Is essay writing a battle in your house? If the physical act of writing is draining all your child's mental energy, then you need a new tool.

Join Orton Gillingham Tutor Tracy Young as she explores mind maps, a visual and flexible planning tool that can turn writing frustration into celebration! This episode dives into why mind maps are especially effective for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia and provides practical, step-by-step guidance.

KEY MOMENTS

• [04:25] What is a Mind Map? A description of the tool: starting with a central idea, main points radiating outwards as major lines, and details/examples as smaller sub-branches.

• [07:10] Free Online Mind Maps: Discussion of resources like Zoom.com, Canva.com, and Mindmup.com that offer free online mind maps templates to create digital mind maps.

• [08:55] The 5-Step Process: The main steps for creating a mind map, including starting with a central idea, brainstorming main points, adding details, connecting ideas, and refining.

• [12:15] Mind Maps for Different Essay Types: Strategies for using mind maps to plan expository (informational), persuasive (argumentative), and narrative (story-telling) essays.

• [16:00] Essay Planning Example: A detailed walkthrough of creating a mind map to plan an expository essay on the character transformation of Percy Jackson.

• [22:00] Why Mind Maps Work: Explaining their effectiveness for students with dyslexia (visual organization) and dysgraphia (reduced writing load and non-linearity).

• [25:30] Teaching the Tool: The "I do, we do, you do" scaffolding approach for teaching someone how to use mind maps effectively, emphasizing patience and not rushing the process.

3 Resources for Free Online Mind Maps:

https://www.zoom.com/

https://www.canva.com/templates

https://www.mindmup.com/