My Wonderful Word Wall

I just posted my word wall spinners to my Teachers Pay Teachers store!  You can get two word wall spinners to keep your cuties active with using the word wall for FREE.

 

If you download the spinners, please rate them.  It helps me know how to improve my products.

 Since I am posting about my spinners, I wanted to show you my word wall.  I love my word wall!  I am not sure how you use you word wall, but just make sure you use it.  I know many teachers feel forced to have them and don't really use them.  Sigh... This is not what word walls are meant for.

At the beginning of the year, my word wall is blank of words.  I only have the alphabet posted on it.

By the second week of school, I had all my students names on the wall with their photo.  I also use Bucket Fillers in my classroom, so their buckets are on the wall next to their name.  I place their names below the alphabet.  Their names and buckets are the only things below the alphabet.

Then we start adding our sight words to the word wall.  I add them on Wednesday.  That allows us two days of practice with the word before we add it.  I add it with the class, so they see where it's added so they can locate it on their own.  Sight words are located above the alphabet and are written on white paper that is backed on black paper.  I cut the white paper to the shape of the word.

I also add words above the alphabet that my cuties frequently ask to spell during writer's workshop.  These words are added during our share time for writer's workshop so that the whole class knows we are adding it and where we place it on the wall.  I also add a picture to these words. 

If you are searching for more word wall activities, check out Randi's TPT store.  She has a fabulous freebie about loving your word wall.

Don't forget to enter my give-a-way!  It ends tomorrow night at midnight.

Rhyme Dog

I wanted to share a song and puppet that I use to reinforce rhyming words with my students.  His name is Rhyme Dog.

I am not sure if the puppet is really a dog, but I decided he was.  My cuties LOVE Rhyme Dog time.  I started using Rhyme Dog as a transition activity.  We all know Kindergarten is FULL of transitions.  I have tons of activities that I use whenever we are meeting on the rug to keep my students who are already on the rug engaged and learning while other students are cleaning up and heading toward the rug. 

I start Rhyme Dog by saying "What time is it?" and the cuties reply, "Rhyme Dog time!"  Then he sings a rhyming song to them using the cards in the picture above.  Click on Rhyme Dog's photo above to print off his song and begin using it tomorrow!