Word Walls for Teachers
Are word walls a part of your strategy for boosting literacy skills in the classroom? Or maybe you're looking for word wall ideas and printables to add to your teacher toolkit?
The Teach Starter teacher team has carefully created and curated this collection of word walls for primary teachers to cover your needs — whether you're helping your kindergarten class stay on track with sight words or introducing new social studies vocabulary to your year 3 class!
New to this concept? Our expert English teachers have got you covered with a few quick tips to help you determine if a word wall is right for your classroom!
What Is a Word Wall?
A word wall is pretty much what the name implies — a classroom wall display with words in large print that can be read by students from across the room.
What goes on a word wall? Oh, the possibilities!
- Sight words
- Unit vocabulary
- Parts of speech
- Prepositions
- Content area words
- High-frequency words
- Word families
- Spelling words
- And more!
Used as an interactive tool, word walls tend to start out small and grow as you progress through a lesson or unit and students learn new sight words or vocabulary to be added to their word wall.
One idea for a word wall is to add words throughout the school year as students learn new vocabulary.
How to Make a Classroom Word Wall
If this all sounds good so far, let's talk about how to actually create a word wall. There are plenty of ideas out there, from using pictures alongside the words to printing your words on fun shapes, but here are some important tips our teacher team stands by:
- Make sure your words are printed in large text that can be easily read even by students seated across the room.
- Keep contrast in mind to ensure readability — you might want to use a dark background with lighter text.
- The organisation is key! Many word walls are set up in alphabetical order to make it easier for students to find the words they are looking for right when they need them, but you may want to organise unit vocabulary terms by how they connect to one another or group word families together.
- Choose a spot on your classroom wall that has space for additional words to be added.
- Keep your students' usage in mind when you mount words to the wall. Using sticky tack or similar mounting putty will make it easier for students to remove a word and take it back to their desks when necessary. You can also set up a word wall with wall hooks and place words on book rings (or looseleaf rings) so students can take them down to flip through!
Easy Word Wall Ideas
Looking for easy-peasy word wall ideas? Our team has got those for you, too, with word lists developed by teachers for teachers! Explore this collection of printable word walls that cover a variety of subjects and grade levels to save your precious planning time.
- Print and display the vocabulary cards that are provided.
- Use the customise option to add content words of your own.
- Use the blank cards at the end of the resource to add any specific words that your class finds during their learning experiences.
- Free Plan
Christmas Word Wall Vocabulary
Create a Christmas Vocabulary display with a set of 60 Christmas-related vocabulary cards for a word wall.
- Plus Plan
Modality Word Wall With Information
A set of 56 vocabulary words based on the degrees of modality in persuasive writing.
- Plus Plan
Australian Federation - History Word Wall Vocabulary
90 Australian Federation related vocabulary cards.
- Free Plan
Time Connectives Word Wall
Help your students demonstrate the passage of time in their writing with 35 time connective word cards.
- Free Plan
Fraction, Percentage and Decimal Word Wall Vocabulary
Print your own fraction, percentage and decimal vocabulary for use on a Maths Word Wall.
- Plus Plan
What Makes Australia Unique Word Wall Vocabulary
A set of Australian related vocabulary word wall cards.
- Free Plan
Natural Disasters - Illustrated Vocabulary Display
Reinforce science vocabulary in your classroom with this set of illustrated and annotated natural disaster word wall cards.
- Plus Plan
Narrative Vocabulary Word Wall
A set of words to help your students when writing narrative texts.
- Free Plan
Sound Word Wall Vocabulary
Build academic vocabulary with a set of 28 sound vocabulary cards.
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Tropical Paradise - Word Wall Template
A set of tropical paradise themed vocabulary word wall cards.
- Plus Plan
Units of Measurement Word Wall Vocabulary
Print a pack of measurement vocabulary cards to help your students review academic vocabulary.
- Free Plan
Strong Verbs Word Wall
Print a set of strong verbs word wall cards to help your students boost their writing skills!
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Rainbow Watercolour - Word Wall Template
A set of rainbow watercolour themed vocabulary word wall cards.
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Exploring How People and Places Affect One Another - Geography Word Wall Vocabulary
63 exploring the affects of people and places vocabulary cards.
- Free Plan
Bird Word Wall Vocabulary
Introduce your students to the features of birds and different bird species with bird related vocabulary cards for a word wall.
- Free Plan
Remembrance Day Write the Room Activity
Help your young students understand the meaning of Remembrance Day with a Remembrance Day Vocabulary wall and Writing Center.
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Weathering, Erosion and Deposition Vocabulary Posters
Display this set of science vocabulary posters in your classroom when teaching about weathering, erosion and deposition.
- Plus Plan
Living and Non-Living Things - Word Wall Vocabulary
Discover the world of living and nonliving things, starting with a printable vocabulary word wall.
- Plus Plan
Coordinate Planes and Graphing – Vocabulary Cards
Promote maths vocabulary development with this set of 18 graphing and coordinate plane cards.
- Free Plan
Persuasive Vocabulary Word Wall
Help your students enhance their persuasive writing skills with a set of 40 persuasive vocabulary word cards.
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Onomatopoeia Examples - Word Wall Display
Display a fun onomatopoeia word wall in your classroom with printable cards containing 45 onomatopoeia examples.
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Greek and Latin Root Words - Illustrated Word Wall
Use word wall displays to build student vocabulary with daily exposure to Greek and Latin root words.
- Free Plan
Narrative Writing Word Wall
Review terms related to narrative texts and narrative writing with a set of 33 narrative vocabulary word wall cards.
- Free Plan
Water Cycle Words - Illustrated Word Wall
Boost vocabulary skills and understanding with an illustrated water cycle word wall.
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Colour Adjectives Word Wall
A colourful word wall display to help support students colour adjective use.
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First Fleet Word Wall
A vocabulary word wall to display and use in the classroom when learning about the First Fleet.
- Plus Plan
Australian Money Word Wall Vocabulary
Seventy-five money vocabulary cards.
- Free Plan
Desert Word Wall Vocabulary
Spark discussion and build academic vocabulary with a desert related vocabulary word wall.
- Plus Plan
Year 3 Heat Energy Vocabulary Cards
Explore heat energy vocabulary with this set of thermal energy vocabulary cards.
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Energy and Electricity Vocabulary Cards
Reinforce science vocabulary in your classroom with this set of word wall cards that focus on forms of energy and electricity.
- Plus Plan
Gum Leaves - Word Wall Template
A set of gum leaves-themed vocabulary word wall cards.
- Plus Plan
Mathematics Word Wall with Diagrams
A set of 60 Mathematics-related vocabulary words with accompanying diagrams to explain key mathematical terms across three strands.