An Exceptional Learning Tool: The Flowchart
Constructing learning using a powerful learning tool, to engage and empower young children. As with all linguistic learning tools, the flowchart is a powerful learning tool that consolidates and deepens understanding of complex but ordered orthographic processes. In this case they are used to investigate, test and internalise critical suffixing conventions. When I first encountered the orthographic flowcharts I found them to be an inspirational tool to use with young children. They are highly interactive, systematic and challenging. Initially, I create a 'flowchart puzzle' for the children to collaboratively arrange. This requires the children to explicitly read and understand each element (the decision questions and the actions) in order to recreate a flowchart that 'flows' systematically towards an appropriate action. The collaborative discussion and interaction that results from this activity are phenomenal. By manipulating the physical pieces of the flowchart, t