Thematic Spelling Word Walls

After reading our first assignment in When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do by Kylene Beers, I was especially interested in chapter 12: "Spelling: From Word Lists to How Words Work." As discussed in class, the connection between spelling and reading is often overlooked. Further, many of us shared that we had not been taught how to spell using sorting activities that reveal common spelling rules. Memorizing word lists is a popular way to teach spelling, but it doesn't help students to understand the process behind spelling. The more students know about how words are put together, the more knowledge they will have for decoding unfamiliar words when they are reading. As we know, successful decoding strategies are essential in developing independent readers. This is a new connection for me.

My favorite strategy that Beer discussed in chapter 12 is Thematic Spelling. Thematic Spelling, introduced on page 256, involves creating a word wall that corresponds to a specific theme, genre, or topic that the class is studying. (Beers, 2003) For example, if students are studying Night by Elie Wisel, the word wall could contain words like: Holocaust, prejudice, concentration camp, racism, propaganda, Judaism, etc. The idea is that students will learn how to spell words that they will need to write response papers and complete activities regarding the class novel.

I really like the strategy of Thematic Spelling because it connects spelling to the larger class unit. It was always my experience in school that we would be given a list of words that seemed (and sometimes was) completely random. With Thematic Spelling, however, students will see the relevance of the words that they need to learn how to spell. As they study the word wall list, the words will be reinforced in the class reading. They will also more readily practice using the words in context because the words will tie into class discussions and their own writing. Any time we can present information in a way that can be transfered to another activity, class, or the outside world, the better. The more connections that students can make to a lesson, the more they will learn and remember for the future.

The final aspect of Thematic Spelling that I appreciate is its usefulness for English Language Learner (ELLs). ELLs need as much practice as possible with learning new vocabulary. Thematic Spelling is an excellent way to tie language instruction into a specific class unit and to make sure that students have the necessary background knowledge to understand a text.

Beers, K. (2003). When Kids Can't Read What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.