Maps are a great way to get us where we’re going. And Pre-write maps teach students to plan their writing.  The most important part of this is it needs to be used as a planning tool. It is a planning tool, not a form of writing.

Circle Maps

Circle Maps are easy.  The “REAL” circle maps are used for defining context with adjectives.  I don’t do that all the time.  I use them as an idea generator. 

In the case of the penny map, we told all about how we would describe the penny (that’s using adjectives), then we added pictures and Old Abe’s name.  I have also added the Lincoln Memorial to the map because I like my students to know the front and the back of coins.  It’s getting harder with the backs changing all the time.  The scarecrow circle map had words to describe fall.  Both maps moved from Interactive Writing one week to the Writing or Math Center the next.  They might have to write programmed sentences about Fall:  I like corn.  I like pumpkins.  I like apples.  OR  The penny is brown.  The penny is a circle.  The penny is little.

Tree Maps

Tree Maps are great for sorting, classifying, and grouping.  Using a tree map to sort the number of syllables in their names or map features.  I have also used a tree map for a CAN, HAVE, ARE pre-write.

Bubble Maps

Bubble Maps are great for describing.  I tend to use this map and circle maps interchangeably (don’t tell anyone).  It’s easy to use a circle map for Science (5 senses, magnetic things), History (people in history, community), Math (coins, numerals), and Reading (word families, characters).

Double Bubble Maps

Double Bubbles are fun because students think they are cool.  The example shows a real pumpkin compared to a plastic pumpkin. I ahve also down double bubbles for penny vs nickel, butterfly vs frog, and dogs vs. fish. They look complicated, but they aren’t.  It’s another option to the Venn Diagram.

Flow Maps

Flow Maps are one of the most frequently used maps.  Showing change over time, writing about a field trip, or showing life cycles are easy ways to show students how things are sequenced.

Brace Maps

I love Brace Maps.  I think it’s important for students to understand parts to whole.  It amazes me how many students don’t do puzzles before they walk into a kindergarten classroom.  They may have done a “puzzle” on their iPad or their computer, but manipulating a puzzle, seeing part to whole, being able to look from object to object are all important tasks.   Reading at its most basic level is understanding the relationship between parts (letters) and whole (words).

Bridge Maps

Bridge Maps are great for analyzing relationships between items.  As the rigor of testing is getting harder and harder, understanding analogies and interpreting the relationships is very important. I love these maps. When students read a bridge map they say “just like” to show the comparison. For example, Where do we work? A teacher works in a school JUST LIKE a chef works in a restaurant JUST LIKE a firefighter works at the fire house JUST LIKE the farmer words on the farm…and so on.

Using Pre-Write Maps helps students organize thoughts, but make sure you use them as a pre-write. …and they are fun!

There are even pre-write map apps. Check out this post.

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