Graphic Organizers

Definition
A graphic organizer is a visual and graphic display that depicts relationships between facts, terms,
and ideas from a content using text, illustrations and diagrams.

Types
• Relational Organizers: • Compare/Contract Organizers:
o Storyboard o Venn diagrams
o Fishbone • Concept Development Organizers:
o Cause and effect web o Story web
• Category/Classification Organizers: o Word web
o Concept mapping o Circle chart
o KWL Chart o Network trees
o Mind mapping • Electronic Organizers:
• Sequence Organizers: o Inspiration Maps
o Chain o Draft Builder
o Ladder o Popplet
o Cycle o Mindomo
o Timeline • Colour coded organizers

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 Curriculum/Developmental Areas
Graphic organizer is one of the most effective visual learning strategies for all students including
English language learners and students with disabilities, applied across all curricular areas to enhance
learning and understanding of subject matter or course content.

Steps
❖ Keep Them Simple
• Limit the number of ideas covered in each organizer.
• Include clear labels and arrows to identify the relationships between concepts
• Be careful of graphic organizers that accompany teacher resource materials.
❖ Teach to use and make the Organizer
• Allow students to add illustrations.
• Implement organizers with cooperative groups or pairs of students.
• Allow students to make their own organizers and share them with the class.
❖ Use Graphic Organizers Often
• Establish a routine for using organizers during instruction.
• Incorporate organizers into all phases of instruction.
• Stay consistent and keep providing them guidance and practice.

Benefits
• Use of Graphic Organizers shows achievement benefits across variety of content areas, in all
grade levels.
• Represent the main idea and other content visually with just a few words.
• Make it easy for students to classify ideas and communicate.
• Allow students to examine relationships.
• Guide students in demonstrating their thinking process.
• Encourage students to organize essential concepts and ideas.
• Help students increase reading comprehension.
• Make it clear how to break a story into the main elements.
• Help students structure writing project.
• Encourage students to make decisions.

References
1. Brad Baxendell, (2003), Graphic Organizers: Guiding Principles and Effective Practices
Considerations Packet, William and Mary School of Education, Williamsburg, VA, Retrieved
from Internet, https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/documents/packets/graphicorganizers.pdf
2. Ewoldt, K. B., Morgan, J. J., (2017), Color-Coded Graphic Organizers for Teaching Writing
to Students With Learning Disabilities, Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol. 49 Issue 3,
p175-184, 10 pp, Retrieved from Education Source on 6-22-2018.
3. Jamie Martin, (2015), Electronic Graphic Organizers Benefit Students with Dyslexia,
Retrieved from Internet on 6-22-2018, https://www.noodle.com/articles/graphic-organizers-
for-students-with-dyslexia
4. Sabrina M. Singleton, Hollie Gabler Filce, (2015), Graphic Organizers for Secondary
Students With Learning Disabilities, Teaching Exceptional Children, v48 n2 p110-117, 8 pp,
Retrieved from Eric on 6-22-2018.
5. Tracey Hall, Nicole Strangman, (2002), Graphic Organizers, National Center on Accessing
the General Curriculum at CAST(Center for Applied Special Technology), Retrieved from
Internet, https://www.northernhighlands.org/cms/lib5/nj01000179/graphic_organizs_2008.pdf
6. Pang, Yanhui, (2013), Graphic Organizers and Other Visual Strategies to Improve Young
ELLs' Reading Comprehension, New England Reading Association Journal, Vol. 48 Issue 2,
p52-58, 7 pp, Retrieved from Eric on 6-22-2018.