Pocket charts have become a staple of every elementary classroom. At first, many of us might ask ourselves, how do I hang a pocket chart on the wall? And a little while later, we are looking for perfect pocket chart ideas. Sometimes, pocket charts are a DIY project; other times, they are easier to purchase. View all pocket charts here
Top reasons teachers use pocket charts in the classroom
- Organization: Pocket charts help keep things organized. Teachers can use them to display schedules, daily routines, or a list of classroom rules. This makes it easy for students to know what to expect throughout the day.
- Visual Aid: Pocket charts display visual aids like pictures, word cards, or charts. For example, a teacher can use a pocket chart to show a timeline of historical events or to display vocabulary words for a lesson.
- Interactive Learning: Pocket charts can be used for interactive learning activities. Teachers can create games and activities by placing cards or pieces in their pockets. This can help students practice various skills, such as matching, sorting, or counting.
- Storytelling: Pocket charts are often used in language and literacy activities. Teachers can place sentence strips or picture cards in the pockets to help students build sentences or tell stories.
Pocket Charts Games
While countless classroom games involve pocket charts, let us see some of our favorites:
- Word or Picture Matching: The teacher can create a game where students match words to corresponding pictures. They can take turns finding the correct matches on the pocket chart.
- Math Games: Teachers can use pocket charts to create math games where students solve problems, like addition or subtraction, by placing numbers or symbols in the pockets.
- Sentence Building: In language arts, teachers can have students build sentences using word cards in the pockets. This helps with grammar and sentence structure.
- Sorting and Categorizing: Pocket charts are excellent for sorting objects or words into categories. Students can sort games by placing items into the correct pockets.