Graphic Organizers

If you're new to graphic organizers, this is the place to start. The site offers various organizers—from webbing to flow charts—with brief tips on how they should be used, strategies for helping kids and teachers get the most from them, and, of course, sample diagrams. Created by: Greg Freeman, a teacher from Bend, OR. Don't Miss: the "References and Hot Links" section for more information about graphic organizers, and click on the "Graphic Organizers in Elementary/Secondary Schools" link to access related ERIC documents. Detour: For more information about writing-related graphic organizers, visit "Write Design Online Graphic Organizers" at www.writedesignonline.com/organizers.

Once you're comfortable working with them, check out this large collection of printable graphic organizers available in both Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat formats, as well as English and Spanish. Although the site contains organizers that apply to different curricular areas, many of the best are writing related. Don't Miss: The 31 "expository writing" organizers and the 21 "compare/contrast" organizers for librarians, teachers, and homeschoolers. Created by: Pomepraug Regional School District 15, Middlebury, CT. Plug-ins: Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Word Reader.

For another set of printable organizers (available in both English and Spanish), check out these 38 writing-related tools, featured on Houghton Mifflin's "Education Place" site. They're designed for use with Houghton's English textbooks, but would be appropriate for anyone interested in helping kids learn how to organize their thoughts and write better. Created by: Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA. Don't Miss: The cool "sandwich" and "garden gate" organizers to see how much fun kids can have using these printables. Plug-ins: Acrobat Reader.

If you want to create your own graphic organizers, don't miss this site: you can create custom concept webs, KWL and Venn diagrams, SQ3R charts, and both horizontal and vertical timelines. Although free trials are available, this site is a subscription site; if you become a Platinum Member ($29.99 per year), you'll gain access to 30 more graphic organizer templates, as well as a wealth of teacher resources. Created by: Teach-nology Inc., Slate Hill, NY. Detour: Another way to create customized graphic organizers is to purchase Inspiration or Kidspiration software ($69 each). For more information, go to www.inspiration.com/home.cfm.