A few years ago, while shopping in a teachers' supply store, I came across several publications dealing with pocket charts. Most of the books were geared for the lower elementary grades. Even so, I decided to take a look. It had been many years, during my college days and kindergarten methods classes, since I had given these teaching aids a thought. Ideas were born...and I purchased four different colored pocket charts.

Here's how I have been using them in my Language Arts classes:

1. Flashcards
   Write the weekly spelling words on flashcards. Randomly pass the cards to your students. Have them sort the words by:
   • alphabetical order: A to Z or Z to A
   • the number of syllables in each
   • the part of speech each word is
   ...placing the cards in the appropriate pockets in the chart.
2. Sentence Strips
   • Write major events from a story or novel on the strips and have the students sequence them by placing them in order in the pocket chart.
   • While discussing similes and metaphors, have the students work in groups writing similes and metaphors on strips. Collect the strips. Share them with the class and have individual students identify the figure of speech, placing it in the correct pocket chart.
   • Divide your class into groups. Assign each group a short story to read of a like genre. GIve each group a different colored marker. After reading the story, the members of the group are to identify the characters and traits, teh setting and its importance, the theme, the climax, and/or any particular characteristic you choose. Write the information on the strips and place them in the correct pocket chart. When all the groups are finished compare/contrast information. Rotate stories. Compare and contrast the information in the pockets; does this group agree or disagree with the previous group's responses?

These are only a few possibilities for using pocket charts with middle school students. Other applications for math, science, or social studies can easily be developed.