A graphic organizer is a page that shows how ideas connect: a web around a topic, two overlapping circles, a chain of causes and effects. Choose the type, add your topic, then press Print or save as PDF. Each organizer fits one page of US Letter or A4.
Which organizer for which job
| The job | Organizer |
|---|---|
| Brainstorm or describe a topic | Concept web (on this page) |
| Start and finish a nonfiction reading | KWL chart |
| Learn a new word or concept | Frayer model |
| Sort ideas into two groups | T-chart |
| Compare two or three things | Venn diagram or comparison chart |
| Explain why something happened | Cause and effect |
| Find what a text is mostly about | Main idea and details |
| Retell a story | Story map |
| Put events or steps in order | Sequence chart |
Each organizer also has its own page with a short guide. The IRIS Center at Vanderbilt groups organizers the same way, by what they help students do: describe, compare, show cause and effect, put things in order or sort them into groups.
How to make a graphic organizer
- Choose the type. The options change to fit it: the number of bubbles on a web, the columns of a KWL chart, two or three circles for a Venn diagram.
- Add the words. Type a topic, labels or a list of words, or leave them empty so students can write them in.
- Pick the paper and a color. Choose “Gray” to save colored ink. The handwritten lettering suits younger classes.
- Print. In the print window, choose your printer, or “Save as PDF” to keep a copy or post it online for your class.
Do graphic organizers help?
The What Works Clearinghouse practice guide on reading comprehension in kindergarten to 3rd grade recommends teaching students how a text is organized, a recommendation it rates as supported by moderate evidence. It notes that teachers often have students sort what they read with graphic tools such as concept maps, Venn diagrams, fishbone charts and sequence charts, and says: “The panel advocates this approach.”
For older students, a review of 16 studies with 808 students with learning disabilities in grades 4 to 12 found that graphic organizers improved their vocabulary, their comprehension and their ability to draw inferences, in English, science, social studies and math (Dexter and Hughes, 2011).
A blank organizer is only a starting point: fill one in together on the board first, so students see what goes where, before they use one on their own.
What you type stays with you
The sheet is made in your browser. Your choices and anything you type are kept in this browser’s storage so they’re there next time, and they’re never sent to us. Press Start over to clear them.
Questions
What is a graphic organizer?
A graphic organizer is a page that lays out ideas so students can see how they connect. The IRIS Center at Vanderbilt notes that they’re sometimes called webs or concept maps, and that they help students organize information and see the relationships between ideas.
What does a graphic organizer look like?
It depends on the job. A concept web has the topic in the middle with bubbles around it, a KWL chart is set out in columns, and a Venn diagram has two or three overlapping circles. Choose a type above to see a preview before you print.
Is a Venn diagram a graphic organizer?
Yes. It’s one of the ten organizers you can make here, for comparing two or three things, and the What Works Clearinghouse reading guide names Venn diagrams among the graphic tools teachers use.
Sources
- What Works Clearinghouse: Shanahan, T., et al. (2010). Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade (NCEE 2010-4038). Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Recommendation 2, moderate evidence.
- Dexter, D. D. and Hughes, C. A. (2011). Graphic Organizers and Students With Learning Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis. Learning Disability Quarterly, 34(1), 51–72.
- The IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University. Graphic Organizers, in Executive Functions (Part 2): Strategies to Improve Students’ Academic Performance.