Student Writers' Wall Makes for Great Display

Happy Wordless Wednesday! Linking up today and thinking about my classroom set-up... 'tis the season, after all. I'm sharing a photo from last year of how I display our student writing.

My Little Corner of the World

This pic was taken outside the door of my classroom, in my corner of the centrum. Through the window is my classroom, which is rather small for kindergarten, so I make every inch count, even those inches outside my door. This corner houses many things. It has a low, round table that we use for center work with parents, and for our listening center. The table is not in the picture, but you see our headphones hanging on the wall for easy kid access. It has my message board, where I post notes from the kids– I encourage writing every way I can. It has my beautiful class sign– so nice to be married to a talented artist. And it has our Writers' Wall.

Our Writers' Wall is where we display our best work from each writing unit and mini-unit we do. For each unit celebration– that oh, so important aspect of writers' workshop– we gather here in a circle and read our work before ceremoniously hanging it on the wall.

The binder clip system allows me to easily put the newest writing pieces on top of the old. Everyone, especially parents, can stop by any time to see their child's work. Keeping all the work together really highlights the progress kids make through the year! Notice I put up a little sign that lists the important objectives we learned in that particular unit. By the end of the year each child has this nicely collected portfolio of their best work in one place. I put it in construction paper folders to send home as treasured keepers.

To set up the binder clip system, I print each child's name on the top of a heavy cardstock sheet. Then I glue down another piece of cardstock on the back, so it covers the top third of the back page. I reinforce it like this so that after I laminate the pages, and make a slit to insert the binder clip, the weight of kids' writing doesn't make the paper rip at the slit. I make a slit, the width of the binder clip with an Xacto, about an inch below the name. I insert the binder clip carefully so the binder clips "wire thingy" that helps you open it is at the back of the paper, and the clip itself is clipped to the top of the slit. It takes a little finagling. I staple each child's display paper securely to the bulletin board. There is then enough leverage when you push on the front "wire thingy" to open the clip, and slide papers up into it, so they hang down in perfect view.

It provides a practical, convenient, and beautiful way to show off our hard work! If this is something you want to try, Pin, Pin, Pin-It :)

How do you display student work?

Thanks Christina for providing us a way to share our ideas! Head on over there by clicking!

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