Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Name Wall

A first grader's name is about the most important word in the world to them.  The names of their friends are up there as well, and of course they want to know how to spell each and every one.  Instead of integrating all 23 names into my word wall, I have a name wall.  (Okay, so it's not really a wall.  It's more like a poster.  Nothing fancy.)  I think separating names from the word wall makes them easier to locate, especially for those who get overwhelmed by the presence of numerous words.  Location is really important too.  Our name wall is displayed by our writing station, and the kids frequently use it as a reference during the Work on Writing portion of Daily 5 if they choose to write notes and letters to each other.  What's more, I've added the names of our principal, secretary, PE teacher, music teacher, and librarian (as well as my own) to the name wall, so kids will at times choose to write to them as well.   


It's a handy and easy-to-use resource for kids who love to write!


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12 comments:

  1. Miss FooteJanuary 22, 2013 at 3:59 PM

    One of my students' favorite things to do is write their own class list. It cracks me up!

    Laurie
    Chickadee Jubilee

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    1. TammyJanuary 23, 2013 at 5:22 PM

      Laurie, there's just somethin' special about names, huh?

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  2. LoriJanuary 22, 2013 at 4:11 PM

    I am sure this makes finding their friend's name a lot easier than mixed in with the word wall words. Great idea!
    Lori
    Conversations in Literacy

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    1. TammyJanuary 23, 2013 at 5:24 PM

      Lori, some kids sure do benefit from separating the names from all the other words.

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  3. Kimberley MoranJanuary 22, 2013 at 4:27 PM

    I always do this as well. I think I might have read it somewhere once (Fountas and Pinnell phonics?). I thought it was great then and I still think it is. You do everything right.

    Kimberley
    First in Maine

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    1. TammyJanuary 23, 2013 at 5:25 PM

      Kimberley, I'm not sure I deserve such wonderful words. It's pretty sweet of you though. (I've got a long list of things I don't do so right.)

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  4. Owl Things FirstJanuary 22, 2013 at 5:53 PM

    What a great idea! I've always had their names on the Word Wall, but I like the name of a name wall. May I borrow this idea? Thank you!!
    Jenny
    Owl Things First

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  5. Mrs. AndersonJanuary 22, 2013 at 5:59 PM

    I do this as well. I add a thumbnail size photo of each child next to their names. This is very helpful at the beginning of the year if I have a child or two that are not able to read the names yet. Thanks for sharing!
    Connie Anderson
    www.welcometofirstgraderoom5.blogspot.com

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    1. TammyJanuary 23, 2013 at 5:26 PM

      Connie, the picture is a great additional layer of support. Nice!

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  6. Teaching Little MiraclesJanuary 23, 2013 at 9:32 AM

    Once again, something so simple, but AWESOME! Thanks for sharing, Tammy. Now I need to figure out where to put a name wall. Ha ha!

    I'm telling you, if you lived closer I'd be coming to observe you. You are always full of great ideas!

    Hope you're having a great week!
    Crystal
    Teaching Little Miracles

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    1. TammyJanuary 23, 2013 at 5:27 PM

      Crystal, finding space for all the things that we need on the walls is a problem, huh? Take a field trip to Idaho. You're always welcome. (Hee hee) :)

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