Transitioning Between Word Walls and Theme Charts

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Transitioning Between Word Walls and Theme
Charts

• Reading Leadership Team InstituteSummer, 2008

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Outcomes

• Participants will be able to
• Clarify Word Walls and Theme Charts
• Explain how to implement Word Walls and Theme
  Charts in the classroom
• Identify an approach within a school wide
  initiative recognized by a Reading Leadership
  Team.

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Pause and Reflect

• In groups or pairs activate prior knowledge by
  completing a T-Chart.

Word Walls
Theme Charts
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Characteristics

• Consider a Word Wall
• Used as a reference
• Student generated and/or teacher generated
• Spelling
• Theme Charts
• Vocabulary development
• Content words
• Language analysis

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When Deciding Which to Use Always Ask Yourself

• Why is it there?
• How is it used by students?
• What is it that the students really need?

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Quote

• Word walls become a kind of visual scaffolding
  that provides students with a reference for words
  they will need for literacy activities and helps
  them to make the transition to more independent
  reading and writing.
• Mary Rycik, 2002How primary teachers are using
• word walls to teach literacy strategies.
• Ohio Reading Teacher, Summer 2002

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Word Walls

• Interactive
• Student generated
• ABC order
• High frequency words
• Alliteration Word Wall

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Word Walls
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Theme Charts

• Content Vocabulary
• Synonyms and Antonyms
• Parts of Speech / Word families
• Morphemes

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Theme Charts
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Your Turn

• In groups
• Create a chart (Word Wall or Theme Chart)
• Share with the whole group
• Is the chart a word wall example or theme chart?
• Why did you choose this type of model?
• How will the students use it?

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Back to Reading Leadership Teams

• Reflect on ways youre building word knowledge at
  your site.
• How might word walls and theme charts further
  support word knowledge at your site?