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.
- Plus Plan
Australian Money Word Wall Vocabulary
Seventy-five money vocabulary cards.
- Plus Plan
Exploring My Local Community - History Word Wall Vocabulary
20 vocabulary cards about exploring the local community.
- Plus Plan
What Places Are Like - Geography Word Wall Vocabulary
23 features of places vocabulary word wall cards.
- Plus Plan
Changing and Managing Places - Geography Word Wall Vocabulary
48 changing and managing places vocabulary cards.
- Plus Plan
Exploring Yesterday and Today – History Word Wall Vocabulary
27 exploring yesterday and today vocabulary cards.
- Plus Plan
Early Explorers - History Word Wall Vocabulary
Forty-two Early Explorer related vocabulary cards.
- Plus Plan
Australian Habitats Word Wall - Write The Room Activity
Explore and write about Australian habitats with a printable Habitats Word Wall and Write the Room Activity pack.
- Free Plan
History of Planet Earth - Word Wall Display
Introduce your students to Earth's history with a printable vocabulary word wall.
- Free Plan
Plant v. Animal Cell Vocabulary Word Wall
Help your students understand the different cell structures found in Plant v. Animal Cells with printable Plant and Animal Cell Vocabulary Cards.
- Plus Plan
Describing Rocks and Soils Vocabulary Cards
Introduce your little learners to the academic vocabulary they need to describe rocks and minerals with a printable rocks vocabulary word wall.
- Plus Plan
Cartesian Planes and Graphing – Vocabulary Cards
Introduce cartesian planes to your students with this set of 18 vocabulary cards.
- Free Plan
Transportation Word Wall Vocabulary
Create a fun transportation word wall with a set of printable word and picture cards featuring different modes of transport.
- Plus Plan
Compound Words With Pictures - Word Wall
Combine words to make compound words and boost vocabulary skills with a printable combining words word wall.s.
- Plus Plan
Features of Animals Write the Room Activity Pack (F-1)
Help your young students read and write about features of animals with a printable Animals and Characteristics Write the Room activity.
- Plus Plan
Hibernation Word Wall - Illustrated
Discover the world of hibernation-related vocabulary with an illustrated hibernating animals word wall display.
- Free Plan
Sound Word Wall Vocabulary
Build academic vocabulary with a set of 28 sound vocabulary cards.
- Free Plan
Desert Word Wall Vocabulary
Spark discussion and build academic vocabulary with a desert related vocabulary word wall.
- Free Plan
Diwali Word Wall Vocabulary
Use these twenty-seven Diwali-related vocabulary cards for a word wall display when learning about the Festival of Lights.
- Plus Plan
Friction Word Wall Vocabulary Cards
Immerse your students in friction vocabulary with this set of 15 illustrated vocabulary cards perfect for a word wall display.
- Plus Plan
Year 3 Heat Energy Vocabulary Cards
Explore heat energy vocabulary with this set of thermal energy vocabulary cards.
- Plus Plan
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
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.
- Free Plan
Printable Remembrance Day Word Wall Vocabulary
Display and discuss Remembrance Day related vocabulary words with a printable Remembrance Day display.
- Plus Plan
Seasonal Changes Words and Definitions Display
Display this easy-to-read seasons word set in your classroom as you investigate seasonal changes with your young students.
- Free Plan
Halloween Word Wall Vocabulary Cards
Print a variety of Halloween-related vocabulary cards for a word wall display during the month of October.
- Free Plan
Inventions Word Wall Vocabulary
Print a set of vocabulary word wall cards to introduce Invention and Innovation concepts to your students during National Science Week.
- 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.
- Free Plan
Prefix Words Classroom Display
Build a classroom word wall and boost vocabulary skills with a printable prefix classroom display.
- Plus Plan
Magnetism Vocabulary Cards
Reinforce science vocabulary in your classroom with this set of word wall cards that focus on magnetism.
- Free Plan
Electricity Word Wall Vocabulary
Use this teacher-created electricity resource to teach electricity-related vocabulary. Build a word wall with your students during your electricity lessons.
- Free Plan
Magnets Word Wall Vocabulary
Expand your students' science vocabulary with printable Magnets word wall vocabulary cards.
- Free Plan
Christmas Word Wall Vocabulary
Create a Christmas Vocabulary display with a set of 60 Christmas terms for a word wall.