Graphic organizers are visual aids that encourage students to see information as a part of a whole or a piece of a puzzle rather than just isolated facts. They help students organize information in a way that is easier to understand. After many years of using graphic organizers in my classroom, I firmly believe in the benefits of using graphic organizers in my classroom.
There are many benefits to using graphic organizers in the classroom, especially benefits in reading comprehension. They are a powerful tool that can benefit all of your students in your classroom.
Improves Comprehension
The most obvious reason that I use graphic organizers in my reading classes is because of the benefits of using graphic organizers in improving reading comprehension. Using graphic organizers helps students to visualize and internalize the material they are reading/learning which leads to a better understanding and a deeper understanding of the material.
We want our students to “think deeply” about their reading, but how do we help them do that? Graphic organizers are one way to accomplish this. One of the key benefits of using graphic organizers is that they help break down complex concepts into manageable chunks. This makes it easier to digest information and identify key points that you need to remember. Graphic organizers can help students organize and prioritize what they are comprehending.
Ultimately, using graphic organizers can lead to improved understanding by enhancing your students’ abilities to comprehend and recall information. They allow students to organize information in a way that makes sense.
Benefits Through Visual Learning
Because graphic organizers are a visual tool, they are a huge benefit to visual learners. One of the main benefits of using graphic organizers is that they enable learners to see connections and relationships between different pieces of information.
By presenting information in a clear and concise way, graphic organizers can help students better understand complex concepts and ideas. Through this visual organization, students are able to visually see the relationships and connections to the information they are reading and learning which leads to improved comprehension.
Improves Critical Thinking
Graphic organizers help promote critical thinking. Using graphic organizers not only enhances our students’ understanding of the material but also helps them develop analytical skills that are essential for higher-level thinking. One of the key benefits of using graphic organizers is that they promote critical thinking skills by encouraging students to analyze information, identify patterns and relationships, and evaluate evidence.
While analyzing text is a higher-order thinking skill and can be overwhelming for some students, using graphic organizers can help students stay focused as well as allow them to make connections and see the bigger picture.
Benefits All Students
Sometimes, finding materials to benefit all of your students with all of their learning abilities can be difficult. No matter the learning ability of each child in your classroom, there are great benefits to using graphic organizers.
Graphic organizers can be easily changed and altered to help with differentiated instruction or ELL students. Graphic organizers are easily differentiated. No matter the ability level of your students, each student is able to demonstrate their thinking at their level with a graphic organizer. They are also a perfect tool for ELL students and students with learning challenges because they provide a hands-on approach to learning.
Increases Student Engagement
Students love using graphic organizers. Because of their graphic nature in representing information in a pattern, students tend to stay focused. I know my students are highly motivated and excited to use graphic organizers. I enjoy seeing their excitement in learning.
As with any tool of instruction, modeling how to use each graphic organizer is a key component. We cannot simply expect to assign a story and distribute graphic organizers with the instructions of, “Ok. Read this story and complete the graphic organizer.” Teacher instruction on how to use the graphic organizer is vital for the success of graphic organizers as a learning tool.
Modeling each new type of graphic organizer is very important to the success of your students. This can be done whole group with chart paper or a document camera.
Another key component is feedback. Without proper feedback, students will not improve their responses to reading. I like to have partners or tables share, but to ensure that students are seeing and hearing high-quality responses, I like to choose 2 or 3 students’ responses to share with the class. (I usually place these under my document camera so the student can see the responses as well.) This has proven to be a very effective way of helping all students improve their writing responses on their graphic organizers.
If you are not using graphic organizers in your reading class, I highly recommend trying them in your classroom. Over the years, I have definitely seen the benefits of using graphic organizers as a reading comprehension tool, and they have become one of my favorite strategies that I use in my classroom.
If you are looking for some great graphic organizers to use with your students, this amazing set contains over 200 graphic organizers for fiction and cover any skill that you need in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grades! Click the image below to grab your set today.
Don’t take my word for it. Look at what other teachers have said!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I am very pleased with the many options provided with this resource. I am able to use it across different grade levels, rather than just one!” Brittany A
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This is my favorite resource that I have purchased on TpT. The bang for you buck is incredible and the organizers are unlike any others that I have purchased!” Ashley C.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The quality of your work is outstanding. You are making my planning a lot easier. These graphic organizers are worth their weight in gold.” Williette H.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This is EASILY one of the very best things that I have purchased on TPT. These graphic organizers are cute and functional! I love that they can be used with multiple grades and any story.” Amanda Y.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Great resource for my 3rd grade students. The graphic organizers are fun and engaging for the kids. I am extremely satisfied with this resource. Thanks!” Shaniqua Y.
