There are oodles of Printable Posters out there. You may have found some on Pinterest or downloaded a few sets from Teachers Pay Teachers.
Let’s talk about how you can use these posters to your advantage to make a BIG impact.
Laminated Work Mats
Turn your posters into laminated work mats that you can use during small group instruction.
I break out the expo markers and allow my students to write on these posters. It’s a great way to conserve paper and have materials ready to go. I also laminate lined paper to use to take notes and write answers.
Mini Posters on a Binder Ring
Another small group tip here. I print my posters 4 to a page, cut, laminate, hole punch, and add to a binder ring. These mini-posters can have several purposes:
- Individual student reference
- Students who need significant support can take these posters home with them
- Students who receive pullout instruction or small group instruction within a different part of the school (hallway, resource room, reading specialist’s office, etc.) can take these with them
Share Posters Digitally
Share your posters digitally. You can do this by sharing the PDF file OR by inserting an image of the posters into a Google Slides.
In Google Slides, students can add text boxes surrounding the posters. This turns the digital posters into digital interactive notebooks.
TIP: Share my Author’s Purpose Posters with students digitally and have them keep track of the works you’ve read together within the Google Slides.
Use Posters as EASY Wall Decor
I was always taught that the walls of my classroom should teach. This means that when I add things to my walls, I make sure that they bring value.
Adding instructional posters to your walls can make your room functional and truly benefit students who need scaffolded support throughout the school year.
My biggest suggestion is to teach kids how and when to use these resources. Be sure to refer to them often and mark them up with expo markers. Wear them out! That’s why they’re there!
Make Them Interactive
Unlike many anchor charts, posters are usually already created, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be interactive!
One of my favorite ways to use them is to have kids write examples of the concepts or book titles on sticky notes and have them place these around or on top of posters.
For example, kids can use sticky notes to write book titles next to matching theme posters or write examples of idioms they discover next to figurative language posters.
Pair Posters with an Instructional Unit
Be sure to add posters to students’ devices, to your walls, and to your instruction WHILE you’re teaching a specific unit.
For example, if you don’t teach character traits until November, don’t add the posters to your walls at the beginning of the school year.
Naturally incorporate these posters throughout your units to pack a punch!
Many of my instructional units include printable posters. I’ll link a few here for you!
4th and 5th Grades Author’s Purpose Print and Digital Unit
3rd – 5th Grades Figurative Language Print and Digital
4th and 5th Grades Informational Text Structures
Need a set of free posters to get you started?
Free 2nd-5th Grades Author’s Purpose Print and Digital Posters
Are you interested in more classroom ideas? Check out these blogs!
The Number 1 Thing Worth Investing in for Your Classroom
5 Ways to CONQUER Elementary Grammar Instruction
The Main Idea Strategy That Will Help Students Win BIG
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