Part 1 Mind mapping – Kidspiration
Computers are an excellent tool for supporting children with dyslexia. While not often thought of, mapping software is a must for every child. Mind mapping helps dyslexic children by encouraging thinking outside the box.
- Children do not have to worry about handwriting.
- They do not have to complete their own spelling and grammar checks.
- The visual learning strengthens vocabulary and comprehension.
Give your child the correct tools and they will learn with confidence!
Dyslexic children often find it difficult to vocalise their ideas. Mind mapping takes this obstacle away. They can communicate ideas without restriction. While there are a number of different mind maps available, my favourite for children is Kidspiration. This is an excellent choice for primary school children. It supports conceptual understanding in maths, improves reading and writing and develops critical thinking skills.
Kidspiration is a child-friendly version of the Inspiration software and enables users to display and organise thoughts/concepts visually. The software is designed to help children organise their work using visual maps, written outlines and word webs. It helps structure written work by reinforcing organisational strategies for grouping and comparison that will help with the understanding and retention of learned information.
Writing
Kidspiration is particularly helpful for brainstorming thoughts and ideas prior to sitting down to write. Kids will improve their writing habits by using it as an organisational tool by connecting visual thoughts with writing. When your child uses ‘Picture View’ (mind maps) to visually organise thoughts, the program instantly transfers the images into a text outline in ‘Writing View’.
Therefore, it is ideal for children who struggle with literacy and organising thoughts sequentially. Using this software, they can communicate their ideas clearly and easily onto the page. Once on the page, they can take time to re-organise them, link them and transfer them to a text view.
This tool is ideal for creative/story writing, project planning, presentation planning and any multi-step planning as ideas suddenly come into focus. The visual aids in Kidspiration act as an intermediary between the (often) disorganised brainstorming and the writing process itself. Graphic organisers such as this one are incredibly useful when creating a plan of action in written work as well as presentations and projects.
Maths
Kidspiration is also a must-use tool when it comes to maths. The built-in visual maths tool is designed to develop problem-solving and reasoning skills through understanding. Confusing mathematical concepts are transformed into real-world depictions that children can actually relate to. This will not only help them gain an understanding of the concepts but also allow them to see how maths can help outside the classroom.
Click here to download Kidspiration for PC and click here to download it from the Apple Store
Click here to find more apps designed to help children with dyslexia, click here.
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