Classroom Improvements--July Together We Are Better Linky



Happy holiday weekend one and all!

Before I head out for a day of fun in the sun, I thought I'd join in with my blogger buddies Ashley and Angie for this month's Together We Are Better series!  






Our theme for July is "Classroom Improvement" and I've decided to share how I want to  overhaul my Word Wall space with you!




Know that I consider myself to be on the "continuous improvement plan" both personally and professionally, and so picking one focus area for my classroom was a bit difficult.

Making my Word Wall more useful has been a goal of mine for a long time though, and so I've vowed to "just do it" for the coming school year.

I've been pinning ideas to my Pinterest board like a crazy woman, and now have MANY different ways to make the literacy station areas of my room more kid-friendly and interactive!




For many years, I've maintained a Word Wall in the tradition of Ginny Cunningham's 4-Block model, adding five new words per week for a total of 115 words displayed by the month of April.  The board has been organized alphabetically on a high wall behind my reading table.  Here is a photo of it without the word cards--which are currently stored in a shoe box waiting for their new home!













My friend Megan from Mrs. Wheeler's First Grade has a fabulous post about how
she provides a variety of hands-on Word Wall activities and areas in her classroom!
The color scheme and gingham letter headers are just my favorite!  I have a magnetic dry erase
board in my classroom that is just waiting to be transformed, thanks to her inspiration!








Another idea I might have to try to give my second graders the opportunity to improve their word family spelling is mounting a metal automotive "drip pan" on the back of my library shelves!  What a great way for them to work in partners and round up rhymes!  You'll find photos of it in this
fabulous collection from my Pinterest board!



I always love to hear how you are creative and clever in your classroom!  Be sure to share what works for you in the comments below!  Also, take some time to hop through the rest of these posts and gather ideas to add to your "to do" list!






As always, thanks for sharing my story!  Be sure to keep a song in your heart, keep wishing on stars, and continue to teach your children well!

Peace out,








5 comments

  1. Thank you for sharing ideas for making the word wall more accessible to students. I will be sure to check out your pinterest board for more ideas.

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    1. Thanks for stopping in, Sebrina! I've got lots of work to do to make the ideas I've gathered happen! I am hoping the investment of time and materials pays off in increased vocab knowledge and improved spelling/phonics skills for my students!
      ~Jennifer

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  2. Thank you for sharing ideas for making the word wall more accessible to students. I will be sure to check out your pinterest board for more ideas.

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  3. Hey there! The dreaded word wall! I've struggled with this too. Finally decided to go to 'personal word walls' this year. We'll see how it goes! If it doesn't work, I'll be back to see how your interactive word wall is working! Sounds like a good idea!

    Crystal
    Teaching Little Miracles

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    1. Our second graders have a Word Wall "dictionary" that they keep in their desks, and I've seen the "personal" Word Walls made out of file folders! I may use them as my back-up plan!
      ~Jennifer

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