easier anchor charts.

So many of you are in love with anchor charts. I see them on your blogs and all OVER Pinterest. But you have not see them on my blog because they are so intimidating!! I am not an artist and my attempts at being one are often thwarted.  You think I'm kidding?  Even in Draw Something I heart my stick people:

For real life. But there are so many amazing anchor charts out there that I have anchor envy!! Look at these...

{First Grade Wow}

{A Cupcake for the Teacher}

{The Inspired Apple}

{The First Grade Parade}

Now, if you're in my art-challenged boat, here are a few tips I've learned to make it somewhat easier: 

{use a transparency}
If you can't free hand, don't waste your time trying. Use a photocopy or print an image from the internet on a transparency. Then blow it up {doc cam, old-school overhead, whatever you have} to trace with a pencil and THEN color it in.

{print, cut, laminate}
Who says anchor charts have to be hand drawn?? Find an image that works, cut it out, laminate it & tape it to the chart.  Then draw & write your student responses around it.  When you're done displaying the chart, take off the image & save it for next year!

{use cutesy easier}
I loved Cara Carroll's readers & writers posters.  {ok, I love her everything.  She is the queen of cute stuff!}  But when I saw that these didn't require drawing, I decided to make an attempt. Mine are slightly different but I was able to make them AND be happy with the end result! Instead of great artistic skills, use lots of colors, little squiggles & an eye-catching shape to draw your kids in instead.

{See?  Huxtable doesn't care that there aren't any graphics!}

{make a poster}
If it's a skill that you really want your kids to grasp or you need it to stay up for a long time, save yourself the wall space & just make a poster. It'll stay on the wall with less tape, you can use super fun fonts & it won't have any mistakes {for you perfectionists out there, not me of course!!} Bonus, then you can share it with all of us! ;)

{Zeeks's Zoo}

{back it on scrapbook paper}

Thanks to Erica's example, I will be backing EVERYTHING on scrapbook paper this year.  Instant cuteness!

{Erica Bohrer}

{glitter it up}
When all else fails, add some sparkle. They won't be able to see the flaws with bling in their eyes! ;)