Frayer Model and Other Vocabulary Graphic Organizers (with Examples)

The Frayer model is a four-square vocabulary organizer with the word in the center and boxes for a definition, characteristics, examples and non-examples, and it works best for concept words with clear features, like “mammal,” “fraction” or “adjective”; for other words, a word map, semantic map, word part organizer or vocabulary triangle is often a better fit. Vocabulary organizers help students think about a word from several angles instead of copying a definition. But each one fits a different kind of word, and using the Frayer model for every word on a weekly list quickly turns it into busywork. Below you’ll find how to use the Frayer model step by step, filled-in examples for math, science and reading, four other vocabulary organizers and when to use each. For the full family of organizers and their purposes, see our guide to graphic organizers.

Where the Frayer model comes from

Dorothy Frayer and her colleagues at the University of Wisconsin developed the model in the late 1960s as a way to teach concepts. Their idea was that you understand a concept when you know its essential features and can tell examples from non-examples. A student who can say why a whale is a mammal and a shark isn’t understands “mammal” far better than one who memorized “a warm-blooded animal with hair that feeds its young milk.”

How to use the Frayer model

1. Choose a concept word. It should have clear features and clear examples and non-examples.
2. Introduce the word in context. Read it in a text or show it in a lesson first.
3. Model one Frayer model aloud. Fill each box with the class, explaining your thinking.
4. Start with examples and non-examples. Many teachers find it works better to sort examples and non-examples first, then figure out the characteristics from the sort, and write the definition last.
5. Discuss the tricky cases. Non-examples that are close to the concept (a shark for “mammal”) lead to the best discussions.
6. Use the word. Finish with a sentence, a short explanation or a partner discussion.

Example 1: Math (polygon)

• Definition: A closed flat shape made of straight sides.
• Characteristics: closed; flat (2D); all sides are straight line segments; at least three sides.
• Examples: triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon, an irregular five-sided shape.
• Non-examples: circle (curved), an open shape with a gap, a cube (3D), a shape with one curved side.

Example 2: Science (mammal)

• Definition: An animal that has hair or fur, breathes air and feeds its babies milk.
• Characteristics: warm-blooded; hair or fur; breathes with lungs; most give birth to live young; feeds young with milk.
• Examples: dog, human, whale, bat, mouse.
• Non-examples: shark (a fish), penguin (a bird), frog (an amphibian), snake (a reptile).

Example 3: Reading and grammar (adjective)

• Definition: A word that describes a noun.
• Characteristics: tells what kind, how many or which one; often comes before a noun or after “is.”
• Examples: tall, three, shiny, red, happy.
• Non-examples: run (verb), quickly (adverb), dog (noun), and (conjunction).

Example 4: Social studies (community)

• Definition: A group of people who live, work or share something in the same place.
• Characteristics: people; a shared place or interest; rules; people depend on each other.
• Examples: a town, a neighborhood, a school, a farm community.
• Non-examples: one person living alone on an island, a single house, a road.

A sample lesson: sort first, define last

Here is how a 3rd grade class might build the “mammal” Frayer model in about 20 minutes. Give each pair a set of eight picture cards: dog, whale, bat, human, shark, penguin, frog and snake. Tell students that four of the animals belong to a group called mammals and four don’t, and ask them to sort the cards by guessing. Most pairs put the whale with the shark and the bat with the penguin, because they look alike or live in the same place.

Then reveal the correct sort and let the surprise do the work. “Why would a whale be in the same group as a dog?” Students look for what the mammals share and list ideas: they breathe air, they have some hair, their babies drink milk. Write these in the characteristics box. Now ask students to explain why the shark is a non-example, using one of the characteristics: “A shark is not a mammal because it breathes with gills.” Finally, the class writes the definition together in their own words, and you check it against the characteristics. The definition comes last because by then students have built it themselves. Close by asking each student to name one more mammal and one more non-example, with a reason.

Common mistakes with the Frayer model

The most frequent problems are easy to spot. Students copy a glossary definition they can’t explain. They list examples that are all the same kind (dog, cat, puppy, kitten) instead of showing the range of the concept. Their non-examples are unrelated to the concept, which teaches nothing. Or the organizer is filled out and filed away, never used again. Check each box against one question: does this show that the student understands what makes the word what it is?

Other vocabulary organizers and when to use them

Word map. The word in the center with boxes for a kid-friendly definition, a synonym, an antonym, a picture and a sentence. Best for Tier 2 words like reluctant, fortunate or cautious that don’t have neat categories.

Semantic map. A topic word in the center with related words branching out in categories. For “weather,” branches might include types (rain, snow, hail), tools (thermometer, rain gauge) and describing words (humid, freezing). Best for building connected vocabulary before or after a unit.

Word part organizer. Boxes for prefix, root and suffix, the meaning of each part and the full word’s meaning. For “unpredictable”: un- (not) + predict (tell before) + -able (can be) = cannot be told ahead of time. Best for 3rd through 5th grade morphology.

Vocabulary triangle. A triangle with the word at the top, a picture in the middle and a sentence at the bottom. Quick and visual, good for K–2 and for English learners.

Choosing the right organizer

Tips for making organizers worth the time

Fewer words, more depth. Use the Frayer model for two or three key concept words per unit, not all ten words on a list.

Avoid copying definitions. Students should put the definition in their own words, after discussing examples. A copied dictionary definition shows nothing.

Use them again. Keep completed Frayer models on a word wall or in a notebook, and refer to them during later lessons.

Make non-examples close. “Banana” as a non-example of “polygon” is too easy. “Circle” makes students think.

Do it together first. Model several times before asking students to complete one alone, and let pairs work together before independent practice.

For the routines and games that give students repeated practice with words after the organizer, see our post on vocabulary activities for elementary.

Adapting by grade

Kindergarten and 1st grade: Complete organizers as a class on chart paper. Use pictures in the examples and non-examples boxes, and record a spoken definition together.

2nd and 3rd grade: Students complete Frayer models in pairs with support, using a word bank for characteristics.

4th and 5th grade: Students complete organizers independently for content vocabulary and explain their non-examples in writing.

Supporting all learners

Partially completed organizers, picture cards and sentence frames help students who struggle with writing. Students with IEPs or 504 plans keep the supports their team decided, such as a scribe or a word bank. For English learners, add a box for the word in their home language or a cognate, and practice the word orally before writing. Our post on sentence frames for ELL has frames that pair well with any vocabulary organizer.

Prep in less time

Blank organizers are easy, but good example and non-example cards for each concept take time. An AI worksheet tool can draft a Frayer model sort with examples and close non-examples for your unit’s key words, and you check the content before using it.

Vocabulary organizers are one group in a larger toolkit for thinking and writing. For definitions, types and how to choose the right organizer for any task, visit our guide to graphic organizers.