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What Does It Mean to Be Global? | Globe Trottin’ Kids

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Through simple text and beautiful illustrations, young learners will discover that being global means being a citizen of the world.

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"Making and Using Anchor Charts for Math"

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"Making and Using Anchor Charts for Math"

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Also has ideas for individual anchor charts for students

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Making and using anchor charts for math before, during, and after instruction to make learning visual and visible is essential in the classroom.

Even in this digital environment, Extending access to students by hanging them up in the classroom for daily reference is I can remember students in my classroom gazing up at the
smart teachers know that using large chart paper to create math anchor charts for visual learning is important. so helpful for students.
exact spot an anchor chart had hung before state testing in order to visualize whatever concept they needed to remember! That's how important visual displays of learning can be!

Here are a few tips when making anchor charts for math learning:

1. Use large chart paper - you want students to be able to see it from different
areas of the classroom.
2. Do it with your students. If they help you, they will own the learning.

3. Use more than one color marker to differentiate important information.

4. Keep the information succinct and organized so it is easy to find the needed information, but doesn't overwhelm students.
5. Be creative if you want to! Students love it when their teachers draw pictures.
Keep your anchor charts up for as long as possible. Students keep learning throughout the school year.
If however, don't have the space or the fire marshall is strict about paper on walls, you have to find other ways for students to access this learning.

One way I found to keep this new learning in front of students is by having individual math anchor charts for students to keep in their notebooks. It's so easy to include these anchor charts in math centers for quick reference.
Think of how many times students have had questions and stopped working while they wait for you to help.
Having anchor charts up in the classroom or in their notebooks can help keep students learning while they work independently or in small groups.
They have tons of relevant information on all the major math concepts taught in 3rd grade.

It makes my teacher heart These anchor charts for math learning are an The 13 primary concepts taught in 3rd grade are available in both so happy when my students look for the information they need to solve a math problem! That's why I love this set! So easy to print or share in Google™ Classroom! essential resource for your classroom!
printable and digital formats; place value, rounding, 2 & 3 digit addition and subtraction, multiplication, division, data analysis, measurement, time, plane shapes, area & perimeter, fractions of a whole, and comparing fractions.

~Don't forget to pin this post or an image so you can access this content quickly and easily!~

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Making and using anchor charts for math before, during, and after instruction to make learning visual and visible is essential in the classroom. Even in this digital environment, Extending access to students by hanging them up in the classroom for daily reference is I can remember students in my classroom gazing up at the smart teachers know that using large chart paper to create math anchor charts for visual learning is important.

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Includes ideas on virtual charts as well.

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How can you easily provide extra math support for students both in the classroom and virtually? With anchor charts for math!

Anchor charts are tools that support students with the instruction they receive in class.

In a brick and mortar classroom, they are primarily created on chart paper and hung up for students to reference.

But how can anchor charts be used in the classroom? In this post, I'll walk you through how to use anchor charts for math with students in a virtual and brick and mortar classroom.

Important Notes about Anchor Charts

First, let's talk about how to effectively use anchor charts for math whether they are on paper or digital.

When teachers create an anchor chart it is best practice, in my opinion, to create the bare bones of the chart beforehand. For any skill you're teaching, write the title, the definition or explanation, and the problems that the kids will solve.

During the lesson, students guide the teacher in completing the anchor chart by solving the problems.

Kids are more likely to refer to anchor charts when they have helped create it.

When I hang up a completed anchor chart during a unit, I take a picture of the anchor chart for students to glue into their notebooks. This gives them access to the chart all year so that when it gets taken down they can still reference it.

How to Use Anchor Charts for Math in Distance Learning

If you teach in a virtual classroom, you can still create anchor charts for math. They can either be created in Google Slides or in Microsoft PowerPoint.

Step #1

Since it's virtual you'll want completed anchor charts as well as anchor charts for the kids to complete

Step #2

Next, you'll add a slide or two for kids to practice working on the skill on their own. You'll add text boxes, shapes or images for the students to fill in and manipulate on the chart.

Step #3

Make a master copy of the anchor chart presentation so that you have a back-up saved. Then name the student copy and get the share link if you made the presentation in Google Slides.

Step #4

Finally, assign the anchor charts on the platform you use for virtual teaching. You can choose to have kids submit the completed anchor charts so you can see if they are understanding the material.

Using Interactive Anchor Charts for Math in the Face-to-Face Classroom

If you teach face-to-face you can still use the same interactive anchor charts for math. You can display the anchor charts on the screen if you are able to project your computer screen. Then work through the slides as a whole group.

They're also perfect for absent students because they can still receive the instruction they missed. If a student misses a day of instruction where you taught with an anchor chart, you can assign them the interactive version.

Another effective use for virtual anchor charts for math is to provide extra support to struggling students.

I should note that you'll need to have the kids set up on a digital platform like Google Classroom.

The absent student can work through the anchor chart slides and get the same lesson they missed.

If you have struggling students, assign them an anchor slide presentation for the skill they are having trouble with. They can get this added support to work on either during independent work time or at home for extra practice.

Tips for Virtual Anchor Charts

-Create the slides with text and images you don't want students to accidentally delete or move. Next save those slides as images and import them as the background in a new presentation. Then add the text boxes, shapes or images that you want students to fill in or move.

-Create all of your anchor chart slides in one presentation at the same time. This will save you from having to create a new anchor chart slide every time you are teaching a new skill. You can save it as a master copy and then create a second copy where you delete the slides you don't need for a particular skill.

Anchor charts for math are effective in both the classroom and for distance learning. If you create any or use them in your classroom I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

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How To Use Anchor Charts For Math In The Classroom and Virtually

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How can you easily provide extra math support for students both in the classroom and virtually? With anchor charts for math! Anchor charts are tools that support students with the instruction they receive in class. In a brick and mortar classroom, they are primarily created on chart paper and hung up for students to reference.

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Uppercase Anchor Charts

I use my alphabet anchor charts each week to introduce a new letter. My preschool 3-4's love the pictures. Similarly, my PreK class loves to learn the letter sound using the pictures. So I keep the week's alphabet anchor chart poster prominently displayed the entire week. I love to watch the kids gather around to look at the pictures and talk about the letter.

Letter of the Week

It is common practice in Preschool, PreK and even Kindergarten to follow a Letter of the Week curriculum. In my years as a Preschool and PreK teacher, I followed many Letter of the Week programs but found them lacking in key areas. As a result, I created my own Letter of the Week C and I have never looked back. The assessment data always shows great improvement in letter and sound recognition. One of the key elements is my set of uppercase and lowercase anchor charts.

Using the Alphabet Anchor Charts

I introduce a new letter each week during circle time. First, I hold the anchor chart poster in my lap toward me. Secondly, I say to the kids, "It's time for a new letter, eyes on me!". This gets their attention, and as I turn the poster around I say, "If you know this letter you can call it out". Then I say a something like, "If you don't know the letter, listen to your friends and then we will talk about it." At the beginning of the year for the 3-4's, hardly anyone knows the letters. But they love learning together. Consequently, by the end of the year, a lot more kids will be able to say the letter shown.

After we sat the letter, we some 'skywriting'. Using our 'magic finger pen', which is just our index finger, we form the letter in the air. First uppercase, then lowercase. Then we talk about the differences and similarities in the upper and lowercase letters. Another thing you could do is to make anchor charts a permanent part of your literacy center.

Lowercase Anchor Charts

Letter Sounds

Learning letters and sounds is an important part of overall kindergarten readiness. Alphabet anchor charts are a fantastic tool for teaching both. For that reason, my anchor charts include cute images and text to extend learning and serve a dual purpose. Similar to the skywriting, we work together to learn the letter sounds as well as formation. I will say something like, "Letter 'A' makes a sound like a, as in apple." Then we make the sound together in choral response. After that, I will point to each picture and we will say each beginning sound picture word together.

Below are examples of anchor charts with pictures and text.

Uppercase Letter A

Lowercase b

Letter C

Letter d

Alphabet anchor charts are a great way to introduce letters, learn correct formation, learn the differences between upper and lowercase letters, and learn letter sounds. They make a HUGE difference in my classroom and the kids love 'Letter of the Week'.

My Letter of the Week curriculum is available in a money-saving (and time-saving) bundle or individual letter packets. follow the links below for more fantastic Letter of the Week resources!

Alphabet Anchor Charts

Letter of the Week Curriculum
Save $35!

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Using Alphabet Anchor Charts in Your Classroom - Teach Pre-K

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I use my alphabet anchor charts each week to introduce a new letter. My preschool 3-4's love the pictures. Similarly, my PreK class loves to learn the letter sound using the pictures. So I keep the week's alphabet anchor chart poster prominently displayed the entire week.

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We love these kindergarten anchor charts for covering topics like friendship, shapes, counting, letters and beginning writing. What are your favorite kindergarten anchor charts to use in the classroom?

1. What Is a Friend?

Kindergartners are just learning their place in the social scene. Display the qualities of a good friend with this chart based on the book The Little White Owl by Tracey Corderoy. Read the book together, and talk about how they can be a friend to their classmates.

Source: First Grade Blue Skies

2. Parts of a Book

Reading books is a daily activity in kindergarten, but do they know where to find each part of the book? This anchor chart shows them all the different parts, using Pete the Cat as the example:

Source: A Place Called Kindergarten

3. 2- and 3-Dimensions

Teaching 2-D and 3-D shapes is so fun for kids. Teach them to see examples in actual objects, then make this anchor chart so they can remember.

Source: Growing Kinders

4. Coloring 101

Sometimes kindergartners just want to hurry through a coloring project to move on to the next thing. Encourage them to take their time and color a pretty picture instead of a rushed one.

Source: Crazy Life in Kinders

5. Letters, Words and Sentences

Beginning writers need to identify first the letter, then the word, then putting the words together to form a sentence. Kids will love adding their letters and words to the chart.

Source: Kindergarten Chaos

6. Beginning to Write

The first step in finding out how to spell and write is sounding out the word and finding the right letters. This is another fun one to do together to allows kids to see how words are formed.

Source: Teaching With Style

7. Fiction or Nonfiction

Show kids the parts of a nonfiction book that might be different from a fiction book with this handy chart.

Source: Mrs. Wills Kindergarten

8. Tally-Mark Poem

This is a fun little poem that reminds kids how to make tally marks.

From: Teky Teach

9. Counting Strategies

Kindergartners love to count as high as they can. This anchor chart lists and visualizes the different ways they can count.

Source: Mrs. Wills' Kindergarten

10. Number Recognition

When you're working on a new number together, this will help students really see how the number looks in various ways.

Source: Kindergarten Chaos

11. Money Chart

Help kids remember the difference between coins with this handy chart. (It was created for first grade but works great for kindergarten too.) Also click on the link for some rhymes that make it easy to remember the value of each coin.

Source: A Day in First Grade

12. Restroom Rules

Some of the most important skills kindergartners learn are life skills such as taking care of bathroom needs. Often the restroom is mistaken for a play place. This great chart is a reminder of how to behave in the bathroom.

Source: Unknown

13. What Begins With ...?

Introducing a new letter sound is fun when you get the kids involved in brainstorming words that begin with that letter.

Source: A Cupcake for the Teacher

14. Less and More

Anything with an alligator is usually good with kinders. This fun anchor chart shows how to use signs for less-than or more-than numbers.

Source: Krafty in K

15. Measuring Height

This is not standard anchor chart size, but your students will love it. When introducing height and measurement, ask kids to come up to this chart and measure their height using yarn.

Source: Going Back to Kinder

16. Morning Duties

From the start of the day, kids do much better when they know what they are expected to do. This chart shows exactly what this teacher wants each kid to do when they come into the classroom.

Source: Mrs. Wills

17. Sight-Word Sing-Along

This is a fun idea for teaching teach sight words. Change up the word as needed and it can help students remember how to recognize and spell the word.

Source: Unknown

18. When Is It OK to Interrupt?

We love these friendly reminders on when it is okay to interrupt. This can be such a tough topic for kids to grasp. Have them get involved in coming up with reasons.

Source: Mrs. Beattie's Classroom

19. Writing Topics

Sometimes kiddos have a hard time picking a topic to write or draw. This anchor chart is a brainstorm session on what kids come up with to write about.

Source: Deanna Jump

20. Punctuation

This is a great chart to create and leave up for remembering how to use punctuation.

Source: Kindergarten Chaos

21. Hot and Cold Science Lesson

This idea is a fun one when introducing a weather unit or talking about the seasons.

Source: Mrs. Richardson's Class

22. Ways to Sort

All kindergarten classrooms practice sorting, and this anchor chart is a great visual of different ways to sort and organize.

Source: Kindergarten Chaos

23. Encourage More Reading

This anchor chart is simple, but it's a great way to encourage your students to do more reading.

Source: Mrs. Jones's Kindergarten

24. Drawing People

Kindergartens will work on their people-drawing skills all year, so this anchor chart is a good reminder of the basics.

Source: Kindergarten, Kindergarten

25. Classroom Constitution

Every classroom should come up with a list of Classroom Rules or a "Constitution" like this one, in which every student must "sign" with their handprint. These are a few examples that would be perfect for a kindergarten room.

Source: Teach with Me

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22 Kindergarten Anchor Charts You'll Want to Recreate

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We love these kindergarten anchor charts for covering topics like friendship, shapes, counting, letters and beginning writing. What are your favorite kindergarten anchor charts to use in the classroom? Kindergartners are just learning their place in the social scene. Display the qualities of a good friend with this chart based on the book The Little White Owl by Tracey Corderoy.

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Students in my 6-8 junior high building study either French or Spanish as a core academic class. Over the course of those three years, they become more confident in their abilities in both speaking and listening in the target language, and the language teachers in my building are working hard at boosting that confidence in reading and writing as well.

Last year, the eighth grade world language teachers approached me about doing some work with them in the areas of reading and writing. One of the first things the French teacher wanted to work on was getting her 8 th grade students to write more interesting and complex sentences than "The girl has a baguette" in response to photo prompts. Over the course of our conversation, we figured out that the students didn't always have the full vocabulary to write to a prompt at the beginning of a unit. They wanted to write more; they just didn't have the knowledge to be able to do it.

I realized that the learners in these 8 th grade classrooms were in many ways like the early literacy learners in grade 2 or so. Though they could read and write fluently in English, they were still learning the vocabulary and structure of their second language. My thoughts immediately went to the book Smarter Charts by Marjorie Martinelli and Kristine Mraz. One of the things I love about this book is that Marjorie and Kristine explain the different kinds of charts you might find in a classroom and when and why you might use each type. As a teacher of older children, I also appreciated the "how to draw a chart" page. As we pored over the examples of different charts, the two 8 th grade teachers realized that anchor charts could provide great opportunity to share literacy strategies with their students in the target language. In addition, the students were familiar with anchor charts and how to use them from their language arts classes. I hoped seeing charts in both places would help students transfer knowledge from their LA classes to their language classes.

As a parting gift, I gave the teachers a large tablet of chart paper and a box of Mr. Sketch markers to get them started. When I checked in a few weeks later, I was thrilled to see anchor charts written in French and Spanish for routines, unfamiliar vocabulary, and grammar and sentence structure (such as where adjectives go in relation to the nouns they modify). Of course, these teachers could have found commercially prepared posters for much of this content, but by co-constructing charts with their students, they could target the exact content and strategy they needed as well as provide an engaging and useful lesson for the students. Both teachers reported that due to this scaffolding, their students were writing more in French and Spanish, and that their writing was much more interesting. Even better, as students gained confidence and more knowledge, the early charts were retired and new ones with more sophisticated content created.

There are a couple of lessons that can be learned from my experience with these two teachers. First, don't limit your willingness to explore a professional resource just because it's labeled as a K-2 book or a 6-8 or any other grade book. Creative teachers often find ways to take ideas from just about any professional resource and make the ideas work for their students. If I had discounted Smarter Charts because of the K-2 label, I would not have been inspired to rethink my own charts and I wouldn't have had the resource the world language teachers needed.

Second, as teachers we need to take risks and step outside our comfort zones. I had no idea if I would be able to think of ways to get students reading and writing more in the target languages. Certainly my three years of high school French over twenty-five years ago were not going to help me. By boiling down the question to its essence, I could see the need was to support these emerging readers and writers. For the teachers themselves, they needed to be open to new ideas from someone who was not an expert in their subject, someone who could approach a question from a new perspective and a new set of eyes.

Carol Dweck refers to this open-mindedness as a "growth mindset." It is this kind of mindset that we need to model for and nurture in our students. When we approach our work from this perspective and share our new learning with our students, they will see that even as adults we continue to grow and change in our thinking and abilities. They then are more likely to develop a love of learning and resilience that will continue with them into their adult lives.

As I begin my second year as literacy coach in my building, I'm excited to continue my work with these two teachers (and maybe even the sixth and seventh grade world language teachers as well). There are so many opportunities to continue to explore different ways of incorporating authentic reading and writing into these classes; we truly have just touched the tip of the iceberg.

Maybe I'll even learn more than just the five words of Spanish I picked up on a trip to Costa Rica.

Adieu and adios!
Mindi Rench became a junior high literacy coach after teaching seventh grade LA for eighteen years. She lives in Northbrook, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. When she doesn't have her nose buried in a book, she drives the mom taxi and is writing a book (either a YA romance or a middle grade adventure) in her head. She hopes someday to write it for real. She blogs at Making It Work in the Middle and tweets at @mindi_r.

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Anchor Charts in the World Language Classroom? Mais Oui!

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Students in my 6-8 junior high building study either French or Spanish as a core academic class. Over the course of those three years, they become more confident in their abilities in both speaking and listening in the target language, and the language teachers in my building are working hard at boosting that confidence in reading and writing as well.

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Pinterest Board of Music Anchor Charts Idea

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Pinterest Board of Music Anchor Charts Idea

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52 Music anchor charts ideas | music anchor charts, music classroom, teaching music

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Dec 3, 2016 - Explore Joni Behlmer- Garrison’s board “music anchor charts”, followed by 148 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about music anchor charts, music classroom, teaching music.

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For the longest time, I thought anchor charts were for elementary classrooms. I'd see photos floating around on social media, but I never gave them a second thought in terms of application in a middle or high school classroom. I know I wasn't alone, as it's somewhat rare for secondary teachers to talk about using them.

More recently, I've come to realize that anchor charts are absolutely appropriate - and beneficial - for a secondary classroom. Let's explore why we should and how we could be using them.

THE BENEFITS OF ANCHOR CHARTS

Most teachers incorporate mini (or maxi) lessons on a regular basis. As students learn new information, anchor charts are a way to help them ground their learning. Because of the way we create them (more on that later), they help students to synthesize their thinking about an important topic or skill.

Generally, we use anchor charts for information students will need to come back to throughout the year. Often, anchor charts are used with essential standard concepts and related strategies.

With reading, for example, you might create anchor charts for signposts, reading strategies, or text structure. Perhaps you want students to remember sentence types, transitions, or word choice concepts with writing and grammar. You can also create anchor charts for classroom procedures and reading and writing workshop expectations, among a plethora of other options.

Creating anchor charts provides a content-rich classroom decoration piece which serves as a bridge between introductory lessons and practice opportunities. When students use them as a reference, they are reminded of prior learning and can more easily make connections with new information.

Students who appreciate scaffolding, ELL students, and anyone who is learning a brand new concept can benefit from anchor charts.

Bottom line: Anchor charts make learning visible.

TIPS FOR USING ANCHOR CHARTS

The benefits of using anchor charts are clear, but actually implementing them can be more of a gray area. When I first began exploring them, I had a lot of questions. Perhaps you do, too. I'm happy to share my learning.

WHEN TO CREATE THEM

Ideally, anchor charts should be created with students. They need to contribute to the synthesis of information. As you teach your lesson, you can pause and add important information, like definitions, questions students should ask, strategies, and images or symbols.

However, secondary classrooms are fast-paced. Our building only has 44 minute class periods. With tight schedules like these, it's difficult to stick to idealism. It's best to create anchor charts with students, but we have to prioritize.

If you're crunched for time, it's understandable to create the anchor chart...or an outline for one...in advance. However, I'd suggest still providing opportunities for students to think about what should be included. Otherwise, they're really more of a poster.

For example, instead of pausing throughout the lesson to add to an anchor chart, which does take time, ask students to create their own version - inspired by yours - afterward. This opportunity allows them to do some critical thinking without extending the mini lesson.

However, I wouldn't recommend that creating anchor charts in advance be the norm.

MULTIPLE CLASS DILEMMA

In our building, teachers have six sections of the same grade level class. That's a lot of expensive paper! Plus, what will you do with six very similar anchor charts?

To problem solve, you might design the reference tool on the white board. At the end of each period, take a picture of that class's creation. Then, combine the best, most memorable elements from each class into one reference chart at the end of the day. This approach is helpful because you can use it to review with students and discuss ideas from other class periods.

Another option is to have students create mini anchor charts that they can keep in their folders, binders, or notebooks. This activity can be spun in many ways. For instance, students can work with groups to encourage critical thinking and discussion.

REUSING THEM FROM YEAR TO YEAR

After all the effort it takes to create them, it can be difficult to fathom only using them during one school year. Anchor charts generally aren't "reused" year to year. However, they can carry over in a couple ways.

First, you'll begin to notice patterns. After you get comfortable with creating an anchor chart for a given topic, you'll know what works and what doesn't. You'll have an idea of what must be included because it resonates with students. In other words, by creating and recreating each year, the process will go more smoothly each time.

Also, take photos! When you have anchor charts you love, take photos of them so that you can share them with students as additional references. Sure, if you have room to store them, it doesn't hurt. But, pulling them out of a closet and using them over and over again undercuts some of the most important learning benefits for students.

MAKING THEM APPEAL TO OLDER STUDENTS

Do anchor charts appeal to older students? Honestly, involving middle and high school students in the process of creating them is an effective way to increase engagement. When they are involved in their learning, the lesson naturally appeals more to them.

Some anchor charts are clearly designed for younger students. Paying attention to color palettes, depth of skills and strategies, and illustrations can help make anchor charts appear more "secondary" style.

If you include people, make them look older! If you include objects, choose things that are relatable to teens whenever possible. And, use examples that are relevant to tweens and teens.

Consider allowing students to add specific elements to the anchor chart during the lesson to magnify ownership.

PRIORITIZING WHICH CHARTS TO CREATE

While anchor charts are beneficial teaching tools, it's important not to overuse them. If you create an anchor chart for every lesson, where would you put them all? Here are some helpful questions to guide your decisions:

Is this topic/skill related to an essential or power standard for my class?

Is this topic/skill something that students tend to struggle with each year?

Will we be coming back to this topic or skill regularly throughout the year?

Am I going to want students to connect new learning to this topic or skill?

Will this anchor chart help my classroom to run more smoothly?

MATERIALS FOR CREATION

When creating anchor charts, teachers have different preferences. One thing to consider is how you want to hang them. Will you attach them with binder clips to string? Will you stick them to the wall? I prefer large Post-It easel pads*, but a lot of teachers use chart paper.

Either way, my favorite markers to use are these and these. I like to have different tip sizes to work with.

BUT I'M NOT ARTSY

Whether you have Pinterest-worthy anchor charts hanging in your classroom or not is of no consequence. You don't have to have pretty handwriting or amazing illustration skills to create meaningful reference points with your students.

Look! Here is an example of a "non-pretty" anchor chart I made with a co-worker as we were introducing writing workshop expectations.

Students can read these anchor charts. They contain valuable information the class refer back to throughout the year, and it will help the room run more smoothly.

If you happen to have handwriting that is illegible, that would be a problem. In this case, you could have a student scribe the anchor chart for you as you teach the lesson.

What thoughts do you have about creating anchor charts? They're not just for elementary classrooms. Share any questions or tips you have to offer in the comments below.

+ The materials linked in this post are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase from them, I will receive a small profit at no expense to you.

RELATED READING

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Using Anchor Charts in Middle and High School: Why and How - Reading and Writing Haven

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Interested in using anchor charts with older students? Read about benefits, best practices, and materials to make the experience a success.

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Pinterest Board of PE Anchor Chart Ideas

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Pinterest Board of PE Anchor Chart Ideas

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38 PE Anchor Charts ideas | anchor charts, health and physical education, elementary pe

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Aug 4, 2018 - Explore ArtQueenBee’s board “PE Anchor Charts”, followed by 142 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about anchor charts, health and physical education, elementary pe.

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So they are not just wallpaper!

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Author

Peeking into classrooms at the very beginning of this new school year, I was surprised to see that many teachers already had lots of anchor charts (and completed word walls, too - but that's another article) posted in their classrooms. The charts were beautiful, with bright colors and cute illustrations or graphics. Some of them were made on desktop publishing - enlarged and laminated. Some were purchased at a teachers' store. Some were neatly lettered on manila chart paper. How did so many charts get put up so early in the school year? Were these anchor charts that the teacher had used in previous years? Did the teacher make the chart in isolation, completely apart from a lesson, without any student input? It makes me wonder if the purpose and benefits of anchor charts are really understood.

Anchor Chart Basics

An anchor chart is a tool to facilitate student self-regulation and support independence. It is visual evidence of the work done by teachers and students - a scaffold that can later be removed as soon as the students have learned the lessons reinforced by the anchor chart. Anchor charts are temporary by nature. A standard-sized version of the chart (8 ½ x 11) can be affixed in students' learning logs. Is the chart still up after several months? Then it's probably time to rethink the lesson, the chart, or the effectiveness of its location within the classroom environment.

Anchor charts are co-created within the context of a lesson or over a series of lessons. If an anchor chart is not co-created, it is destined to become wallpaper. The teacher and the students negotiate the language of the chart. The teacher acts as a scribe, capturing the students' actual words. An anchor chart purchased at a teachers' store can't ever be as effective as a co-constructed anchor chart. Even if you teach the same concepts each year, you can't really reuse anchor charts year after year because they need to be co-constructed with your current group of students. Hence there is no reason to ever laminate an anchor chart.

Some teachers like to alternate colors to help students differentiate between the lines. However, using more than two colors can actually be confusing, especially for beginning readers. Adding a photo, picture, or graphic can offer extra support in reading the chart for beginning readers. Choosing dark or concentrated colors also makes an anchor chart easier to read. When the chart is completed, it should be posted where the students can see it. Think of how difficult it would be for a six-year-old to read an anchor chart that is hung from a molding near the ceiling. Put the chart in an area of the classroom where it is needed - where students will use it and have easy access to it. The teacher and students should revisit the anchor chart frequently during the first week that it is posted. A teacher might have to remind students to refer to the chart. It is an important lesson on using resources to help students help themselves. Limit the number of anchor charts that are hanging at the same time. You don't want students to have to hunt for the chart that they need.

The Teaching Behind Anchor Charts

The respected teaching practices that are involved in getting an anchor chart launched and used in a classroom include gradual release of responsibility, think alouds, and shared writing. The teacher explicitly states his or her expectations, then models the desired practice (e.g., steps in solving a long division problem, giving an oral report), thinking aloud as s/he goes. Then the class engages in a shared experience of the task. The teacher demonstrates the desired practice with the students talking through the steps or process. The anchor chart can be co-created at this point using shared writing. Then there is a shift to guided practice, with a student modeling the desired practice for the class. The students review the anchor chart before they engage in the desired practice and use the anchor chart afterwards to reflect on how well they have succeeded. The teacher monitors the students as they attempt the desired practice and provides feedback. Finally, the students are ready for independent practice, using the anchor chart on their own to self-monitor or remind themselves what to do next.

Types of Anchor Charts

There are three common types of anchor charts: procedural, process, and strategy. The hallmark of an organized classroom is how well the students follow the classroom routines. Master teachers spend the first few weeks of school teaching routines, and report that this period of instruction is critical to the success of the entire school year.

Procedural anchor charts help reinforce the teaching of the classroom routines. Some examples of procedural anchor charts include how to use the MP3 player at a listening center or how to check out a book from the classroom library. You may find that procedural anchor charts need to stay posted for a longer period of time than other anchor charts.

Process anchor charts remind students of how to work through a process such as how to participate in a peer conference, how to solve a word problem, or how to find a word in the dictionary. In my state as part of the annual assessment, students are required to write a response to a reading passage. Most classrooms have a process anchor chart on the steps for writing a good extended response. Standard-sized copies of process anchor charts are especially useful for students.

Strategy anchor charts support students in developing strategic behaviors such as choosing what to do when encountering an unknown word while reading or how to use the text features of a nonfiction book. Consider sharing standard-sized copies of strategy anchor charts with interventionists who work with your students. It is important that these students hear consistent language.

Reflections

Pay attention to your anchor charts. Are the students using them or asking you for information available on the charts? How long do the students need them? Anchor charts would make a great topic for a grade-level team meeting. Share charts that are working well. Even more important, share the ones that didn't work out and talk about why that was the case.

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Author Peeking into classrooms at the very beginning of this new school year, I was surprised to see that many teachers already had lots of anchor charts (and completed word walls, too - but that's another article) posted in their classrooms. The charts were beautiful, with bright colors and cute illustrations or graphics.

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5 Tips for Creating Anchor Charts That Actually Engage Students - The Teacher Bag

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Creating anchor charts that engage your students is a great way to reinforce topics you are learning objectives in the classroom.