Compact, reusable, information-giving charts have long been used by teachers to remind themselves of what is essential in a lesson, what is important in a particular classroom situation or as a reminder of coming events. Students view and study charts for the same reasons. Charts in hallways give information to staff, students, and visitors and charts sent home to a child's family share important happenings of a school.

New ideas can be presented on a chart and the child feels secure in knowing that the information will not be removed by a chalkboard eraser or when a projector bulb is turned off. The learner can return to the chart for reinforcement. As understanding of an idea grows during the year, both teacher and learner return to the chart for help. Ideas that are taught year after year can be placed on a chart and reused, thus saving valuable teacher time.

As a teacher lectures, the chart adds visually to what the ear is hearing. Children sitting in a circle for discussions can gradually probe the meaning of materials on a chart. Individuals at learning centers can refer to charts and the teacher thus extends his or her capability to help individuals without being right there.

Charts can be used to record information about class members. (Preferably noncompetitive materials will be displayed.) Students' questions raised at the beginning of a unit can be recorded on a chart for future reference. Steps in a process can be made easy to follow if placed on a chart. Material learned can be summarized at the end of a lesson or unit and referred to later during the year.

o Birthdays of all children in the class

o Calendars

o Experiences of learners

o Information about special days

o New vocabulary words in the native or foreign language.

o News stories

o School or class rules

o Visuals for concept building. Example: Family - pictures of many types of families

o Steps to be performed in a process

o Helpful hints related to the development of a skill or process

o Knowledge necessary for development or use of a skill or process

o Appreciation of beauty

o Responsibility (Charts for recording completion of tasks or times a task needs to be done.)

o Sayings or bits of "philosophy" helpful for living

o Guidance for social or emotional well being and growth.

Bulletin boards and commercial or teacher-made chart holders are most commonly used for displaying charts. Check a school supply catalog, supply house, or classrooms in the area for types of chart racks used. Tabs can be glued to the top of a chart if it is to be hung from rings on a rack.

Many valuable charts can be purchased concerning a great variety of commonly taught ideas. Check supply catalogs for charts appropriate to a classroom situation. The school's budget and the teacher's ability to identify and obtain appropriate charts are among the few factors limiting the use of commercial charts. Businesses create charts for advertisements. The chart can be used by cutting off the ad or covering it with another title.

Teachers often create a series of their own charts that can be used year after year. Charts about current events can obviously not be purchased and need to be constructed from day to day. Some of these can be initiated by the teacher and completed by the children. Children may also want to create charts on their own.

1. Keep one central theme for the chart.

2. Keep in mind the age level for which the chart will be used. Do all the steps in a sequence need to be included? (Example - Kindergarten children may need to have all twenty-one days of the development of a chick pictured on a chart. they are just learning to count and find it difficult to understand a chart that shows the first, seventh, twelfth, and nineteenth days of the growth of baby chicks they are hoping will hatch in their classroom.

3. Avoid placing "too much" on one chart. Rather, make two attractive charts that look less cluttered and confusing.

4. If possible choose one standard size for most of the charts made. Charts measuring 18 by 24 inches are easy to store. Very large charts often need to be rolled and therefore are difficult to transport or store.

5. Charts can be laminated but often this causes glare and some children will not be able to see the material. Ways in which the chart will be used determine whether or not it should be laminated.

Commonly used materials are magazine and newspaper pictures and articles or pictures drawn or painted by the teacher. As items are placed on the chart, consider the following:

1. Use glue or dry-mount tissue for fastening items.

2. Double mount materials or draw transition lines around them.

3. Cut edges neatly

4. Choose colors that complement or enhance beauty of items on the chart.

5. Leave attractive spaces and margins (widest margin at the bottom).

6. Make the layout dynamic.

1. Consider the amount appropriate for the child's age level.

2. Use a ruler or meter stick to help make light pencil lines so lettering is straight (vertically and horizontally), the same height and evenly spaced. Erase these lines when finished.

3. Leave attractive margins. (Widest at bottom)

4. Use standard letter formations appropriate for the child's age level. Avoid confusing swirls, slant, or letter formation related to a personal style or preference.

5. Use lettering instruments that help form letters correctly. (Some felt-tipped markers distort letter shapes if the point is held incorrectly during lettering.)

6. Label charts for readers and nonreaders. Readiness for nonreaders involves learning that others gain knowledge from printed material.

Lesson plans, poems, concepts to be taught by a chart or other teaching materials can be preserved for ready use on the back side. The space on the back is valuable!

Children Need to Learn "How to" Read and Use Charts and Construct Them

Children learn very early that reading is done from left to right. Chart reading involves some exceptions. Some charts require that the reader follow a circular pattern to trace a series of events. For others, the eyes of the reader move not only from left to right but also up and down. In some cases items need to be compared and the reader must alternate his or her glance from one specific place on the chart to another. Charts are organized and arranged in a variety of ways. If there is a key, the child needs to learn how to use it. If change is indicated on a chart, learning to understand the related units of measurement may be necessary.

Constructing a chart as a group can help children become aware of organization and detail on other charts read. This will also prepare them for eventually constructing charts as individuals.