Helping students get the most from reading texts is every teacher’s goal, but often a great challenge. There are a number of reading tools, graphic organizers, and anticipation guides out there, but it’s important to find what will work best for your students.
My latest creation is a tool that I hope will not only help student organize their reading, but also encourage them to read more! I want them to learn that reading can be all for the BRAGS…
As they learn the acronym, BRAGS, they can better retain and recall information they have collected from selected texts or on covered topics. And it’s simple to follow!
- B is for BRAINSTORM!
- R is for READ!
- A is for ANTICIPATE!
- G is for the GRAPHIC ORGANIZER!
- S is for SUMMARIZE!
And for those who have Brag walls or hallways, these would be great to show what your students have learned on a topic or lesson. More importantly, this tool can help students retain the information and recall it as they need it for assessments or future lessons.
Imagine this during a unit test:
Teacher: Why is your test blank on the causes of the Great Depression question?
Student: I can’t remember it.
Teacher: Do you remember your BRAGS?
Student: Well, I know what I brainstormed.
Teacher: Great! Then imagine your BRAGS sheet in front of you. Walk yourself from B to R to A to your G and then your S! I know you can do it! And then I can BRAG about your test score! 🙂
But, keep in mind that each student is different! Find the tool that works best for each, and have them available for your students. Who says every student notebook needs to look identical? What matters is what they learn and how they are able to use that information in the future!
See my SPRITE Social Studies Graphic Organizer for a more in-depth study of Social Studies topics! FREE in my TpT Store!
Topic-Based SPRITE Organizers also available! See them HERE!
Happy Teaching!