Heidi L.

Allen
#1

Graphic organizers are

powerful learning tools.
Foldables are threedimensional, interactive
graphic organizers that
were created more than
30 years ago by educator
Dinah Zike.

Foldables
encourage student
ownership of study
material, provide a
kinesthetic
component to
teaching
strategies, and
promote long-term
retention of
academic lessons.

Graphic organizers may help English language learners improve

higher-order thinking skills
Because of their visual organization, graphic organizers are
beneficial for use with learning disabled students.
They appear to help students that are intellectually disabled
comprehend content area science, technology, math, and
language arts, help students organize information and to retain
and recall content.

Heidi L. Allen
#1

Foldables can be used in

every academic discipline
at all levels for comparing
and contrasting, cause and
effect, similarities and
differences, vocabulary,
concepts, generalizations,
ideas, theories, and so
much more.

Steps to making a foldable:

1.

Take colored sheets of paper

2.

Arrange them in whatever order you want

3.

Offset them and fold them down

4.

Staple the fold

5.

Label the tabs

References:
Ae-Hwa Kim, B. A., Vaughn, S., Wanzek, J., & Shangjin Wei, J. (2004). Graphic Organizers and Their Effects on the Reading
Comprehension of Students with LD: A Synthesis of Research. Journal Of Learning Disabilities, 37(2), 105-118.
Ozmen, R. (2011). Comparison of Two Different Presentations of Graphic Organizers in Recalling Information in Expository Texts
with Intellectually Disabled Students. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 11(2), 785-793.
Hall, C., Kent, S. C., McCulley, L., Davis, A., & Wanzek, J. (2013). A New Look at Mnemonics and Graphic Organizers in the
Secondary Social Studies Classroom.Teaching Exceptional Children, 46(1), 47-55.