We all know that it is so important to help our students grow their vocabulary. This word wall, an idea taken from The CAFE Book by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, encourages students to tune in to interesting vocabulary words during their reading so that they can also incorporate the words into their writing.

When I read to my students on the reading carpet, they bring their writing folders with them. As I am reading, I will pause (usually no more than once or twice during a story) to note interesting vocabulary words that I want to introduce. I choose the words ahead of time and add them to our class word wall, and students add them to their individual word collection sheets in their writing folders. I make sure to use these words whenever I can (in conversations, lessons, D.O.L. sentences, etc.) so that students become comfortable using them in their own writing pieces.