Anchor Charts Make Learning and Thinking Visible

Anchor ChartsMake Learning and Thinking Visible

Inquiry

Read and observe1Any device that keeps an object in place;

Somebody who or something that provides a sense of stability.

What is an anchor?

2Anchor charts connect to past teaching and learning to future teaching and learning, serving as reminders of what has come before so that kids can better understand what comes next.

- Harvey and Goudvis 2007

Strategies that work (v 2)3Interacting with and creating an anchor chart helps internalize our points of thinking, and when kids create an anchor chart with their own images and words, they own it.

(Buhrow and Garcia, 2006)

Anchor charts make our thinking permanent and visible, and so allow us to make connections from one strategy to another, clarify a point, build on earlier learning, and simply remember a specific lesson Miller, 2002

Our charts create a record of what weve talked about in our minilessons. We refer to these charts often in our minilessons and our conferences to help us make connections between the content and the students writing and between the content of previous minilessons and current ones (Ray, 2004).

Anchor charts are displayed in the classroom in order to provide a visual resource for the students.Hoyt, 2005

Spotlight on Comprehension7Write your ideas so far about anchor charts:

Are they currently a part of your instruction?

How does what youve just seen or read compare with your previous thinking around anchor charts?In Your Writers Notebook:Quick share8 In a classroom with rich, anchor support there can be little doubt as to what is under study and what students are expected to learn.

Making Student Thinking Visible

In an anchor classroom, evidence of student thinking is everywhere; anchor charts, student responses, and quotes adorn the walls and boards making thinking public and permanent. The questions, quotes, ideas, and big understandings displayed throughout the room reflect the real voices of real kids.

Debbie Miller, Teaching with Intention

11 It lets students know that their thinking matters and it provides a visual reference of their thinking to support further learning.Why is making thinking visible and accessible in our classrooms an effective strategy for student learning? An anchor chart is co-constructed with students (should feature student thinking) it has meaning for the students because they participated in the constructionThe anchor chart matches the learners developmental levelThe anchor chart supports on-going learning (recent, relevant, referred to)So what makes an anchor chart distinctive from other visuals found on bulletin boards and walls?

Table talk14Essential Elements of an Anchor ChartsCo-constructed with students (most of the time!)On-going (if appropriate)Interactive (sticky notes, realia)Single focus- the purpose and the whyMatch the developmental and language level of the studentsA support for students the goal is for them to be independent learnersOrganized appearance

What is it? Realia consists of actual objects or items or facsimiles thereof, which are used in the classroom to illustrate and teach vocabulary or to serve as an aid to facilitate language acquisition and production. What does it do? It concretizes vocabulary and language and places it in a frame of reference. It also allows language learners to see, hear, and in some cases touch the objects.

15Ways to use Anchor Charts across the content areas