Sometimes it’s hard to remember to add words to your classroom’s word wall. Here’s a genius idea I saw in a kindergarten classroom recently. The teacher prints up the words at the beginning of the year and tacks them to the board backwards. When they learn a new word, all she has to do is flip it over and wa-la… organized, done-in-a-second word wall!
Here’s another easy way… magnets!
Teaching vocabulary is only good for students if they actually LEARN the words. Here’s one way a teacher uses a bulletin board to increase students’ vocabulary:
Make sure to post:
1. the vocab word (big enough to see from every desk)
2. a simple definition
3. a simple picture to help explain the definition
4. a list of previously learned vocab words
This teacher introduces the words (10 each week) on Monday and then reviews all the words every morning (only takes a few minutes on Tues-Friday). The class also comes up with a gesture for each word. I’ve seen her class do these vocab activities, and let me tell ya, these kids really learn the words!
Teachers always need little “fillers” for when students finish a test early, you need to talk to a parent, etc. Try this Thanksgiving word scramble worksheet for fun! Click here for the free worksheet: Thanksgiving word scramble PDF
I saw this kind of worksheet in a kindergarten classroom recently and decided I could make my own. It’s always helpful to connect visuals with sounds when learning letter sounds.
This one can be used for spelling or vocabulary words. Have the students write their words (up to 10) on any line. Then color each of the Wordpillar’s sections according to the part of speech of the word they’ve written. To get this worksheet, right click on the worksheet and select “save image as” so it will save to your computer and you can choose what size to print it. Enjoy!
Here’s a worksheet I made for parts of speech. Color the flowers according to the part of speech of the word next to the flower. Remember to right click on the worksheet and choose “save image as” so you can save it to your computer and then choose what size to print it later. Enjoy!
This game is played in a circle. One person in the circle starts the game by saying, “I’m going hunting and I’m taking a(n) __________ (item that begins with the letter “a,” e.g., arrow).” The next person has to repeat what the person next to him or her said and then add something new from the next letter in the alphabet (e.g., “I’m going hunting, and I’m taking an arrow and a bow”). Keep this going around the circle until someone cannot remember everything he or she is to take. That person is out [or you start over, so no students are the loser]; see if the next person can complete the phrase. You do not necessarily have to choose something that you would normally take hunting—it can be funny. This game can also be called something else; you do not necessarily have to go “hunting.” You could call it “I’m going to [name of your school] . . . ,” for example. 
Squarehead Teachers 