Benefits of Color-Coding for your Middle School Students

Do I show signs of OCD because I’m a teacher, or am I a teacher because I show signs of OCD?  Really it’s the chicken-or-the-egg debate all over again.  But, to get down to business, I color-code EVERYTHING!

Color-Coding

Color-coding is a tool that adults use to keep themselves organized.  If this works so well for us, why don’t we use this tool for our students too?

Color-Coding in Math

I use color-coding when teaching multi-step equations.  I will update this post with a picture to illustrate this but I am writing this post from home.

We teach the students to use “DCVS” when solving multi-step equations.  DCVS stands for Distribute, Combine, Variables to one side, Solve.  So when I teach this I use different colors of Expo markers to show which work goes with each step.  I linked my favorite pack of Expo markers, and when I went to get the link for you I saw that they were on sale, so I’m going to stock up! Because, seriously, you can never have too many dry-erase markers.

The benefits of color coding your math work is that it helps the students know where to look for the information.  If you number step one and write the directions in red, and then do the work for that step in red, it helps students see your thinking.

Color-Coding for Organization

Another tool that I have used for my students is color coding their organizational tools.  I give each of the five core classes a color and all of their supplies for that class are in that color.  If Math is blue, then their math binder is blue, their math folders are blue, and their math book is covered in blue duct tape.  (What Duct Tape!? Yes, our students have soft-covered workbooks for their math books so we have them cover their books with duct tape for durability.)

Once all of their materials are color-coded, I color their schedule with them.  We color math blue, social studies green, science yellow, etc.  This way, when they go to their locker to get their supplies, they see the visual representation of the schedule and what color the class is, and then they just grab all of the supplies that are that color.

Often, parents are willing to do the shopping for this, but occasionally there are students whose parents just can’t do it so I stock up at the summer penny sales so that I have a stash of colorful supplies.

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Organizing your Middle School Students

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