Saturday, February 2, 2013

New Materials and Templates for 2013

First, an apology: it's been far too long since we posted any tips here: but we've been working on very cool features that you'll love and just got swamped. 

We've just rolled out new materials and templates that are all based on user requests!  We love this, as it makes LessonPix more valuable to you and keeps us from running out of ideas.  If you've got things you'd love to see LessonPix do, tell us! If we can do it, we will!  If not, we'll explain why and give you some suggestions that will help.  Either way, we love hearing from you.


"Large and Small Pictures"

We wish we had a better name for this one (again, we'd love your suggestions), but it's basically a large symbol in the main area of the template with smaller pictures below.  There's a ton of uses for this, and it was suggested by several of our users:
  • Cut & Paste: The main picture is a canvas where the smaller pictures are pasted.  Like in the example to the right, where the ornaments and bows are pasted on the tree
  • Theme and Tasks: Put a central theme in the large image and individual tasks or activities in the small ones.  For example, a picture of a classroom Center theme (Housekeeping, etc.) with the individual activities that are checked off.
  • Personalized Schedule: Our Visual Schedules are great, but this is another way to make a schedule: put the child's picture in the "Large" space, and their tasks in the small ones
You'll find the "Large and Small Pictures" material under the general "Visuals" category of the Wizard.

"Semantic Maps"

Originally requested for Early Literacy work, these maps are great tools for showing a central theme and the related items. Choose the main idea as your first picture, and then from 2-7 additional items that you want to surround it.

They're a breeze to make, and are great at teaching grouping, character development, and all types of early literacy activities.

You'll find Semantic Maps under the "Early Literacy" category of the Wizard.

"Puzzle Cards"

Under the Games category, you'll find a new Puzzle Cards option that is much like our "Number Cards".  However, in this material, you get to choose what's on both sides of the Puzzle piece!
This was a popular request, and there are lots of uses:
  • Put colors on one side, and an object that matches it on the other. (See the sample to the right)
  • Make Go-Togethers where objects that are paired in context like Pencil+Paper, Socks+Shoes, Fork+Spoon
  • Pair words that rhyme or have the same beginning or ending sounds for auditory discrimination
  • Build compound words like "Rain-Bow" or "Turtle-Neck"

 

"Find the Match"

When you want send home a matching game as homework, or you don't want to manage the cards, try our new Find the Match game!

It's a breeze, and you can match picture to picture or picture to matching word!

At the left, you'll see the Baby Animal matching game, where you match Bear to Cub, Sheep to Lamb, etc.

Both Puzzle Cards and Find the Match can be found under the Games section of the Wizard.

And Finally... New Game Boards!

We've added 6 new styles to our Game Board template! From "Ladders 'n' Slides" to our "Winter to Spring" seasons game, you'll find lots of new ideas under the "Game Board" option!

What do you want next?

Not what you wanted? Got a better idea? Let us know! We're always looking for new ways to make LessonPix better! Submit your ideas on our Contact Page and give us your image ideas on our Image Request page!

Ciao,
Bill


3 comments:

  1. Hi Bill -- I loved the snakes and ladders gameboard I made a few weeks ago. But what happened to the new gameboards? Today I could only make the usual (simple path) gameboard. No other options were available... Were the new gameboards disabled for some reason?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Bill -- I loved the snakes and ladders gameboard I made a few weeks ago. But what happened to the new gameboards? Today I could only make the usual (simple path) gameboard. No other options were available... Were the new gameboards disabled for some reason?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I dunno, Jodi, they're there for me: do you not see them in the drop-down?

    ReplyDelete