How to Teach MINDMAPPING

Aim

To suggest a strategy for teaching Mindmapping to children.

Introducing MIndmapping to kids.

  • It’s a way of taking down information that’s easier to do than writing.
  • It’s easier to remember than lots of writing.
  • It’s quicker than taking notes.
  • Spelling doesn’t matter.
  • It is really useful for revising.
  • It helps to reduce the amount of revision you have to do.
  • It makes revising more effective.
  • It especially suits visual learners.
  • It’s an “extra” (so it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t suit your learning style.)

Remember

Mindmapping can be used for various purposes –and the teacher needs to be clear about which purpose is being taught.

Structured approach

Careful choice of subject-material essential – to suit purpose.

For recording information

“Posh Friends” – ordered & regular – slight variations.

“Mucklewhites” – slightly more diversity – but with only a few characters.

(Older pupils)For note-taking

Teacher devises a brief talk – with a clear & obvious structure –(For example - 4 sections – each with 2 or 3 sub-sections – each with only a fact or two.)

Get someone to read the first parts – while you model how to construct the Mindmap (reminder that there is not just one correct way) –allow class to copy (or innovate) – towards end of talk (last section or two) - stop modelling and allow class to complete Mindmaps independently.

For planning a piece of writing

MYSELF – each child to map themselves - use blank outline with suggested sub-headings – teacher model beforehand

Post-its – (Either as a class or in groups) Thought-shower (brainstorm) everything you know about a topic / title - then organise these ideas into clusters – then mindmap.

Post-its for younger pupils – “Animal Zoo” – using post-its as an aid to organising data – prior to mapping.

For preparation for creative work

Start with central theme – digress – make connections between separated items (using coloured marker pens) – recognise cross-topic themes (using a colour coding system)

Making Mindmaps more memorable

Encourage use of colour / cartoons / pictures / diagrams.

GOOD IDEA

Create a Mindmap OVERVIEW of a topic (that may take half a term to complete) – use a coloured highlighter to show the relevant parts as each is dealt with in the lesson. This allows pupils to see “the big picture” (a basic principle of Accelerated Learning) and to slot each new piece of knowledge into the overall jigsaw.

GOOD IDEA

Create a Mindmap SKELETON which shows the basic structure of a topic – and add detail to it on a lesson-by-lesson basis. This could be done by a “reveal and show” method.