Anchor Charts

Today I am posting a special post! I am linking up with Miss Klohn from Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher for her anchor charts linky party. This is my first time participating in a linky party and I am really excited to see what other anchor charts teachers are making and using.

I absolutely love anchor charts! I use them all the time in my intervention lessons. Here are a couple of my favorite anchor charts from this year:

The above picture includes my anchor charts for elements of nonfiction, summary (for both fiction and nonfiction), and story elements. The picture below includes my anchor charts for cause and effect, compare and contrast, main idea, and author's purpose.

I create all of these anchor charts with my students. These charts are their ideas with just a hint of my guidance. This gives students ownership of the material and makes the lesson more meaningful. I usually set up the basics before the lesson, such as the title (the skill), any cute graphics, and any graphic organizers. (such as the cause/effect t-chart or the venn diagram) I don't want to be wasting time adding details when I am already racing to keep up with student ideas. That would really throw off the momentum of the lesson. 

Students have a "charts" section in their reader's notebooks. When finished with the anchor chart, I take a picture and make copies for the students. Occasionally I take a picture of the bare bones of the anchor charts and the students add the details to their charts as we go. For example, students filled out the venn diagram along with me. 

Then, as we continue to work on a particular skill, students refer back to their anchor charts. I love seeing students look back for information on their own without asking for my help. They are really becoming very self-sufficient.

I cannot wait to see how all of you are using anchor charts. If anyone else is using reader's notebooks, I would love to hear comments about how you integrate your anchor charts.