Inspiration Software Launches New Lesson Plan Book for Helping K-5 Students Use Visual Learning to Understand Critical Math Concepts

Portland, OR (PRWEB) May 22, 2008 -- Teachers will have creative lesson plans for helping young learners use visual learning to build conceptual understanding in math with today's launch of

"Kidspiration® in the Classroom: Math Made Visual." (http://www.inspiration.com/productinfo/kidspiration/resources/index.cfm?fuseaction=act_book) Developed to support elementary teachers as they use the new math tools in Kidspiration 3, this addition to Inspiration Software's library of lesson plan books includes 30 lesson plans aligned to National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards and designed to support K-5 math instruction. Created by Inspiration Software®, Inc. (http://www.inspiration.com), Kidspiration 3 supports students in kindergarten through fifth grade as they build conceptual understanding in math, strengthen reading and writing skills and develop thinking skills across the curriculum.

"The recently released report from the National Mathematics Advisory Panel recommends placing greater emphasis on helping young learners build conceptual understanding in fractions and geometry so they have the foundation necessary to progress to higher level math, such as algebra," said Mona Westhaver, president and co-founder, Inspiration Software. "When elementary teachers combine the new visual math tools in Kidspiration 3 with the lesson plans in 'Kidspiration in the Classroom: Math Made Visual,' they will have a powerful tool for helping students master key mathematical concepts and build thinking and reasoning skills."

Lessons in "Kidspiration in the Classroom: Math Made Visual" focus on core content strands, including number and operations, algebra, measurement and geometry in ways that promote the development of problem-solving, reasoning and communication skills. Each easy-to-use lesson includes suggested grade levels, standards alignments, step-by-step instructions, assessment ideas and ways to adapt the lessons to differentiate instruction.

Launched earlier this year, Kidspiration 3 extends the proven principles of visual learning to mathematics (http://www.inspiration.com/productinfo/kidspiration/features/index.cfm) with five visual math tools. Like the lesson plans in "Kidspiration: Math Made Visual," Kidspiration's visual math tools address the NCTM Curriculum Focal Points for Grades K-5, including number and operations, measurement, algebra and two-dimensional geometry. They include:

-    Kidspiration Color Tiles?: Students use Kidspiration Color Tiles to count, compare and explore number properties and operations and develop computation strategies. Using Kidspiration Color Tiles, students solve area and perimeter problems and model number patterns and the four basic math operations.

-    Kidspiration Pattern Blocks?: With Kidspiration Pattern Blocks' moveable, stackable geometric shapes, students investigate the properties and attributes of shapes through composition and decomposition. They explore patterns and tessellations, similarity and congruence, experiment with symmetry and represent fractions.

-    Kidspiration Base Ten Blocks?: With units of ones, tens, hundreds and thousands, Kidspiration Base Ten Blocks help students understand place value and strengthen number sense. Students count, compare, group, partition and create equivalent representations of whole numbers and decimals as well as learn about procedures for operations on multi-digit numbers.

-    Kidspiration Fraction Boxes?: Using Kidspiration Fraction Boxes, a dynamic fraction building tool, learners represent fractions visually to build a strong conceptual foundation for figure work with fractions. They compare, order, simplify and find equivalent fractions.

-    Kidspiration Fraction Tiles?: Students use Kidspiration Fraction Tiles to compare and order fractions and to understand equivalent fractions. They find common denominators; translate between improper fractions and mixed numbers, and model basic operations with fractions.

This new lesson plan book for Kidspiration joins "Kidspiration in the Classroom: Reading Essentials," (http://www.inspiration.com/productinfo/kidspiration/resources/index.cfm?fuseaction=act_book) with lessons for grades K-5 focusing on the essential components of effective reading instruction, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and content literacy.

Single copies of both "Kidspiration in the Classroom: Math Made Visual" and "Kidspiration in the Classroom: Reading Essentials" are $29.95. Volume licenses for individual schools, available in an easy-to-share, electronic format, are $199. Sample pages from "Kidspiration in the Classroom: Math Made Visual" can be downloaded at www.inspiration.com/kidsclassbook.

A 30-day free trial of Kidspiration 3 can be downloaded at www.inspiration.com/freetrial. For more information, call 800-877-4292 or visit http://www.inspiration.com/order to find a local education dealer.

About Inspiration Software, Inc.

Recognized as the leader in visual thinking and learning, Inspiration Software, Inc.'s award-winning software tools, Inspiration®, Kidspiration and InspireData?, are based on proven visual learning methodologies that help students think, learn and achieve. With the powerful combination of visual learning and technology, students in grades K-12 learn to clarify thoughts, organize and analyze information, integrate new knowledge and think critically. Founded 25 years ago by Donald Helfgott and Mona Westhaver, the company's visual learning software tools are used today by more than 25 million students and teachers worldwide.

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