Laura Selkirk

4. Use the Frame Routinely

Use the Frame Routinely

  • February 6, 2018 at 12:43 PM
  • Visible to public
I was trained in FRAMing in August, 2005.  Since then, for almost 13 years, the FRAME has become an important part of my classroom instruction.  The FRAME is often used as a concise way to give notes about key concepts in my English 8 classroom as well as content specific vocabulary.  The FRAME has also been beneficial for students to use when identifying parts of the plot and other story related concepts for which they must provide specific examples.  
Before I was introduced to the paragraph writing strategy and theme writing, I used the FRAME as a method for students to organize their key details when writing an essay.  
It is important to use the FRAME with fidelity, and it is also important not to overuse FRAMEs in class.  FRAMES are effective for note taking, etc. but lose their effectiveness if done every single day without variety.  Some of the students I taught have now returned to my building as teachers, and many of them have high praise for the FRAMing routine. When students are able to generalize the FRAME and use it in ways that benefit them long after they have gone from my English 8 classroom, then you know you've given them a great tool for their "tool belt"