This tutorial is a great starting point for learning how to use Kidspiration®. Feel free to use the tutorial as a script for your workshop, or copy and distribute to those you train. Overview of Kidspiration Trying Kidspiration, a step-by-step guide Create a diagram in Picture view Add symbols to your diagram Use the Symbol palette Connect symbols using links Listen to the ideas in your diagram Record your own words or sounds Clear part of your diagram Fix a mistake Change the look of symbols using color Switch to Writing view Add an idea Move an idea Add details to an idea Return to Picture view Close your project and return to Kidspiration Starter Start a new diagram Add a SuperGrouper® category Add a title to a SuperGrouper category Add symbols to a SuperGrouper category Remove a symbol from a SuperGrouper category View a SuperGrouper diagram in writing view Close your project Kidspiration credits Overview of Kidspiration Kidspiration is the visual learning tool for K-5 students. It helps students create stories, organize and categorize information, understand concepts, and express and share their thoughts. Picture view makes it easy for kids to see their ideas and information, taking advantage of the principles of visual learning. Writing view integrates with Picture view to help kids connect their ideas with words. K-5 students use Kidspiration to: 1. Brainstorm ideas with words and pictures. 2. Organize and categorize information visually. 3. Create stories and descriptions using engaging visual tools. 4. Explore new ideas with thought webs and visual diagrams. Trying Kidspiration, a step-by-step guide In this tutorial, you will create a diagram using symbols, words and links in Picture view; work with the ideas you started as a diagram in Writing view; and create SuperGrouper categories and use them to sort ideas. The tutorial takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. When you are finished, you will be ready to create your own diagrams and writing projects using Kidspiration. Create a diagram in Picture view Start Kidspiration Macintosh Open the Kidspiration folder, and then double-click the Kidspiration icon. The Kidspiration Starter opens. Windows Click the Start button, point to Programs, and then click Kidspiration. The Kidspiration Starter opens. The Kidspiration Starter is where you can start new projects, open existing projects, and use the many different Kidspiration activities. Start a new diagram 1.  To start a new diagram, click the Picture button. 2.  The First Idea provides a starting point for your work. Let's create a simple character map about Ralph, the main character in Beverly Cleary's book, The Mouse and the Motorcycle. In the First Idea symbol, type Ralph. Your diagram should look like this: Add symbols to your diagram 1.  Click the Ralph symbol to select it. 2.  To add two symbols that are connected to the Ralph symbol, click the Add Symbol button twice. Now, your diagram should look like this: 3.  Click one of the new symbols to select it, and then type the word loves. 4.  Click the other symbol to select it and then type the word fears. Your diagram should look like this: Use the symbol palette Now, let's use the Symbol palette to add more symbols to your diagram. The Symbol palette has hundreds of symbols that kids can use to show their ideas 1.  On the Symbol palette, click the Pick Library button , and then click Animals and Plants. 2.  Click the Next Library button until you see the owl symbol, and then drag the owl symbol onto your diagram near fears. 3.  On the Symbol palette, click the Pick Library button , and then click Everyday. 4.  Click the Next Library button you see the symbol library that has the motorcycle symbol. 5.  Drag the motorcycle symbol onto your diagram near loves. Now, your diagram looks something like this: Connect symbols using links Now we are going to use a link to connect the fears symbol to the owl symbol. And, we are going to connect the loves symbol to the motorcycle symbol. 1.  Click the fears symbol to select it. 2.  Click the Link Symbols button to turn it on. 3.  Click the owl symbol to create a link to it. 4.  Click the loves symbol to select it. 5.  Click the motorcycle symbol to create a link to it. 6.  Click the Link Symbols button to turn it off. Now, your diagram looks like this: Listen to the ideas in your diagram You can use the computer to read the ideas in your diagram. 1.  To turn on the Listen tool, click the Listen button. 2.  To hear the computer read an idea in your diagram, click the fears symbol. 3.  Now, click the loves symbol to read the word. 4.  To turn off the Listen tool, click the Listen button again. Record your own words or sounds To support emerging readers, Kidspiration allows students to record words or sounds and attach them to a symbol. Let's record a sentence and attach it to the motorcycle symbol. 1.  Click the motorcycle symbol to select it. 2.  On the Sound menu, click Record. 3.  To begin recording, click the Record button. 4.  Say Ralph rides his motorcycle in the hallways. When you are finished recording the sound, click Save. 5.  To play the recording, click the speaker in the upper right corner of the motorcycle symbol. Clear part of your diagram Here's a quick way to clear a part of your diagram. 1.  Drag the car symbol onto your diagram from the Transportation library. It will be selected. 2.  To erase the symbol, click the Clear button. Fix a mistake It's easy to fix something you didn't mean to do. To undo what you just did, click the Undo button. Change the look of symbols using color You can use color to customize the look of your symbols. You can change the colors of two-color symbols and multicolor symbols. Let's change the colors of the fears symbol, and then change the colors of the motorcycle symbol. 1.  Click the fears symbol to select it. The Symbol Colors tool appears on the Formatting toolbar. 2.  On the Symbol Colors tool, click the color that you want to change, and then click a new color on the color menu. 3.  Click the motorcycle symbol to select it. You can change any color that appears in a multicolor symbol. 4.  On the Symbol Colors tool, click the color that you want to change, and then click a new color on the color menu. Switch to Writing view While you've been working in Picture view, Kidspiration has been building a written project using the ideas in your diagram. To view your diagram in Writing view, click the Go to Writing button. In Writing view, the ideas in your diagram are organized from top to bottom with your first idea - Ralph - at the top. The owl and motorcycle words have been added automatically by the Picture-to-Topic option, which helps emerging readers and writers make connections between symbols and words. Sounds recorded in Picture view are also available in Writing view. Add an idea Now add an idea to your writing project. 1.  Click the fears idea to select it. 2.  To add the new idea, click the Add Idea button. 3.  Type the word vacuum cleaner in the new idea. This is what your project looks like now: Move an idea Now we want to move the vacuum cleaner idea so it is alongside the owl idea underneath fears. Drag the vacuum cleaner idea so it is located below fears and at the same level as the owl idea. To move an idea, click the left side of the idea. When the grabber hand appears, drag the idea to the new location. This is what your writing project looks like now: Add details to an idea Notes are a great way to add more information about an idea. You can add as many lines of notes as you wish. 1.  Click below the magenta line of the vacuum cleaner idea to add details. 2.  Type Ralph hides from the vacuum cleaner under the bed. Return to Picture view While you've been working in Writing view, Kidspiration has been adding symbols to your diagram to represent the ideas you added in Writing view. To view your project in Picture view, click the Go to Pictures button. This is what your diagram looks like now: Close your project and return to the Kidspiration Starter To close your project and return to the Kidspiration Starter, click the Kidspiration character. Start a new diagram To start a new diagram, click the Picture button. A new diagram opens with the First Idea symbol selected. We want to delete the First Idea symbol. To do this, click the Clear button on the toolbar. Add a SuperGrouper category Categorizing and sorting are important skills for K-5 students; the SuperGrouper tool makes these activities easy and fun. 1.  On the Picture toolbar, click the SuperGrouper button, and then click the rectangle SuperGrouper shape to add it to your diagram. Now your diagram looks like this: 2.  Click on your diagram background to the right of your first SuperGrouper category so it is not selected. 3.  Add a second SuperGrouper category to your diagram just like the first one so you have two rectangle SuperGrouper shapes side by side. 4.  Adjust the position of each SuperGrouper category by dragging it. Add a title to a SuperGrouper category Now, let's add a title to each SuperGrouper category. 1.  To add a title to the first SuperGrouper category, select it, and then type Things that are living. 2.  Now add a title to the second SuperGrouper category. Select the second SuperGrouper category, and then type Things that are not living. Now your diagram looks like this: Add symbols to a SuperGrouper category Now, we are ready to add symbols to each SuperGrouper category. The easiest way to do this is to drag symbols from the Symbol palette. 1.  From the basic symbol library, drag the dog to the Things that are living category. 2.  Now drag the house to the Things that are not living category. 3.  Click the Pick Library button , and then click School. 4.  Now drag a symbol from the library into the appropriate category. 5.  Continue to navigate the libraries and find several symbols for each SuperGrouper category. Now, your SuperGrouper categories look something like this: Remove a symbol from a SuperGrouper category To remove a symbol from a SuperGrouper category, drag the symbol to another location. Or to delete the symbol, select it, and then click the Clear button. View a SuperGrouper category in Writing view To view the SuperGrouper categories in Writing view, click the Go to Writing button. This is what the SuperGrouper categories look like in Writing view: The titles of the SuperGrouper categories assume a top-level position, and the symbols that each SuperGrouper category contains are supporting ideas. Any changes you make here will be reflected in Picture view. Close Your Project To close your project and return to the Kidspiration Starter, click the Kidspiration character. Congratulations! You've finished the Kidspiration Quick Start Tutorial. We've looked at just a few of the ways K-5 students use Kidspiration to build strong thinking skills with visual learning. Now be sure to explore the over 45 activities included in Kidspiration. These are student-ready learning exercises or projects that focus on a specific subject. Kidspiration comes with activities for reading & writing, social studies, science and more. Kidspiration Credits ©2000 Inspiration Software, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language, in any form, by any means, without the written permission of Inspiration Software, Inc. Inspiration® and Inspiration Software® are registered trademarks of Inspiration Software, Inc. Kidspiration®, SuperGrouper®, and the Kidspiration and Inspiration logos are trademarks of Inspiration Software, Inc. Other brands and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.