Kidspiration ® Instructional Technology Presentation SPED 504 By: Jeanie Arthur, Sarah Johnston, Amanda McClure, and Linda Schenkoske

What is Kidspiration ® ? Kidspiration is a fun, entertaining and engaging software tool that is designed specifically to help students develop ideas, express and share thoughts, categorize and organize information all on their own. (Kidspiration: Overview, 2010)

Facts About Kidspiration ® Kidspiration is a visual learning tool. Kidspiration can help students build self confidence as they learn to understand new concepts, make connections, organize information, create stories, and learn to express and share their own ideas. Audio helps students to hear their work read aloud or record their own words. The software has an Activity Wizard that helps teacher’s make modifications to meet individual needs. (Technology Tools for Teachers)

Kidspiration is easy to navigate. Students can simply click and type! All the buttons, text, and menus are depicted by icons. Students can export work, print, save, and add to existing classroom work. The software has over 150 standard based activities. This software helps to create a bridge for students between their thoughts and written expression. The software is designed to develop stronger thinking skills. It promotes cross curricular learning. (Kidspiration: Overview, 2010) More Facts About Kidspiration ®

How does Kidspiration ® work? Students have 3 screen options that help facilitate higher thinking, brainstorming, and organization. (Miranda, K.D. ( ) 1. Picture View – This view helps students to build graphic organizers with pictures and words. 2. Writing View - Students can integrate their thoughts and develop writing skills. 3. Math View – Based on interactive manipulatives, students learn to explore math in ways that teach them to communicate and understand math concepts visually. (Kidspiration: Overview, 2010)

“Picture View” Early readers can choose from 3000 symbols and categories to convey their own ideas. Kidspiration has a talking interface that reads text and supports literacy development. Students can create maps, webs and other visual learning diagrams. Students can create an idea and Kidspiration creates an outline of their work in the writing view. (Kidspiration: Overview, 2010)

“Writing View” Symbols are paired with words to strengthen literacy. Supports reading comprehension and vocabulary development. Includes a word guide – a thesaurus and dictionary. (Kidspiration: Overview, 2010)

“Math View” Provides manipulative practice and reinforcement using: Color Tiles – To solve area/perimeter, number patterns and the 4 basic operations. Text boxes allow students to express their understanding in words and numbers. Pattern Blocks – To use when learning about spatial & geometric reasoning. Interactive shapes rotate and snap together. Base 10 Blocks – To use when learning about place value, and number sense (counting, comparing, grouping). Students can make and break apart boxes representing tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.

“Math View” Continued Fraction Tiles – To use when comparing and ordering fractions. Students can learn about making equivalent fractions in two different instructional modes. Fraction Boxes – Helps to compare and model basic operations using up to 36 different like and unlike denominators. (Kidspiration: Overview, 2010)

Uses in the Classroom Kidspiration can be used in various ways in the classroom. It has connections to all content areas which help make it useful in cross-curricular activities. Kidspiration has even partnered with some textbook manufacturers to correspond with the curriculum being used to present information in familiar formats and increase predictability, exposure, and retainment of information.

Mathematics Organizers: Kidspiration can assist teachers and students in learning all mathematical concepts such as graphing, addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, word problems, geometry concepts, fractions, fact families, time, skip counting, and patterns. Mathematics View: holds color tiles, pattern blocks, Base 10 blocks, fraction tiles, fraction bars, and free work space. Uses in the Classroom: Math

Math Organizer Images from Kidspiration software

Science: Kidspiration can support various scientific concepts such as food pyramids, circuitry and electricity, experiments, biology, animal habitats and food chains, weather charts, inquiry models, and OWL charts (Observe, Wonder, Learned). Uses in the Classroom: Science

Science Graphic Organizer Image from Kidspiration software.

Reading and Writing graphic organizers: address topics of phonics, reports, comprehension, vocabulary, character development, poetry, KWL charts, rhyming, parts of sentences, story boards, narrative writing, creating questions, and letter writing. Writing View: supports these activities with various types of outlines that can be created which plan out main ideas, supporting details, etc. Picture View: allows students to create a graphic organizers utilizing the pictures available on the sidebar of the screen. This helps students who have a difficult time with vocabulary. The pictures give the students an avenue by which to organize their thoughts and gain ideas without the pressure of having to place written words in order. This map can then be used to create an outline and later a report. Uses in the Classroom

Images from Kidspiration software

History: the curriculum is supported with Kidspiration using their organizers to map out the United States, create timelines, complete comparisons, mapping, state and country reports, U.S. symbols and leaders, community organizers, cartoon creator, and branches of government. Uses in the Classroom

History Graphic Organizer Images from Kidspiration software

Examples of Graphic Organizers using Kidspiration ®

Who Can Benefit From and Use Kidspiration ® ? Kidspiration is geared toward Kindergarten to Fifth Grade learners (Kidspiration: Overview, 2010). The program uses visual learning as a way to teach and learn (Kidspiration: Overview, 2010). Benefits include helping students with developing skills such as critical thinking, reading, writing, and math concepts (Kidspiration: Overview, 2010).

Who Can Benefit From and Use Kidspiration ® ? Easy for students to use. Includes colorful Toolbars with Talking Interface, Pop-ups for acquiring symbols, fonts and font sizes. Kidspiration can be played on large workspaces for the visually challenged students (Kidspiration: Details, 2010).

Students Who Benefit: English language learners (ELL) and students with English as a Second Language (ESL): helps with building vocabulary in English by using images and text to support building vocabulary (Hixson, 2008). Who Can Benefit From and Use Kidspiration ® ?

Benefits students in special education programs. As quoted from an article on the Inspiration website: "Patgorski finds Kidspiration reaches students of every learning ability – from special education to advanced students. Even students with the most severe disabilities – those who require help from paraprofessionals to navigate the school day – are able to use Kidspiration, she said. 'I put them on Kidspiration and they are able to fully participate, 100 percent, doing the exact same thing as everyone else. You can imagine how that makes them feel.' " (Inspiration Software, 2009)

Easy for teachers to use: Website for Kidspiration includes tutorials teachers can watch, as well as online resources. There are convenient tools, lesson plans, and over 150 templates for activities. Teachers can make changes to templates, then save so they don't have to worry about another person making changes or deleting information. They can also limit symbols students can use. (Kidspiration: Details, 2010) Who Can Benefit From and Use Kidspiration ® ?

There are other books and sites that can help connect lessons to State Standards, such as in the online book "Kidspiration in the Classroom: Standards-aligned Lesson Plans." (Chase & Madar, 2004).

Teachers can obtain other lesson plans and templates from sites such as: Or view how to use software on YouTube, such as 7LrDWR7g&feature=related Who Can Benefit From and Use Kidspiration ® ?

Bringing Kidspiration ® to Your Classroom or Home In the Classroom The Inspiration software products, which include the program Kidspiration, support several K-12 teaching and learning initiatives. As a result, several schools can qualify for federal funding and grants to purchase the program for the district.

Bringing Kidspiration ® to Your Classroom or Home Schools can qualify for federal funding under any of the following categories: 1. Improving Academic Achievement for the Disadvantaged 2. Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting 3. Enhancing Education and Technology 4. Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students 5. Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs For more information on how schools can qualify for federal funding and grants visit

At Home: Parents can purchase the Kidspiration software to use on a home or personal computer. Before purchasing, parents and children can test the software by downloading a 30 day free trial at Parents who are US residents can also fill out and submit a form on the website in order to receive an evaluation disk which includes 30 day trials of Inspiration 9, Kidspiration, and InspireData. Bringing Kidspiration ® to Your Classroom or Home

Costs: If parents or educators want to purchase the Kidspiration packaged software or download software, the cost of a single license is $ Lesson plan books are also available for purchase to accompany the software. Kidspiration can be purchased at the store on the Inspiration website: Cat=4 Bringing Kidspiration ® to Your Classroom or Home

References Brooks, S. & Byles, B. (2009). Technology tutorials found on the web. Retrieved from Chase, M. & Madar, B. (2004). Kidspiration in the classroom: Standards-aligned lesson plans. Retrieved from Cheek, J. S. (2005). Inspiration Kidspiration. Retrieved from Hixson, S. W. (2008). Kidspiration 3. MultiMedia & Schools, 15(3), Retrieved from OmniFile Full Text Mega database. Hurley (2010). Teacher Resources. Retrieved from Inspiration software launches new site license program to stretch school budgets, ensure access to visual learning software for all students and teachers (2009). Inspiration. Retrieved from Kidspiration – A Visual Learning Tool for K-5 (n.d.). Technology Tools for Teachers. Retrieved from Norris, J. (2008). Kidspiration tutorial. Retrieved from Purchase inspiration software products using federal funding (2010). Kidspiration: Funding & Grants. Retrieved from The visual way to explore and understand words, numbers and concepts (2010). Kidspiration: Overview. Retrieved from

The End