This document provides instructions for creating 8 different types of foldable organizers to help students with reading and writing: 1) 4-Pane/Window, 2) Square/Diamond, 3) Presentation Square, 4) Lock Book, 5) Tab type 1 (Vocabulary), 6) Flip Book, 7) Accordion Book, and 8) Mini-Book/Little Book. Each type uses different folding and cutting techniques with materials like construction paper and requires 1-4 steps to complete. The foldables are designed to help students organize information in a hands-on, interactive way.

1. Fostering the Reading/Writing Connection
Foldable Instructions
Rebecca McKnight
These directions are not found in any one resource or from any one workshop or
individual. They are a combination of all the experiences that I have had with
foldables in my classroom, workshops and researching new ways to fold.
1) 4-Pane/Window
Supplies needed: Construction paper, a pair of scissors
a)Create a shutter fold, hamburger style. (This means that the two ends should
meet in the middle.)
b)Fold the paper in ½ hamburger style, then fold in ½ hot dog style.
c)Open the paper back to the first fold and cut along the crease(s).
2)Square/Diamond
Supplies needed: Construction paper, a pair of scissors
*To do this foldable/3-D organizer, you will need to have a perfect square.
Scrapbooking paper that is 12 x 12 is perfect for this. Otherwise, you can make a
square by following the directions below.
How do I make a square?
-Take an 8 and ½ piece of construction paper and fold it into a
triangle.
-Cut off the extra tab, and then unfold the paper. You now have a
square.
Once you have your square, fold each corner in toward the center.
3) Presentation Square
Supplies needed: Construction paper, a pair of scissors
Follow the instructions to make a perfect square , then follow the
directions below. For this organizer, though, the extra expense of a
12 x 12 piece of scrapbook paper will help with the quality of students’
finished product.
a) Fold the paper, hamburger, two times.
b) Unfold your paper and put an “X” in the lower right-hand box.
c) Cut up the crease on the left of the box with the “X”.
d) Slide the cut square underneath the panel on the left.

2. 4) Lock Book
Supplies needed: Copy paper or construction paper, a ruler, and a pair
of scissors
a)Take the number of pages that you want to have in the book and fold each one
in ½, hamburger.
b) Then measure 2 and ½ inches from the top down and the bottom up. Do this
on each piece of paper.
c)Take one of the pieces of paper and cut between the two lines that you made.
d)Cut from the top down and the bottom up on the other pieces of paper.
e)Take each piece of paper and slide it through the hole of the first sheet of
paper.
5) Tab type 1 (Vocabulary)
Supplies needed: Construction paper, a pair of scissors
a) Fold your paper hot dog at least 2 times, then cut on the fold.
*You can make as many tabs as you want with this process, but I don’t
recommend more than 6-8. The tabs may become to small for students to write
on.
6) Flip Book
Supplies needed: Construction paper, stapler, and a pair of scissors
a) Get 4 sheets of different colored paper.
b) Fold the first page so that there is a small space at the bottom.
c) Take the first page and lay it on the second page being sure to leave a tab at
the bottom, and then fold the top of the second page over the first page.
d) Repeat step c two more times, then staple the top of the book.
*If your flip book is not too thick on the top, you can use a 3-hole punch to make
holes and string the book together.

3. 7) Accordion Book
Supplies Needed: Tape (invisible tape or masking), construction paper
and a pair of scissors
a) Fold your piece of paper hot dog.
b) Cut your paper along the fold.
c) Put the ends of your two long pieces of paper together and tape them together.
(Only tape one side of the paper.)
d) Fold your strip into 3"-4" panels like a fan.
8) Mini-Book/Little Book
Supplies needed: Construction paper, a pair of scissors
a) Fold your piece of construction paper in ½, hotdog style.
b)Then fold your piece of paper in ½, hamburger style. Do this twice.
c)Open you piece of paper all the way back up and fold it hamburger style 1
time.
d)Cut ½ way down the center of your folded paper.
e)Unfold your paper and fold it hot dog again, then push the two end pieces
towards the center.
f)Fold the paper down and then fold it into a book.