this activity, students are likely to have fun while also learning about one another. Instruct each student to write down three facts about themselves - except only two of them should be true. The third "fact" should be something that is not true. One at a time, students will read all three of their statements randomly. The other students must then work together to figure out which of the three statements is not true.

12. Describe the Photo

This activity is simple yet offers a great opportunity for students to practice their English skills, both speaking in front of a group and taking part in conversation. You can put together a list of photos or ask your students to bring in photos they have taken. Then have students stand in front of the class and describe their photos. They can talk about different elements of the photos themselves or describe what happened that day. Other students can ask questions, opening the space for conversations.

Prepare for a Future in ESL Speaking Activities

The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an Emphasis in English as a Second Language is a degree program at Grand Canyon University that can help you prepare for a future you may find rewarding. Earning this degree can be a great option if you are passionate about helping young people master the English language and gain useful skills in all aspects of their education.

This degree program covers a variety of topics, including adolescent development, cultural differences and cross-cultural studies, student engagement, educational trends and more. This program can help prepare students for teaching positions in preschools, kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools and secondary schools. Earning your degree can help prepare you to teach students through ESL speaking activities, such as the activities for English language learners as discussed above. To learn more about this program, fill out the form at the top of the page to speak to a university counselor today.

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activities for english language learners

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If you're interested ESL teaching, read through our list of ESL speaking activities for your classroom. Earn your teaching degree with a focus in ESL at GCU.

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Stages of Second Language Acquisition: ESL, ELL, LEP & Bilingual

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A website that provides educational games for ELs

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A website that provides educational games for ELs

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BrainPOP ELL Review for Teachers | Common Sense Education

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Is BrainPOP ELL good for learning? Use Common Sense Education’s reviews and learning ratings to find the best media and edtech resources for your classroom.

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This is an activity where the teacher reads a text and students follow along with an individual copy of the same text. Students can whisper read to themselves as the teacher reads to self-monitor and build up their confidence. Activity from the textbook "Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning" by Pauline Gibbons.

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Hot Seat (game to practice using descriptive language)

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Hot Seat (game to practice using descriptive language)

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This game is also mentioned in "Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning" by Pauline Gibbons.

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How To Play Hot Seat | Fun Classroom Game

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Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

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Writing language objectives can be hard! Teachers are generally comfortable writing content objectives because those are based on content standards that teachers are familiar with and are sometimes…

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How to Engage Families of English Language Learners - Graduate Programs for Educators

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We know that parent engagement is key to supporting student success. The CDC states that, "Research shows that parent engagement in schools is closely linked to better student behavior, higher academic achievement, and enhanced social skills." We also know that rates of parent engagement can be lower in families of English language learners (ELLs).

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Scaffolding Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners

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Describing a personal experience of being an EL 

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Describing a personal experience of being an EL 

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This video highlights some of the personal feelings and experiences that some of your EL students may go through.

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Being a Second Language Learner | Seongyeon (Yeonie) Heo (Yeonie) Heo | TEDxYouth@ISBangkok

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Barrier Games to work on listening skills between partners

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Barrier Games to work on listening skills between partners

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Also an activity described in "Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning" by Pauline Gibbons.

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Such a good practice to have in any EL classroom. From "Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning" by Pauline Gibbons.

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The Word Wall is the place in your classroom where high-frequency words are housed after you have taught them (other important words such as vocabulary or theme words should be posted elsewhere). The Word Wall serves as a visual reminder and reference tool for your students that they can use whenever they read or write. A Word Wall makes it possible for children to write conventionally without asking for help, allowing them to be more independent and less dependent on you.

When children can spell these high-frequency words correctly and with automaticity, it frees them to concentrate on applying themselves to the content of their pieces or on spelling more challenging words. Incidentally, as children peruse the Word Wall in search of the word they are looking for, they end up reading and reviewing several other important words as well. The Word Wall also give children practice with visual discrimination, an important building block for reading. For example, the words the, their, these, and there all look similar; however, when they are posted near one another, children can see how each letter's spot creates a very different word.

Where should I place the Word Wall in my room?

Place the Word Wall where children can easily see the words and reach them. Children need to be able to touch the word they reference, at least with a pointer if not with their hand, because that way someone can give them feedback that they have indeed found the correct word! This makes the learning concrete, something our young and struggling readers need.

Also, you will be less likely to add words to the Word Wall on a regular basis if you have to climb on furniture to access it.

How do I create an effective Word Wall?

Use a dark background to make the letter and word cards "pop."

Use white 3×5 cards with the upper and lower case letters written in black marker. Letter cards should be a different color than word cards. This visually teaches children that letters are distinct from words.

Display the letter cards in one long line, Aa-Zz, to emphasize the alphabetic principal. This makes it easier for emergent and struggling readers to find a particular letter because it is placed in its spot in the ABCs. Also, you won't run out of space for words under any given letter if there isn't a second row underneath.

Use varied colored 3×5 cards for your Word Wall words to facilitate easier tracking and copying of the word during independent writing. If a child can't find a certain word, a friend can help by saying, "It's on a green card, under...Rr."

Write the Word Wall words in large, black letters. Black ink contrasts well with the colored cards. Handwritten words allow them to be as large as possible, thus making it easier for children to be able to see the words from anywhere in the room.

Refer to the Word Wall throughout the instructional day. Teach children how to use it as a reference so they learn how to use it independently. Play Word Wall games to get children comfortable with finding words and familiar with the words that are on the Word Wall.

A good rule of thumb is to choose approximately 3-5 new words a week to introduce to your students. You can select these words from the students' writing (what high-frequency words are they using and misspelling most often?) or from common high-frequency word lists such as the Dolch List (which has the most common 220 high-frequency words) or the more recent Fry list which has 1000 high-frequency words. Once you have selected and written your words on index cards, follow these steps when introducing each word:

Show and say the word.

Use the word in context (i.e. in a sentence)

Then, have children say the word, chant the letters of the word, and write the word on a piece of paper or on a wipe off board.

Engage the students in saying and spelling the word through multisensory activities such as clapping each letter or jumping up and down as they say each letter throughout the week. Do a fun activity at least once each week to reinforce their use.

The Word Wall and Spanish Language Classrooms

Since small words are generally easy to sound out and spell in Spanish, it can be argued that an A-Z Word Wall is not necessary for a Spanish language classroom. Rather, words could be grouped by their spelling, such as words spelled with c/s/z; words with silent h; and, words spelled with ll or y, etc.

Still, if you are seeing frequent misspellings of common words, a bank of words organized alphabetically can be key to supporting and keeping your children accountable for reading and spelling these words.

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Creating a Successful Word Wall - Children's Literacy Initiative

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The Word Wall is the place in your classroom where high-frequency words are housed after you have taught them (other important words such as vocabulary or theme words should be posted elsewhere). The Word Wall serves as a visual reminder and reference tool for your students that they can use whenever they read or write.