Reading Graphic Organizers

Reading graphic organizers help children plan a retelling, pull out the main idea or compare two things before they write. These six free printable reading graphic organizers work with any story or nonfiction book: a story map, a Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then summary, a main idea chart, a character traits chart, a Venn diagram and a reading log. Pick one and print the PDF.

Reading graphic organizers to print (PDF)

These four pages show the organizers: a blank story map, a main idea and details chart, a story map filled in for Pip Finds a Friend, and a Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then summary filled in for The Lost Red Mitten. Click a picture for the PDF, or use the generator above to choose any of the six organizers.

The six reading graphic organizers at a glance

Every one of these reading graphic organizers prints on one page with a title line and a name line. They have no answer key, because they work with any book and the answers depend on what the child is reading:

Story map graphic organizer: an example

A story map has four parts. The filled example uses the story Pip Finds a Friend from the 1st and 2nd grade passages. The characters are Pip the puppy, a duckling and the mother duck. The setting is a farm with a big red barn, a pond and tall grass. The problem is that a tiny duckling is lost and cannot find its mother. The solution comes when Pip walks slowly to the pond, so the duckling can follow him to its mother, and the two become best friends. A child who can fill in these four boxes has understood who the story is about, where it happens and how it is solved.

Somebody Wanted But So Then: a five-sentence summary

A summary is short, and the clue words in these reading graphic organizers keep it that way. The somebody wanted but so then organizer (often called SWBST) gives one clue word for each part of a story. The filled example summarizes The Lost Red Mitten:

Join the five answers with the clue words and you have a summary: “Lena wanted to keep her new red mittens, but one was gone, so she and Sam looked everywhere, and then Sam found it on the snowman.”

Main idea graphic organizer for nonfiction

A main idea graphic organizer has one big box for the main idea and three boxes for the details that support it. For How Bees Make Honey, the main idea could be “Bees turn nectar into honey in a series of steps.” The details are that bees sip nectar from flowers, that they put it in wax cells and fan it with their wings, and that they close the cells and save the honey for winter. If a child cannot find three details, the main idea may be too wide. If the details do not fit, it may be too narrow.

Character traits graphic organizer: trait and evidence

The character traits organizer asks for a trait and the evidence that shows it. “Maya is calm” is only a claim. “After the juice spilled, Maya took a deep breath and grabbed her notebook” is evidence. Teach children to use a trait word that is more specific than “nice” or “mean”, such as determined, creative or stubborn. The same chart works for story characters in grades 1 to 6, and the evidence column prepares students for the written responses in the reading comprehension worksheets.

Venn diagram and reading log

The Venn diagram has two overlapping circles. Write what is different about each item in the outer parts, and what they share in the middle. It works for two characters, two versions of a story, or two animals, such as a tadpole and a frog. The reading log is a page with columns for the date, the title, the pages or minutes read and a rating of five stars to color in. Keep one in a folder or a reading journal.

Venn diagram example: a tadpole and an adult frog

A Venn diagram shows what is different in the outer parts and what is the same in the middle. For a reading example, compare the two stages in Frogs Grow Up, a passage in the 1st and 2nd grade set:

Notice that the middle is often the hardest part to fill. If students struggle, ask “What do both of these need? What are they both called?” The Venn diagram works just as well for two characters, two books or two versions of a story.

Reading log printable: a sample page

The reading log printable has columns for the date, the title and author, the pages or minutes read, and a rating of five stars. This is how a child might fill in the first few rows:

A log is useful for more than counting. At the end of the month, ask the child to look through the ratings and say which book they would read again, and why. That conversation is a quick check of understanding and taste.

Which reading graphic organizer for which grade?

Every organizer can be used at every level, but some match the standards for a grade better than others. This table is a starting point:

Pairing each organizer with a passage

If you want a text to go with an organizer, the reading passages on this site work well. Choose one at your child’s level, read it, and fill in the organizer:

The grade 1 and 2 passages, the grade 3 and 4 passages and the grade 5 and 6 passages have the full text of all of these.

Sentence starters for each reading graphic organizer

Young writers often know the idea but not the words. Give them a frame, and let them fill in the blank:

• Story map: “The story takes place in… The main character is… The problem is that… It is solved when…”
• Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then: “… wanted …, but …, so …, and then …”
• Main idea and details: “This text is mostly about… One detail that shows this is… Another detail is…”
• Character traits: “… is … because in the story, he or she …”
• Venn diagram: “They are alike because both… They are different because one… but the other…”
• Reading log: “I would give this book … stars because…”

From organizer to paragraph

An organizer is a plan, and the next step is a paragraph. Here is a paragraph built from the main idea chart for How Bees Make Honey: “Bees turn nectar into honey in a series of steps. First, a bee sips nectar from a flower and carries it back to the hive. Next, the bees put the nectar into wax cells and fan it with their wings until it is thick and sticky. Finally, they close each cell with wax and save the honey to eat in winter.” The topic sentence comes from the main idea box, and each detail box becomes a sentence. Children can do the same with a story map or the summary organizer.

Teaching a new organizer: I do, we do, you do

1. I do. Read a short text aloud and fill in a large copy of the organizer yourself, thinking aloud as you go.
2. We do. Read a second text together, and ask the class to say what goes in each box before you write it.
3. You do. Let children read a third text on their own and fill in their own page.
4. Share. Ask two or three children to explain a box and the evidence for it.

Common mistakes with reading graphic organizers

• Writing too much. Short phrases are better than sentences, and the box has only a few lines.
• Copying from the book. The point is to put the idea in the child’s own words.
• Filling the organizer before reading. It is a tool for thinking after reading, not a form to complete as the child goes.
• Using the same organizer for everything. Match it to the goal, for example a Venn diagram to compare and a main idea chart for facts.

A one-week unit with reading graphic organizers

Reading graphic organizers work best when children meet a new one each day and then see the whole set. This plan uses one read-aloud book for the whole week, and each day adds a new organizer:

By Friday children have used five reading graphic organizers on one text, and they can say which one suits which kind of thinking.

Reading graphic organizers for different learners

• Beginning readers. Let children draw in the boxes first, then add one word. Reading graphic organizers with pictures keep the idea clear when writing is slow.
• English learners. Give a word bank beside the organizer, and let students answer in short phrases. The boxes show them where each idea belongs.
• Children who find writing hard. Let them say the answer to an adult, who writes it down. The thinking is the point of the organizer.
• Confident readers. Ask for two pieces of evidence in every box, with a page number.

Printing reading graphic organizers at home or in class

Each of the six reading graphic organizers prints on one page, in color or in black and white, on Letter or A4. A black and white copy costs less to print for a whole class, and the boxes are still easy to see. If you print them for a reading folder, punch holes along the left side, and keep an organizer behind each book. Laminate one set, and use dry-erase pens to reuse them for group work.

How to use reading graphic organizers with any book

1. Choose the organizer that matches your goal: retell a story, find the main idea, compare, or describe a character.
2. Read first, then fill in the organizer. Do not stop after every page.
3. Write short phrases, not full sentences. The organizer is a plan.
4. Use the finished organizer to talk about the book, or to write a paragraph.
5. Keep the pages in a folder, as a record of the books and the thinking.

Reading graphic organizers are part of what researchers call graphic organizers or concept maps. Wikipedia’s graphic organizer article describes the idea.

Printing tip

Print at 100% or “Actual size” and turn off “Fit to page”, so every measurement on the sheet is exact. Choose Letter or A4 paper in the generator before you download the PDF.

Reading graphic organizers: frequently asked questions

Do organizers have answer keys?

No. They work with any book, so the answers depend on what the child is reading.

What does SWBST stand for?

Somebody (the character), Wanted (their goal), But (the problem), So (what they did), Then (how it ended).

Which organizer is best for nonfiction?

The main idea and details chart. The Venn diagram is also good for comparing two nonfiction topics.

What grades are the organizers for?

They suit grades 1 to 6. Younger children can draw pictures in the boxes, and older students can write notes and evidence.

Are these reading graphic organizers free?

Yes. They are free to print for home and classroom use, with no sign-up.

More reading worksheets

• 1st and 2nd grade reading comprehension worksheets
• 3rd and 4th grade reading comprehension worksheets
• 5th and 6th grade reading comprehension worksheets