Classroom Display

4. Classroom Display

The physical surroundings will be very useful in language learning, especially for young learners. According to Scott (1990: 12), they will respond well to surroundings which are pleasant and familiar. Calendar, posters, postcards, pupils’ drawing, writing and other interesting object are the examples of the classroom display.

Meanwhile, Argondizzo (1992: 10) calls the classroom display as English Corner, English Walls or English bulletin board. Those displays can be advantageous for displaying books, magazines, cartoons, brochures, drawings, flashcards that can be used in class or will use. The students also can contribute their idea to write down on the display, such as poems, letters, recipes, friends’ birthday etc. Argondizzo (1992: 10) adds that the display can be changed from time to time. The display will be fun for the children because it makes the classroom environment lively. Argondizzo also says that display provides language input introduced through them.

Reviewing the previous explanations of classroom display, the researcher chose the term of word wall as a classroom display in the research because of some reasons; first, the wall is more specialized for younger learners in learning to read and writing; second, the term of word is more simple but meaningful. Words have a special significance for young learners learning a new language; third, word wall can be used as an interactive media in learning reading and writing. Students can respond to the contents by sending answer of quiz through ‘post messages’ that is put on the word wall. They also can send a simple message to their friends.

a. Definition of Word Wall

A Word Wall is a large graphic organizer display on primary classroom wall or bulletin board. It is a teaching tool that elementary teachers use to aid students during reading and writing lessons.

Teachers use a variety of activities to help students interact with the Word Wall and increase students’ ability to read and to write. The variety will keep students’ interest in a learning process.

Word Wall technique is developed by Green (1993). It is originally designed to challenge and motivate language learning in an elementary or secondary classroom to develop vocabulary and to internalize new vocabulary. These vocabularies can help the students in catching the meaning. The word wall can also be used for various classroom lessons, accommodating individual, pair, small group, and whole class instruction. Such activities can promote vocabulary learning and support language skills development. Through Word Wall, students are hoped to be interested in reading the texts and in learning the vocabularies that will be used in reading. The new words, unfamiliar words, and the spelling can help them in learning the language.

b. Parts of Word Wall

Creating a literate environment in the classroom is a part of language teaching. The exposure of prints in foreign language will be helpful to give students the most opportunities to read. Labels, posters, pictures, and messages are examples of display parts in a classroom language teaching.

Cameron (2001: 141) says that using written language for communication will create young learner’s interest and motivation. The written language also shows the learners some of the uses of writing. Furthermore, an English message board in the classroom displays simple messages from teachers or student’s friends. For example: Don’t forget your dictionary on Thursday. The board may also contain more personal messages that learners can write too. For instance: I like the spirit of group Yellow Lamp, or Today is Saskia’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Sas! Be the best. Okay. Display in a classroom may also include a post box. It will encourage children to write and send ‘letter’ to each other and the teacher.

Here is an example of a display in a classroom that can be used to teach reading or writing.

puzzle COMICS

Our WOr d Wa l l

Students’ corner

SONGS

MAIN TEXT

STARS OF THIS MONTH (student’s

Messages’

birthday) post

Day, date and month

Figure 4. An example of a classroom display

c. The Benefits of Word Wall to Teach Reading for Young Learners

Good Surroundings will attract students’ interest to get involved in an attractive learning. Furthermore, Word Wall will be useful:

1) to attract students’ attention in reading English text as a foreign language.

2) to create and keep students’ interest in learning English.

3) to create students’ curiosity about the displayed text.

4) to encourage students’ creativity in writing simple messages.

5) to stimulate students to read attractive additional material, such as comics, poems, songs etc.

Brown (1964: 271) argues that physical environment including reading corner, movable tables and chairs, colorful books, attractive pictures, bulletin board which are frequently changed, will help to create students’ interest in reading.

In relation to teaching and learning, Brown (1964: 280) said that teacher can use displays in a variety of ways since displays are flexible, easy to develop, and have many applications in learning. Some of the functions of displays are described as follows:

1) to provide information for study by all students in a class, particularly when only one copy is available.

2) to stimulate student interest. For example, colorful pictures, a box of message, students’ pictures etc.

3) to encourage student participation. Problems related to displays can

be studied by student groups.

4) to provide review. A class divided into small groups, may prepare display to review main ideas studied.

5) to help students learn how to communicate ideas visually. Teachers help students how to plan and create an attractive display that functions to communicate to others. Those activities will extend great variety of skills and abilities.