Kidspiration 2 Tutorial

Kidspiration 2 is a learning tool designed to teach children the basics of reading, writing, numeracy and thinking skills. The program is mainly operated through icons, and the meaning of those icons is not always obvious. When you gain an understanding of the basic functions of Kidspiration 2, you can use the program to create graphic organizers with a combination of pictures, text and spoken word clips. Combining these features with reference to any subject area gives children an understanding of the formulation and expression of ideas.

• 1

  Open Kidspiration 2. The "Main Menu" will display. Start a new organizer, and choose the "Maths," "Science," "Reading and Writing" or "Social Studies" tools. You can start a new organizer in pictorial or textual format by choosing your preferred option in the top left corner of the main menu in the box marked "New."

• 2

  Click the "Picture" icon, shown as three blue ovals connected by lines. The "Picture" format for new organizers takes the form of a "mind map" chart, with linked items displayed in ovals. You will be taken to a largely blank screen with two toolbar borders on the top and left sides.

• 3

  Click the "New Picture" icon. This icon is similar to the "Picture" icon on the "Main Menu" with connected blue ovals, but this icon has one larger oval with four smaller ones branching off at diagonal angles. It is located on the top toolbar. A yellow oval will appear in the center of the screen.

• 4

  Click on the text field in the center of the oval. Enter the subject of your new project. For example, if you were reading the Winnie the Pooh stories, you could enter "Winnie the Pooh" here. Click the "New Picture" icon again to add a connected oval.

• 5

  Select the new oval by clicking on it. You can now enter your desired text in the space in the same way as you did with the first oval. To continue the Winnie the Pooh example, you could type "Characters" in this box.

• 6

  Add the remainder of the relevant fields in the same way. When you click "New Picture," a new oval is added, and it will be connected to the one you currently have selected. You could add individual ovals for Eeyore, Owl, Pooh, Rabbit and Tigger under the "Characters" heading, and then go back to add another item branching off from the original "Winnie the Pooh" oval. To do this, click the "Winnie the Pooh" oval, and then click "New Picture." In this new oval you can now add a second sub-branch, such as "Setting."

• 7

  Click on and drag any items you wish to move around. To add a completely new section, click on the empty space where you want the new section to start, and then click "New Picture."

• 8

  Click the "Ear" icon to hear the words you have written spoken aloud. Click on the ovals individually to hear them.