Mind maps/Brainstorms are a great way for children to get their ideas down on paper without having to worry about full sentences, spelling or punctuation.
They can be used as a planning tool for writing or as a summary of what we have learned about at the end of a topic. They are fantastic for visual learners and are very easy to do.
Sometimes I use them as a starting activity; ok you have 2 mins to brainstorm different settings.
The following examples were made for writing.
I allow the children to use different colours as I find this makes it even more visual for them and they are also easy to read and use when writing the story.
They also work brilliantly with children who find writing a huge challenge or who can’t think about what to write- having this plan will really help them!
Niamh 🙂