We notice that in bike lanes there are images of bikes to convey their intended use. They don’t write the word BIKE LANE there – they draw a dude on a bike. Why? Probably because we process images faster than words. That tells us something about the importance of gesturing.
Over the past year we have talked about doing more and more frequent work with gesturing and working with verbs next year. Gesturing of words on word walls can also provide a big key to our success. I have found that the more I work with the wall, the more images and gestures rain down into the classroom, the richer, more composted, the CI soil will be.
This brings up the question of whether we should go to the trouble in the fall of posting a word wall and then a separate verb wall. I think that both are good, but a verb wall, up near the ceiling where we add each “conquered” verb over the course of the year, is almost a requirement. The down side of two walls, one for nouns, adjectives, etc. mixed with some verbs, and then a separate verb wall, is the clutter issue.
I feel strongly about having certain posters up and others not up, if that makes sense. Like a list of adverbs is good. But does it clutter? Stuff like that. We all have to make decisions on which posters to put up. I know that for me the Classroom Rules (modified this year by John Piazza with that important change on how we word the rule about if kids don’t understand*), the jGR poster in color that Annick made, and the questions words are my base posters.
*https://benslavic.com/blog/est-ne-manifestum/