The beginning of the school year is the best time for teaching those many rules and procedures and I have found that using these Classroom Management Anchor Charts helps my kindergartners clearly understand my expectations and is a great visual!
Anchor charts are an awesome way to showcase an idea or concept you are teaching. I have heard it said that it ‘anchors’ the specified idea on paper, which can sometimes include a definition, expectation, and/or picture/drawing. How you make an anchor chart and how you display them is totally up to you. I use anchor charts all the time in my classroom, so I thought I would share my beginning of Kindergarten supply/classroom management anchor charts, as well as how I display them.
FYI: I do not allow anyone to use any school supplies until we create an anchor chart about each specific one and the students know the expectations for using them correctly.
The first day of school includes an anchor chart on how to be a friend and The Kissing hand feelings anchor chart. Next, I introduce crayons to my class and we read The Crayon Box that Talked and The Day the Crayons Quit. Together we make an anchor chart describing the do’s and don’ts of using crayons. (I will preface this picture by saying, these are not the most glamorous anchor charts, because I do them right there with the students. Sometimes I go back and make a ‘prettier’ copy.)
Next supply I go over with the students are pencils. It’s always funny to see what the kids say the ‘rules’ are about pencils.
At this point the students know how to correctly use crayons and pencils. Usually, by day 3 of Kindergarten, I am introducing scissors and glue.
Along with the anchor chart on scissors, I teach them the song:
Open Shut
Open shut
That’s the Way We Cut, Cut, Cut
Fingers on Bottom
Thumb on Top
Do Not Let the Paper Drop
We sing this over and over and especially while we are cutting and I have found that it REALLY does help them remember!!
I use glue sticks at the beginning of the year, so an anchor chart is a MUST. No, glue sticks are NOT to be used as hair gel! LOL! 😉
The first project we use to practice our cutting and gluing skills is this monster-themed page, which is also a great number order practice! This comes from Kindergarten Smiles Monsters Back to School pack.
After teaching about supplies and creating anchor charts on the proper way we use them, I make this Good Coloring anchor chart to remind them that we are in kindergarten and need to try our best and not ‘rush’ through our work.
I also make a simple dot-to-dot anchor chart to show how to complete a dot-to-dot correctly. You might be amazed to know the amount of students who have never seen a dot-to-dot!
So now you ask, what do you do with ALL of these anchor charts? Well, I am so glad you asked!! Last year I thought I came up with a great solution of using clothespins with thumbtacks, to aid in keeping them up on the wall. I used to hot glue them, but had to keep re-gluing them all year long. I knew that I would have to try something different this year, so I came up with this:
Supplies Needed:
Thick Clothespins (mine came from Target $1 Spot and JoAnns)
E6000
Metal Thumbtacks
Use the E6000 to adhere the metal thumbtacks to the back of the clothespins. Wait until dry to use.
So far, so good! Using the E6000 has worked like a charm and is holding my many anchor charts!!
And where do I hang my anchor charts? I uusally keep them on my whiteboard, easel, and/or focus wall when I introduce the anchor chart, but after a day or two, I move it to my anchor chart wall, where my new anchor chart hangers are!
Here is what an anchor chart looks like with my custom anchor chart hangers!
Obviously I only have so much room, so sometimes I stack anchor charts on top of each other. That’s also another benefit of the hanger clips.
Here are a few more ideas for keeping anchor charts:
Anchor Chart Storage from Teaching with a Mountain View
Anchor Chart Wall from Learning at the Primary Pond
Hang your Anchor Charts on a Rod
Anchor Chart Display from Book Units Teacher
Do you use anchor charts in your classroom? How do you make them? And where do you display and store them?
Great ideas for BOY anchor charts as reminders of simple tasks we should not assume they know! 😊
I keep my old ones, particularly old poems, songs, alphabet charts and important lessons, on a portable clothes rack. The kind people might buy for their laundry rooms. I use those charts as a literacy center. I hang each chart on a pants/skirt hanger and put them on the rack. Students pull out the charts and read them independently or with a partner. I place a command hook at the end of the rack so students have a place to hang the chart to read. They put it back when they’re done and choose another. I hang two pointers on the rod for the students to use, also. I’m thinking of getting on for math centers. I want to laminate key charts and attach a math activity that reinforces the info on the chart. Idk. Or, I’m thinking I could take a picture of key charts and print them to place in math center bins with activities that reinforce them. This would save space. Idk. I haven’t decided.
Thank you so much for sharing. Even after 25 years of teaching, I learn something new every day. This year I am starting right with my behavior kids. I’m using anchor charts for everything!!
Thank you so much for sharing. I have used anchor charts for academic concepts, but hadn’t thought of using them for procedures. These are great.
Thank you! It made a huge difference in my classroom management!
I really do not agree with you telling little kids what good coloring and bad coloring is. Anything they imagine and create should be praised! If they want to paint a picture of a purple sun with a rainbow grass then let them! Don’t hold back their creativity!
Really??? Good grief! She’s talking about giving your best effort and not rushing to color/being messy.
Exactly!! LOL!
I teach upper elementary students and these ideas would work perfectly for them! Creating visuals of routines helps kids remember all those first days of school procedures! Making the charts interactive also builds engagement. Thanks for sharing your detailed tips.
I know that the “how to color” anchor chart is from a few years back, so I’m hoping it’s not relevant anymore. Please consider the fact that teaching kids how to express their creativity the “right way,” especially in Kindergarten, is setting them up for failure in terms of being and loving who they are and the way they think. It’s simple, I know, and seemingly insignificant, but it’s he language we choose and the message we send from the very beginning that are so impactful and long lasting. Here’s to coloring the sun blue, the grass purple, and inspiring kids to be who they really are, especially outside of the lines 🙂