Many students experience reading difficulties due to deficiencies in vocabulary and comprehension. This is evident in some school where children are unable to use strategies to decode high frequency words that appear in content area texts. One way in which these students may be assisted is to find ways of connecting the reading to students' individual experiences via concept mapping. Extensive research has been conducted in the field of learning styles and students' cognition which articles that they are more likely to learn when information is presented visually. The use of graphic organizers such as Venn diagrams, webs, clusters and concept maps help students to read or comprehend complex information, generate ideas, structure thoughts and prioritize information.
The development of concept mapping software has been a crucial advancement in education. Programmes such as Inspiration and Kidspiration are user friendly and can be used by students of varying ages. The users of these tools are able to integrate images, link and use other forms of media to clarify a wealth of knowledge with which students interface while reading. These technologies can be used to enhance story maps, story pyramids, and to distinguish the main features of text structures such as descriptive, cause and effect, problem solving and temporal sequencing. The learning needs and motivation of the twenty-first century learners makes it imperative that teachers use this tool to enhance learning.
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