Graphic Organizers in 1st Grade Reading

In a previous blog, I talked about how 1st grade follows  a reading workshop model. Reading instruction begins with a mini lesson presented to the whole class. Students then go off on their own to read/work independently and apply the reading strategy that was presented in the whole group. Mrs. Hall and I use that time to confer with students and also hold guided reading groups. 

Recently, 1st graders have been learning about the elements of fiction stories. They’ve learned that fiction stories have characters, settings, problems/solutions and have a beginning, middle and end.

During a mini-lesson, Mrs. Hall & I used this anchor chart as a visual to help students remember what the elements are. (Disclaimer - I cannot take the credit for creating it. I found it on the Internet and can’t remember where I found it) 

(Designer unknown)

 When students finish reading a story during independent reading, they complete a graphic organizer. Graphic organizers are tools that help students visualize and organize information. Graphic organizers  help students make connections and structure their thinking. Because the organizer is a tool to help students organize their learning, they can either write or draw pictures. Students then use the information to write about the story in their reading journals.