Free Webcasts for Teachers Showcase Strategies for Using Visual Learning to Build Math, Reading Skills

Presentations Demonstrate Ways to Use Kidspiration's New Capabilities in Elementary Classrooms

PORTLAND, OR – Aug. 13, 2008
Elementary teachers can kick off the school year with two free webcasts from Inspiration Software^® that will showcase how to use visual learning to help young learners build math and reading skills. To register for the Aug. 28 webcast, "Making Sense of Fractions With New Math Tools in Kidspiration^® 3," and the Sept. 25 webcast, "Individualizing Early Literacy Instruction With Kidspiration," go to https://inspiration.webex.com.

Launched earlier this year, the newest version of Kidspiration, the visual learning software for young learners, supports students in kindergarten through fifth grade as they strengthen reading and writing skills, build conceptual understanding in math and develop thinking skills across the curriculum.

"Our professional development webcasts are the newest way that we are extending our commitment to working with teachers as they use visual learning to help their students build the critical thinking skills they need to succeed across the curriculum," said Mona Westhaver, president and co-founder, Inspiration Software. "These 45-minute webcasts are jam-packed with instructional strategies and let teachers learn more about using Kidspiration, to help their students build literacy and math skills, from the comfort of their classroom or living room."

On Aug. 28 at Noon PDT, Meg Courtnage, Inspiration Software's education development manager for mathematics, will demonstrate how to build and strengthen students' conceptual understanding of fractions with the webcast, "Making Sense of Fractions with the New Math Tools in Kidspiration 3." Educators will learn how they can use visual tools to target key math skills such as representing, comparing and finding equivalent fractions; adding and subtracting with like and unlike denominators; and working with mixed numbers and improper fractions. Activities and instructional strategies presented will focus on engaging students with interactive math tools (fraction tiles, pattern blocks, color tiles, base ten blocks and fraction boxes) to represent fraction concepts both visually and symbolically.

With the webcast, "Individualizing Early Literacy Instruction with Kidspiration," at Noon PDT on Sept. 25, teachers will learn how to use the visual learning software to help students practice phonemic awareness, develop vocabulary and build early literacy skills. Presenter Lucy Belgum, Inspiration Software's educational development manager for language arts, will introduce teachers to resources and activities for differentiating language arts instruction in the classroom and in literacy centers. Activities will support students as they learn to hear, identify and manipulate spoken sounds; discover the relationships between phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters/spellings that represent sounds); build and apply vocabulary skills including reading sight words from Dolch and Fry's word lists; and learn how to understand, remember and communicate what is read.

Both webcasts are free to all educators. For more information, go to https://inspiration.webex.com.

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.