Derado's Details
TDS April Newsletter
Building Independence with Anchor Charts
Have you ever gone on a treasure hunt? One of my fun summer memories involved going on a Treasure Hunt at Hamilton Town Center. Searching for applications, specific clothing items, and finishing at Cold Stone made the day exciting! We used a "map" to help us.
Like treasure maps guided my search, anchor Charts guide our learning.... they're tools that help our students learn and, maybe even more importantly, become independent.
Be purposeful with your charts because not all charts are created equal! Pinterest has great examples of different anchor charts, but one of the keys to making them successful is to create them with your students! Some of the charts are destined for glory and will hang in spots of honor on your walls. Some charts' life spans will be a short week and never reach the bulletin board. Some are interactive "hubs" hanging in the book nook or on the back of the door.
Either way, the charts that are up are the charts that are being used.
What do you do with them when you are done?
Find a way to store them in an organized and accessible fashion. Create large class books of all the math "Number of the Day" charts and store them in your math corner. Take pictures of the charts, number them, and put them in a student accessible binder. Hang the charts in numerical order somewhere in the room so students can review them easily.
Do you have other great ideas for storing charts?
Remember, the charts are a great way for students to "anchor" their learning so that they can become independent learners!
Using Anchor Charts in a Classroom
Use Visuals
- Our kids are visual. Make sure the anchor charts utilize visuals when needed. More language is not always better!
Curriculum-Specific Needs
- The anchor charts on your walls should be the ones that are most important for what your class is studying *now*..... Avoid using anchor charts as wall paper.
- What to do with the oldies but goodies? Take photos with your iPad, print, and organize into binders that students can access when needed.
Functional Anchor Charts
- Think about what annoying questions you get asked constantly throughout the day that can be easily answered. How about an anchor chart for that? We have a whole anchor chart for commonly used website and passwords and it is a LIFESAVER.
Keep the Language Simple
- Don’t get fancy. Keep the wording direct and to the point so it will be helpful. Keep in mind the language processing that many of our students have.
Use Color Coding
- Color coding helps when you are trying to refer to something that is on the wall way up high and you can’t physically point to. You can then say, “Read the blue one.” Simple genius right there
Make It Physically Defined
- And a little structure to your anchor chart. In the same way that helps our kiddos understand their environment – it will also help them understand a mess full of words
Summer Professional Development Opportunity
2014 Summer Institute with
Carl Anderson
REGISTER BY March 31st AND SAVE!
Registration for our 2014 Summer Institute with Carl Anderson is now open. Register by March 31st and receive a 20% discount - just $300 per teacher.
June 24, 25 & 26, 2014
9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Butler University
One-on-one conversations with students are key to identifying what each student needs to succeed as a writer-and meet rigorous new Common Core Standards. Carl Anderson, the country's leading scholar in conferring and assessment, will share practical methods for gathering information about every writer in your classroom. He will tackle these challenging questions and more:
- How do I assess writing by students in my classroom?
- How can assessment inform what I teach to the class and to individual students?
- How do I prepare students to take an active and productive role in conferring and assessment?
- How do I link my assessments to the new writing standards?
Carl uses classroom video clips and sample student work as he offers smart suggestions, provides assessment and conference management charts, and reflects with teachers on what young writers do well.
Cost: $375 per teacher, includes breakfast, lunch and handouts. Certificate available for 18 professional development units. Early bird special: Register by March 31st and attend for just $300.
Professional Development Dates
April 9th - 1st grade district PD, 1/2 day sessions at CRE
April 16th - 2nd grade district PD, 1/2 day sessions at CRE
April 17th - 3rd grade district PD, 1/2 day sessions at CRE
April 22nd - 4th grade district PD, 1/2 day sessions at CRE
April 29th @ 4:15 - District Kindergarten Book Club at CRE
May 1st @ 4:15 - High Ability Mapping Committee at CO
Marci Derado
The picture was taken at Universal Studios in Florida.
Email: mderado@hse.k12.in.us
Location: Find me on pinterest at marciderado
Phone: 317-407-8182
Twitter: @mderado