Word Wall Tips

from the 4 Blocks Mailring
http://teachers.net/mailrings

Making Word Wall word cards durable/reusble without creating glare
[This tip would work for just about anything you display on classroom walls.]

I make my own words on the computer, cut around them, glue them on different colors of poster board, then place transparent contact paper on the back only. That way I can either place tape I can take out without ruining the word or, what I have done lately, place rectangles of magnetic tape. I have my word wall painted with magnetic paint so that has worked very well.
Shared by mayra [4 Blocks Mailring]

Go to the following web site: http://www.teachers.net/4blocks/goodies.html, you can download the words and print them on your computer's printer. I did this for third grade: I printed them on donated cardstock, cut them out, following the contour of the letters, pasted them onto various colors of construction paper, then laminated them. I did the entire year of word wall words, and put them in manilla envelopes labeled for the correct month and filed in my file cabinet.
Shared by Joy [4 Blocks Mailring]

I printed mine out on the computer, cut around them and put them on different colored paper last year and they are fine to use again without laminating them. I had also bought a set of magnetic words last year that my kids loved to use towards the end of the year.

This year, I bought the magnetic paper and added the children's names so we will have a smaller magnetic word wall as well. You can get many, many words on the magnetic paper. I did all the letters, 4 sets of names, math words, calendar sentences, etc. on 3 sheets of paper! I just tried to match the font and size from the words I had purchased and I have many, many places in my classroom where magnets will stick.
Shared by Susan [4 Blocks Mailring]

I have to be very careful of glare this year since I'll be having a sight-impaired student. I took my first grade word list, divided it up by week, and then printed the words on colored paper. I arranged them so the colors wouldn't be close to each other under each letter on the wall as they went up. Then I cut out the outline of each word and glued them onto black construction paper rectangles. Now I'm all set for this year! I did my five words every week last year, and that got to be a big hassle. They were still fine, but I wanted them computer printed this year. Hopefully they'll be fine for more than one year.

I also put a copy of each word, as it goes up onto the wall, on an index card placed into library pockets under each letter. These are available for the children to manipulate and take to their seats or the writing center as needed.
Shared by Roberta/1/ME [4 Blocks Mailring]