Graphic Organizers in Special Ed Classrooms

Special education students often need support in organizing their thoughts and completing multi-stage tasks. Children with sensory processing issues, autism or dyslexia can easily become overwhelmed by the prospect of writing a short essay or even answering questions about material they have read. Graphic organizers  can be effective ways to  help typical and atypical learners alike. The visual presentation is a unique way to show students the material they are learning, and can appeal to those who are not auditory learners. They also make it easy for you as a teacher to assess and understand their thinking skills. How to Choose a Graphic Organizer Find a graphic organizer thats best suited to the lesson youll teach. Below are typical examples of graphic organizers, along with with links to PDFs that you can print out. KWL Chart   KWL stands for know, want to know and learn. Its an easy-to-use chart that helps students brainstorm information for essay questions or reports. Use it before, during and after the lesson to allow students to measure their success. Theyll be amazed by how much theyve learned. Venn Diagram Adapt this mathematical diagram to highlight similarities between two things. For back to school, use it to talk about how two students spent their summer vacations. Or, turn it upside down and use the kinds of vacations—camping, visiting grandparents, going to the beach—to identify students who have things in common. Double Cell Venn Also known as a double bubble chart, this Venn diagram is adapted to describe the similarities and differences in characters in a story. Its designed to help students compare and contrast. Concept Web You may have hear concept webs called story maps. Use them to help students break down the components of a story they have read. Use an organizer to track elements such as the characters, setting, problems or solutions. This is a particularly adaptable organizer.   For example, put a character in the center and use it to map the attributes of the character. A problem in the plot can be in the center, with the different ways characters try to solve the problem. Or simply label the center beginning and have the students list the premise of the story: where it takes place, who are the characters, when is the action of the story set.   Sample Agenda Type List For children for whom remaining at task is an ongoing problem, dont underestimate the simple effectiveness of an agenda. Laminate a copy and have her affix it to her desk. For an extra boost to visual learners, use images to augment the words on the planner. (This one can help teachers, too!)