Frayer Model for Mathematics Instruction

Why Use This Strategy? Students need help in learning the meaning of
mathematical words that are abstract and unfamiliar to them. Just giving
students vocabulary lists with definitions is not enough for them to develop
conceptual understanding or use mathematical terms appropriately. The Frayer
Model helps students organize a concept and its meaning. The Frayer Model
requires students to define words that will help them to better understand
content concepts.

What Makes This Strategy Good?

Can be done in pictures or words
Provides details about the term or concept through the characteristics
Uses examples and non-examples to provide clarity
Allows clarifications in the native language to be made
Can be done cooperatively, providing needed interaction
Can be used as an assessment tool
Can be used for interactive word walls

How Does the Strategy Frayer Model Work?

Engage and Exploration
1. The students draw a box.
2. The concept or term is written in the center of the box.
3. The definition of the word is written in the top left-hand box.
4. The characteristics of the term or facts about the concept are listed
in the top right-hand box.
5. Examples from the students own experiences or from real-life are
placed in the lower left-hand box, while non-examples are placed in the
lower right-hand box.
6. Add the Frayer Model to the classroom interactive word wall and the
students notebook.

Strategy in Action Frayer Model

Instructional Focus: Summarize Learning of Concept
Summarize
Say: We have been practicing strategies to help us better understand concepts.
After exploring prime and composite numbers, it is important to make sure we
understand each of these terms. Today we will be using a new graphic organizer
called the Frayer Model to organize our understanding about prime numbers.
Say: I have given you a copy of the Frayer Model which includes a description of
what to put in each of the quadrants (see Frayer Model template on next page).
Lets put the term Prime Numbers in the center of the model.
Say: Work with your partner to fill in the rest of the model by using the
information you have learned from todays exploration.
The teacher should walk around the room and facilitate the students work by
asking guiding questions (not by giving answers).
Say: Now that you have all created a Frayer Model for prime numbers, lets put
all that information together to create a model which we can add to our
interactive word wall.

NOTE: Interactive Word Walls - Print-rich classrooms usually include

a word wall where the teacher and/or students collect words over time.
Words posted might be a collection of high frequency words, words
clunked together such as word families, words from a theme or concept
being learned, or specialized words from the content areas. Word walls
alone can be beneficial as a passive visual, but when activated by quick
tasks, the word walls become a teaching tool. Examples include:
Frayer Model
Concept Map
List-Group-Label
K-W-L Chart

Frayer Model
Definition (in own words)

Characteristics

Word:

Examples

Non-examples