Are you looking for a way to make that math vocabulary stick? Try a word wall!
Yes, even in math instruction, a word wall is a great tool to help students learn necessary vocabulary. The basic premise of a word wall is to give students constant access to important words they will need in class. Having the words always available (on the wall) promotes independence and helps students realize that these vocabulary words are actually important. Since students can always see the words, you can more easily encourage them to use appropriate vocabulary in their conversations in your class. Research shows that when students are reading, writing, listening to, speaking vocabulary words, they’re more likely to own those words.
Playing with and manipulating words is another way that students can solidify vocabulary. As the list grows, you can also have student analyze the words looking for patterns or connections, and rearrange the wall based on their observations.
When planning for your word wall, make sure you have enough wall space that this collection of vocabulary can grow all year. If you don’t have a space large enough, you might rotate the words on the word wall by unit. It will also need to be large enough that students can see the words easily during your lesson and while they’re working independently. Finally, you need to figure out how you want to attach the words to the wall.
Below are links for REALLY GOOD math vocabulary word wall words that are kid-friendly with pictures. It is originally from Granite Public Schools in Utah. I have attached all of the Math Word Wall words for you by grade level! Simply click on your grade level and it will take you to the pdf to download for FREE!
Enjoy!