New Teacher Resource Book from Inspiration Software Supports Helping Students Develop Critical Thinking Skills

"The Thinking Classroom: Using Inspiration to Meet Curriculum Standards" Explores Fundamental Thinking Skills, Offers Visual Learning Instructional Strategies

PORTLAND, OR — April 4, 2006
To support teachers as they help students develop critical thinking skills, Inspiration Software® today introduced "The Thinking Classroom: Using Inspiration to Meet Curriculum Standards." Developed in conjunction with the launch of Inspiration® 8 earlier this year, this new teacher resource book is an in-depth exploration of visual learning's role in mastering fundamental thinking skills. "The Thinking Classroom" makes it easy to integrate Inspiration and visual learning across the curriculum.

"Increasingly teachers tell us that they want specific visual learning instructional strategies that support the development of the thinking skills that students need for academic success," said Mona Westhaver, president and co-founder, Inspiration Software. "This new teacher resource book provides those strategies, tying them directly to specific thinking skills and offering lesson plans that will build those skills."

This innovative teacher resource book offers in-depth explanations of visual learning's role in mastering fundamental thinking skills such as:

• determining cause and effect,
• making comparisons,
• decoding ideas,
• generating questions,
• evaluating information,
• testing one's knowledge.

Each of the book's six chapters includes four sections. In each first section, teachers are introduced to a specific thinking skill and how visual learning can be used to develop it. The next three sections each describe how to use visual learning and thinking skills in language arts, science and social studies. Lesson plans in each subject area are also provided.

A free sample chapter of "The Thinking Classroom" is available from the Inspiration Software Web site at www.inspiration.com/Resources/Inspiration. Single copies can be purchased for $39.95. Volume licenses are available in an easy-to-share, electronic format at $199 per school. For more information, call 800-877-4292 or visit www.inspiration.com/Dealers to find a local education dealer.

About Inspiration Software, Inc.
Recognized as the leader in visual thinking and learning, Inspiration Software, Inc., develops and publishes innovative software tools that inspire learners of all ages to brainstorm, organize, plan and create. With more than 15 million users worldwide, the company's award-winning software is revolutionizing visual learning in education — inspiring students to develop strong thinking and organizational skills and improve their academic performance. Founded by Donald Helfgott and Mona Westhaver, the company's mission is to support improvements in education and make a positive difference in students' lives by providing software tools that help students learn to think.