19 Word Walls That Will Blow Your Mind

You post them to showcase sight words, alphabetized vocabulary and content-area terms, but some teachers take word walls to the next level. Here are 19 word walls that will have you rethinking how you're using that coveted classroom space.

1. Pin-the-Word

ashleigh-educationjourney.com

This word wall uses ribbons to create spaces to hang words on clothespins under each letter of the alphabet. We love the simplicity and versatility.

2. Cabinet Creation

thedailycafe.com

This idea is bright, cheery and makes great use of space. Cover cabinets in bright paper and include anchor words for each letter.

3. Stick to It

thedailycafe.com

Using this magnetic word wall, students can borrow words for reference during independent work.

4. Go Bright or Go Home

fisforfirstgrade.blogspot.com

This word wall uses color coding for organization. Red words are the ones that students should already know, while other colors represent words from books that students have read. This makes it easy for students to find words when you tell them, "It's a purple word that starts with T."

5. Synonyms in Sight

classroomdisplays.org.uk

Kids can pull synonyms for "tired" words (think: said, happy, good) from this word wall.

6. Headliners

mallonmessages.blogspot.com

This word wall uses book covers to remind students where each vocabulary word came from.

7. Ceiling Conversation

larremoreteachertips.blogspot.com

This hanging word wall makes good use of classroom space and keeps words literally over their heads.

8. It's in the Bag

clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.com

This word wall houses words in clear plastic bags for students to choose and use. You could also do this with pictures or objects for younger students who are still learning letter sounds.

9. Math Matters

coachingchronicles.blogspot.com

Don't forget about math! This geometry word wall reinforces 2-D and 3-D shapes.

10. Portable Word Wall

fabulousfish-stephanie.blogspot.com

A booklet of words hangs from each hook in this word wall—perfect for students to choose from and use. You could also use this type of word wall space to keep resource booklets of synonyms or often-misspelled words for students to use.

11. 100 Percent Math

se2math.wikispaces.com

All math all the time. A math word wall that covers it all.

12. Image-inative

talesofanelementaryteacher.blogspot.com

talesofanelementaryteacher.blogspot.com

This is a picture-based word wall made for second grade, but it could be adapted for any grade, especially if students were charged with creating images to go with vocabulary words.

13. Word Cloud

missom.wordpress.com

This word wall is actually an art project that covers all the fears one New Yorker had (it isn't practical, per se, but could be awesome as a project).

14. Math Brights

sites.stedwards.edu

This is a great idea to organize math words by content strand.

15. The Evolution of Word Walls

wiki.fms.k12.nm.us

Love how this science word wall categorizes and organizes biology terms.

16. Content Rich

wiki.fms.k12.nm.us

Create a social studies word wall of historical significance.

17. In the Environment

indulgy.com

This word wall all about environmental print is great for early childhood.

18. Lift the Flap

superstudentteacher.blogspot.com

superstudentteacher.blogspot.com

This word wall drew from a unit about quilts and the Underground Railroad to spotlight vocabulary, terms, famous people and ideas.

19. Looking Up

firstgradeblueskies.blogspot.com

firstgradeblueskies.blogspot.com

Ran out of wall space? Put the word wall on the ceiling!