Grammar Anchor Charts in First Grade

  Do you create anchor charts with your students?  I use them for just about every unit I teach.  Not only are they great to look at, they are also very beneficial for your students.

What is an anchor chart?

An anchor chart sometimes gets confused with learning posters.  It isn't something that you just print and hang up.  An anchor chart is a visible learning tool that you create WITH your students.  You take the standard you are teaching, and write out the important parts of the standard or your lesson.  You might include how-to steps or images that help your students be successful with that standard.  By creating the anchor chart with you, students have ownership in the anchor chart you created together.

How can you save time creating anchor charts?

I used to draw out my anchor charts by hand each week before the lesson.  We would then fill in the other parts during our lesson.  That was very time consuming, and I am always looking for ways to save precious time.  I knew that Adobe had the capability of printing posters, so I thought why not create the major components of my anchor charts on my computer and just print them?!  It has been a GAME CHANGER!  

Having the major components of the standard already there helps me be more prepared in teaching that standard at the beginning of the unit.  We still add to the anchor charts together during class, so students still take ownership over creating the anchor charts.

Once I print these on my regular print and piece the four sheets of the anchor chart together with clear Scotch tape, I laminate them.  Then my students or I can write on them with dry erase markers.  After I take the anchor chart down and erase it, I just roll it up and store it for next year.  So, I save even more time the following year by having these prepped and ready to go.

Using Grammar Anchor Charts in First Grade

These anchor charts were created for teaching the first grade core language standards.  I typically teach one language standard per week, unless it's a standard I have to unpack and teach over multiple weeks.  On Monday, when I introduce the standard, we create our anchor chart.  I will either write directly on the anchor chart or I will write on sticky notes.  You can also ask students to come up and write for you.  This really keeps them engaged!

Many of the standards require students to be able to use the skill by applying it to their writing.  If we are using prepositions, I will model using it in a sentence by writing it on a sentence strip and adding it below the anchor chart.  

How do we ensure students are engaged in the anchor chart creating process?

Students will not only help you create the class anchor chart on day one, but they will get to create their own mini anchor chart.  Students will need a composition notebook to store each of their anchor charts throughout the year.  You can print this cover in color or you can use the black and white version I included.  That way, students can decorate their own and you save ink.

If you want students to use their language notebook as a resource during writing, have them add a table of contents to the front on day one.  If you go in the order of the standards, you can use the already created one I include, or have them use the blank template.  Also, have them number their pages of their notebook.

Students will fill in their mini anchor chart during your lesson on day one.  I do not have much time for my language lesson, so this is the only student practice they do on day one.  I will just do an exit ticket at the end in their notebook or on their whiteboard just as a quick pre-assessment.

If the standard requires them to use the part of speech, have them use it in a sentence underneath their mini anchor chart.  This would make a great exit ticket!

If you would like to check out these Grammar Anchor Charts for First Grade, click HERE or on any of the photos in this post.  I am also creating them for kindergarten, and I already have them made for second grade.  You can check out all of my printable anchor charts HERE.  Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you are utilizing anchor charts as a learning tool in your classroom, too!