Summer is our time for us as educators to take some time to learn so we can become even stronger in our classrooms this fall.
One of my many paths I am walking down this summer is learning how to use a Sound Wall more effectively in my classroom. I have done word walls for years, but last year I attempted a sound wall and knew at the conclusion of the school year I needed a lot of help.
Based in the science of reading, sound walls in the classroom “help educators reinforce the importance of explicitly teaching the skills of letter-sound correspondence. It should be a visual support system that is up on your classroom wall, not the main event”.
So that is a lot to ponder over in that last statement. Sometimes I get wrapped in the appearance of my classroom walls and the decor. As a first grade teacher, I always wanted my room to be inviting to all and everything needed to match a theme that is cute and engaging. And a course needed it all set up and in place before the first day of school. The question I have been thinking alot about is what is best for students.
I want students to use the sound wall as a reference throughout my students' school year to help support them with their reading and especially their daily writing. Encoding is just as important as decoding to help students become a strong reader.
In addition, in my reading this summer of sound walls, I want to add illustrations or photos of students’ mouths and give them opportunities to use mirrors in direct instruction of sounds to print. I have learned a great deal about students’ needs for explicit instruction on air flow, teeth/tongue placement, lip position, and voiced versus unvoiced sounds. Thanks to Laura Moody, M.S.Ed. CCC-SLP, the Clinic Coordinator for UNK Speech Clinic, that I was lucky to work with at Reading Academy, Laura was able to support me in my journey in learning even more about the process this summer
Thoughts Going Into The New School Year
While it may be useful to construct a basic sound wall before introducing it to your students, you might instead turn it into an educational and collaborative process by building it with your students, adding words over the course of the school year with their help.
Often kids are pulled for reading intervention time from my room. Maybe making individual “Sound Wall” sheets for each student to have handy could benefit the struggling reader when working on foundational reading skills.
Heidi and Michelle
Resources/References
Podcast, Literacy Talks, Jun 1, 2022
Hear Here! The Sound Wall and Its Connections to Speech-to-Print Instruction
Speech to Print Language Essentials for Teachers by by Louisa Cook Moats Ed.D. and Dr. Susan Brady Ph.D., Third Edition
The 44 Phonemes in English. The Reading Well: A Virtual Well of Dyslexia Resources, 2013-2020. - Link
Setting Your Classroom Up for Success with the Science of Reading, Sound Walls from LouisianLiteracy@la.gov - Email us @hookedonbooksabc.com and I will send you the file with the templates of starting a sound wall in your classroom.
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