DLTK's Crafts for Kids
The Nutcracker Word Wall Words

Word wall Templates are large flash card printables that you can hang on the wall to aid children when they are learning or using new vocabulary words.

This set is made to go with Christmas story of The Nutcracker. Anna Ha drew the character images for us (thanks Anna!) She's an excellent drawer!

How to use word wall words:

• The Nutcracker word wall word templates are found at the bottom of this page. They include picture clues and there are four words per template.
• Introduce one sheet of word wall words (4 words) per week.
  
  • Hang the words where everyone can see them.
  • I like to glue them onto card stock and have a border -- I have one border color for nouns, another for verbs, another for adjectives, another for words that can be a noun or a verb, etc.
  • You can display them on a bulletin board, in a pocket card or strung together like a banner around the room (see image for what this looks like).

  

• When you introduce each word, have the classroom 'chant' the spelling of the word.  While they chant, they should clap their hands for each consonant and slap their knees for each vowel. Repeat this exercise for all of the new and one or two of the old word wall words each session.
• Make sure the word wall words are spelled correctly in any writing students do
• Give the children each a copy of the word wall words and have them hold up the correct words as they are mentioned in the play.

Ideas for using the word list:

• Word Wall Guessing Game:
  • Summary: The clue giver (usually the teacher for round one) provides clues to the word, when the child knows what word it is, they raise their hand and spell it.  If they spell the word correctly they get to be the clue giver (with help from the teacher)
  • Example:
    • the teacher picks the word "king" but does not tell the class the word he has chosen.
    • Clue 1: The clue giver says, "The first clue is that the word was added to our word wall last Monday."
    • Clue 2: The clue giver says, "The word starts with the letter K."
    • Clue 3: The clue giver says, "The word is a noun."
    • Clue 4: The clue giver says, "He wears a crown."
    • Clue 5: The clue giver says, "The word rhymes with thing."
  • Rather than doing this in an 'out loud' game format, you can do it as a fun version of a spelling test, where you have the kids spell the words based on clues given.
• Print two copies of these worksheets to play "concentration" (the memory game) or "karuta" (japanese vocabulary game)
• Or print four copies of these worksheets to play "go fish" or "snap".
• have the children work in groups to research and discuss the meaning of the words on the word wall, then create individual journals (mini dictionaries) with definitions and an example sentence for each word:  Mini Dictionary Template
• have the children chose one of the words and draw a picture inspired by that word
• have the children write a poem or short story using words from the word wall

Templates:

Word Wall Templates - Set 1 nutcracker, ballet, mouse, king color  or   B&W	Word Wall Templates - Set 1 trace the letters color  or   B&W
Word Wall Templates - Set 2 prince, candy, Clara, unicorn color  or   B&W	Word Wall Templates - Set 2 trace the letters color  or   B&W
Word Wall Templates - Set 3 queen, fairy, sugar, Christmas color  or   B&W	Word Wall Templates - Set 3 trace the letters color  or   B&W
Word Wall Templates - Set 4 present, chocolate, snow, snowflake color  or   B&W	Word Wall Templates - Set 4 trace the letters color  or   B&W

Printable version of these instructions