This document discusses the importance of using non-linguistic representations (NLReps) such as pictures, diagrams, songs and physical models to help students learn and retain information. It provides several examples of how teachers can create NLReps, including drawing pictographs to represent concepts, using gestures and movements in songs, and developing physical models. The key message is that students are better able to form mental images and remember content when teachers supplement verbal and written explanations with multisensory non-linguistic activities and representations.

1. Non-Linguistic Representations AKA: Creating Pictures in the Mind

2. Did U Know? Linguistic= learning from talking Non-Linguistic= learning from not talking (mental images) Teachers present most of their new info by talking or by reading. This means students have to come up with their own mental images (non-linguistic representations) to get it.

3. MAKE IT STICK! Try These NL Reps: Creating Pictures/Pictographs Kinesthetic Activity Creating Graphic Representations Physical Models

4. (symbolic pictures in the mind) Creating Pictures/ Pictographs

5. Powerful way to generate non-linguistic representations in the mind. Pictograph is just a drawing that uses symbols to represent information. Creating Pictures

6. First Concept of the Year: “Social Studies…Is a Tree” Culture S.S. Government History Geography Economics

7. Boring Concept: 5 Themes of Geography Introducing Mr. Lip : M ovement, R egion, L ocation, I nteraction, P lace

8. Boring Concept: Four Major World Religions HI, CJ! H induism I slam C hristianity J udaism

9. Need Ideas? Use the Gallery tab of your Smartboard to get all kinds of pictures and ideas!

10. (learning using physical movement) Kinesthetic Activity

11. Specific knowledge + physical movement = mental image in the mind of the learner.

12. Specific Knowledge I wanted them to know: Mesopotamia was located in present day Iraq. Mesopotamia means “land between two rivers” The rivers are the Tigres and Euphrates Sumer and Tyber were two major city-states. Babylon was the most famous known for its beautiful hanging gardens. Hammurabi was the king of Babylon.

13. Mesopotamia Song I created a kinesthetic song that got them out of their seats and helped their brain retain the knowledge I was trying to teach.

14. Mrs. Warrell’s Closet Songs SS is a Tree Mr. Lip Hi, CJ Mesopotamia Song Egypt Song Ancient Greek Alphabet Ancient India Song Ancient Chinese Dynasties Meso-America Song Spanish Alphabet (Exploration Period) 13 Colonies Song US state songs US capital songs ***I was able to teach the northern border US states to my flex class and assess them in just three minutes using a song. All but 3 students could correctly label all of the northern border states just three minutes after learning the song.

15. Not comfortable moving and shaking? Try having the students take some of your toughest content and have them compete to make a song with movements that will help them retain the information. Example : Molly’s Art Elements Song written by Molly, Dave’s Elements of Music Song written by students. Make up acronyms and incorporate simple movements.

16. (combine linguistic and non-linguistic)

17. Six Types of GOs Descriptive Pattern Time-Sequence Pattern Process/Cause-Effect Pattern Episode Pattern Generalization/Principle Pattern Concept Pattern ***Students retain info in the brain by seeing and learning patterns.

18. Representations of what is being learned

19. Physical Models A.K.A. “manipulatives” by science and math teachers. The very act of generating a concrete model makes an “image” in the students’ minds.

20. The Key Instead of just having students listen to you talk about the new content or having them read about it, it is essential that you help provide non-linguistic representations to help them develop images in their minds. This will help the students retain the concepts you are teaching at greater rates.

21. Help Them Visualize it in their minds! The Evil Mr. Hippocampus: takes away all the info you don’t regularly use! Help fight against Mr. Hippocampus by giving your students non-linguistic representations!

22. CCT Time As a team, share the non-linguistic representations that you currently use to teach concepts in your class. Are there any NLReps that you could use in all your classes? EX: MR. LIP in SS, The “Toolbox” in Language Arts.