In order to get the most out of Inspiration Maps, try some of the ideas below, or submit your own in the comment box at the bottom of the page.

Organization Activity

Talk to your child about how perceives himself as a writer. Is he confident? Unsure? Timid? Verbose? Then talk to your child about the strategies he uses to craft an essay. While the graphic organizer for the five paragraph essay will likely be the method of choice - especially for younger writers - it is important to introduce your child to a variety of organizational strategies. Even if your child declares himself the next Joyce, explain that he can take his writing to the next level, turning B assignments into A quality work, simply by establishing a system of organization. Once you instill the importance of using organizational tools, introduce your child to the various templates that Inspiration Maps offers. Choose that one that most closely corresponds to the nature of his assignment. For example, if he is writing a book summary or a literature review, use a plot summary template to break down the text into manageable portions.

Planning Activity

Create an ongoing dialogue with your child about his homework schedule. Become involved in his experience as a learner. Highlight specific Inspiration Map templates that are applicable to your child's assignments. A good planning template for written work is the "Essay Brainstorm." The brainstorm exercise is essentially a word web where your child can further explore his topic of choice in a linear, but highly visual method. He will be mapping out ideas for his assignment as well as noting relationships among topics. The brainstorm process is particularly important - especially as a first step to crafting an essay. Talk to your child about what he will do next. Maybe he can make a graphic organizer as a second planning stage, allowing him to succinctly represent his brainstorm process. Eventually these planning exercise will begin to resemble an organized progression of ideas.

Inspiration Maps & ADHD

When it comes to crafting an essay, children dealing with ADHD can sometimes struggle to organize their thoughts. They may begin an assignment with not enough forethought, or worse, procrastinate until the night before it is due. Such delay results in lower quality work, as children have little time to gather their thoughts and refine their argument. Inspiration Maps serves as an excellent tool for children with ADHD to remedy such problems and prepare in advance for assignments.

How to Use Inspiration Maps for Children with ADHD

• Some children strive as visual learners, as the stimuli appeals more readily to them than traditional notes. Children who find themselves in this category of learners would greatly benefit from using word webs. Children who are having trouble following along in a novel should use the "character analysis" template, where they organize information about significant characters. Children will identify character traits, background information, physical appearance, and notable quotes in a visually coherent format.

• Some children dealing with ADHD have trouble remembering chronological order - especially the dates of historical events. Using the "event analysis" history template, children can enter the chronology of a historical event like a war, noting each important battle or turning point. Then they input two specific causes as well as two effects. Once they include important figures, they will have a comprehensive guide that is both concise and easy to study.

• It is important for children to prepare an outline before they begin to work on a writing assignment, but some children coping with ADHD may encounter difficulties when it comes time to plan. Begining a writing assignment without forethought or preparation will likely yield unsatisfactory results, such as the submission of incomplete or poorly crafted assignments. Children should use the "report outline" template to organize their thoughts into a thesis, body, and conclusion before they begin. Once they have the initial outline, it will be much easier to prepare and write-out a thorough, quality paper.

Idea Sketch

Idea Sketch is a visual mind-mapping app that organizes ideas using text boxes and word webs. Users can change font and size of text,and adjust the color and shape of their word webs. Read our Idea Sketch review for more information.

Idea Bucket

Idea Bucket is an app that makes it easy to weigh options before making a decision, helping users to lay out their ideas in an organized fashion and make thoughtful, well-informed decisions. Look over our Idea Bucket Review for details

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote a virtual tabbed ring binder. Users can enter typed text, create tables, and insert pictures anywhere in the document like they would in a notebook. Read our OneNote review for more.

Evernote

Evernote is an easy-to-use organizational app available for note taking and archiving, allowing users to sort content into notebooks, and then further organize their notes with tags. Look over our Evernote Review for details.