Literacy

areas. All teachers of all grade levels can apply
this concept to any subject. All students, regardless
of ability level, would have the opportunity to
build connections among disciplines, highlight prior
knowledge, and become a collaborative team. These
are the core elements of 21 st -century readiness.
References
Allen, J. (1999). Words, words, words: Teaching vocabulary in
grades 4-12. New York, NY: Stenhouse.
Beck, I., McKeown, M.G., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing words to
life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York: The Guilford
Press.
Broward County School Board. A research based guide to word
walls in the secondary classroom. Retrieved from http://www.
fulton-ind.k12.ky.us/userfiles/56/Classes/4649/Secondary%20
Word%20Walls.pdf
Cronsberry, J. (2004). “Word walls: A support for literacy in
secondary school classrooms.” Retrieved from http://www.
readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/World_Walls_- _A_Support_
for_Literacy_in_Secondary_School_Classrooms.pdf.
Curtis, G. (2007). The cave painters: Probing the mysteries of the
world’s first artists. New York, NY: Anchor.
Dean, C.B., Hubbell, E.R., Pitler, H., & Stone, B.J. (2013).
Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies
for increasing student achievement. New York, NY:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Freeman, Y. S., & Freeman, D. E. (2006). Teaching reading
and writing in Spanish and English. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Irvin, J., Meltzer, D. & Dukes, M. (2007). Taking action on
adolescent literacy: An implementation guide for school
leaders. New York, NY: Association for Supervision of
Curriculum and Development.
About the Authors:
Peg Grafwallner is the School Support Teacher
and Reading Specialist at Ronald Reagan IB High
School in Milwaukee Public Schools. Peg coaches
teachers in literacy best practices focusing on connecting
IB, Common Core and ACT standards. She
has given local, regional and national presentations
on the topics of literacy, motivation, and
engagement. If you would like more information
about this article, please contact Peg at
grafwapj@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.
Abby Felten is a MYP Chemistry teacher at Ronald
Reagan IB High School. She graduated from
Marquette University in spring of 2014 with a
bachelor’s of science in Secondary Education and
Broadfield Science with a minor in Chemistry
and an emphasis in Biology. This is her second
year teaching MYP Chemistry at Reagan IB High
School. She also is the Personal Project coordinator.
If you would like more information about
this article, please contact Abby at
croftal@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.
Jamie Kramer is a Spanish teacher at Ronald
Reagan IB High School in Milwaukee Public
Schools. Jamie teaches IB Spanish 1 and 2. She
began teaching high school Spanish 9 years ago.
Jamie is also certified to teach English Language
Learners. If you would like more information
about this article, please contact Jamie at
kramerj1@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.
Marzano, R.J. (2009). The art and science of teaching/Six steps
to better vocabulary instruction. Educational Leadership:
Teaching in the 21 st Century, 67 (1), 83-84.
58 From Chemistry to Advanced Spanish: 21st Century Word Wall Success