Interactive Word Wall
Submitted by: Pat
To make your word wall interactive, write the word twice, on two different index cards. Place to first card on the wall, in alphabetical order, of course, and the second card, with the definition and a sentence containing the word on the back, in a pocket on the bottom of the board. Divide the pockets into A-E, F-J, K-O, P-T, U-Z, and one pocket that is blank. When a child needs to use a word from the wall, they can come up to the board, select the word from the correct pocket, and take it back to their seat.
When finished, they can return it to the blank pocket. The cards can then be "re-filed" later. (this can be a class "job", for the end of the day.) This eliminates having the children walk back and forth as they try to remember how to spell a word, and can also help if they want to practice using a new word but perhaps are not clear on the definition. It also helps with alphabetical order. I do the same thing with my math word wall, but instead of using the word in a sentence, I may have a drawing of the word instead.