Why use graphic organizers? Read this article by Alan Zollman (free and available online) from the NCTM magazine Teaching Children Mathematics (Nov. 2009) to find out!

1. First of all, you can create your own graphic organizers at worksheetworks.com.

2. TeacherVision – this site contains dozens of graphic organizers and visual templates for math support. Please note that you will only have access to 5 free resources before having to pay a fee. Once you’ve viewed and printed off 5 sheets you will lose access to the rest for a period of time. They also offer a 7-day free trial. Not all are suitable for the junior age group so you may have to browse a bit and perhaps modify the resource.

3. Graphic organizers can help encourage students to Communicate, Reflect on and Monitor their own learning. Try these activities, taken from Freeology.com: Metacognitive Journal , Think-Pair-Share.

4. The Venn Diagram (2-part) and (3-part) – an excellent resource for students to classify shapes by their attributes, or when studying common multiples or factors (see this example of a 3-part Venn diagram.)

5. Four Corners and a Diamond