From a spelling mat to word mats

Word mats are in alphabetical order. All could be adapted for whichever age group you teach.  It is noticeable that publishers have cottoned on to this idea.  Congratulations to all concerned.

A laminated A3 version of this is used for students to lean on.  Note the space for an exercise book or a photograph.   Let us have your version. For example, Cities or Kenya etc.  

Pupils prior to describing a picture could work in pairs to select appropriate words with a washable felt pen. They could go on to write a poem.

Here are some specific ones to download.  Thank you to all who have contributed. Click the right mouse on the link and choose Save Target as or Save Link as' .

Cocoa and Chocolate from Christine Lloyd-Staples and Adam Lawson from the GGiP team who have produced a transition project for Y6 and Y7 about Chocolate and fairtrade. The full set of materials can be downloaded from the GGiP website. However one of the resources is a Cocoa and Chocolate word mat which is here.

Weathering key words from Alex Prior, Court Moor School, Fleet, Hampshire. Download the key words here. Graphics by Loris Cooper.

Climate Word mat with key climate terms from Sarah Mills at Thomas Telford School, Telford and Wrekin. Download the word mat

Interactiveword mats

I am getting to grips with excel with interactivity and thanks to Paul Hunt St Peter's High School, Burnham-on-crouch, Essex, who developed these interactive word mats.  If anyone out there can design lessons with them I will be grateful. Please let me know what you think.

• Interactive wordmat coasts.xls - it might be choose a picture exercise
• Interactive wordmat coasts blank.xls - look cover write check
• Interactive wordmat template.xls - make your own

Definitions mats Emlyn Wright at Verdin High School is working on clarifying expectations with pupils and so has systematically worked through the scheme of work and produced definitions mats - also make a version with out the words, just definitions and also make a version without the definitions just the words.  This makes for more participative starter and plenary sessions. These could be used with the interactive word mat too.

Year 7 Population   Year 7 Settlement   Year 7 Geomorphology

Year 8 Tectonics    Year 8 Europe

Year 9 Economic activity  Year 9 Environmental Issues

Savanna is the biome that many people study. Try this for starters and thanks to Jenny Falla from the Guernsey Grammar School for sending it in.Download word mat 650kb 

Italy word mat This mat is part of some work done with King Edward VI School. Lichfield Download the word mat 75kb

 GIS word mat  - This is an attempt to list much of the jargon associated with GIS. Thanks to Rik Katz from Washington Middle School, Seattle, USA  Download word mat 200kb 

 Rainforest  Leek High School have added to the word mat style using different text styles for pupils of different abilities. Bold = all Normal =most and italic=some pupils Download Word Mat 700kb

Egypt Chris Stonier, Leek High School has sent this word mat for a unit on Egypt  Download Word Mat 120kb

Tourism Tim Purcell, The Grange School, Stourbridge has sent this word mat in Download Word Mat 61kb

Urbanisation Steph Robinson, Broadlands School, Keynsham, Bristol sent this PowerPoint slide which is like a spelling mat, but can also be used to get pupils to answer questions or as a writing frame. Steph is currently using it with lower ability Y10. Download PowerPoint slide 59kb

India  Kate Russell designed this for primary schools but could be adapted  Download MSWord file 808kb

Development Thanks to Jon Blackwell from Hounslow Manor School for this one.  Development word mat.xls 155kb

Population Alison Bowers Le Bocage International School, Mauritius offers this new one as an Excel spreadsheet. There are some advantages - such as data sort which allows you to put words in as they occur to you and then sort them alphabetically. If you prefer use this as a template.  Download  Population word mat.xls 35kb

AgricultureJohanna Hazell, Head of Geography, St Bartholomew's School, Newbury offers this  Download MSWord file 148kb

CoastsJason Wood from Woodhouse High, Tamworth has created this word mat on Download MSWord file 125kb

Earthquakes Bev Rowley, Stretton Brook School, Burton on Trent  did this.  Download MS Word file 49kb

GCSE command word mat Pauline Marsden, Sandon High School Download MSWord file 38kb

Japan  Claire Wood, offered thisl Download MSWord file 169kb

Rivers Sue Moore, De Ferrers High School did this one on MS Word File 236kb

Settlement  Kate Russell put forward this for primary pupils, but you could adapt it for older pupils. MS Word file 396kb

Starters and connectives Jackie Arundale FSS Consultant with Sheffield LEA, used the Chesterton mat as a template for this one to use with extended writing, giving a selection of  that might help to make writing more interesting. MS Word file 55kb

Environmental Disaster Brian Cookson, Friary High School has prepared thus Aral Sea Word Mat 200kb

Volcanoes Julie Dale, St John Fisher RC High, Newcastle-under-Lyme Download MS Word file 175kb

Ken Anderson in conjunction with the SEN department of Chesterton High School, Newcastle-under-Lyme has devised a neat way of helping pupils with one literacy issue, spelling of technical vocabulary. You can download the spelling mat as a Microsoft Word file to adapt for use in your school.
Download the original  for one mat fits all KS3 
Chesterton Geography Spelling Mat
Microsoft Word format/25kb

Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to kate.russell@staffordshire.gov.uk
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This page last updated 04 April 2008