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Free Online Mind Maps

Let’s start with the premise that writing an essay can feel frustrating.  You’re staring at a blank page, or your mind is a tangled jumble of ideas. For many students, especially those with learning differences like dyslexia and dysgraphia, getting those thoughts onto paper in a coherent structure can be a hard. A person with dysgraphia uses too much mental energy on the physical act of writing and has little mental energy left to think about the content. An individual with dyslexia may have difficulty organizing and sequencing their ideas. This is where mind maps come in – they provide a less linear approach to planning. One that is visual and flexible.  There are plenty of free online mind maps available with 3 resources provided.

mind maps

Table of Contents

What are mind maps?

It’s a tool and there a plenty of free online mind maps available. Imagine an idea at the center of a page. From this central idea, lines radiate outwards, each representing a main point or a key category. From the main branches, smaller branches sprout, adding details, examples, and supporting evidence. It’s like a visual brainstorming session that helps show the connections between ideas. You add thoughts as you have them. When you finish creating your mind map, you have a visual depiction of a main idea in the center; key points radiating out from the center and examples for each key point. It can be created physically on paper, or digitally with a computer.  

Where can you find free online mind maps?

There are plenty of free mind maps online: Zoom.com has mindmaps, Canva.com has them, Mindmup.com also offers free templates. Try different ones until you find one your child likes.

There are 5 main steps to using them:

  1. Start with the central idea
  2. Brainstorm main points
  3. Add details and examples for sub-branches
  4. Connect ideas
  5. Review and refine

It’s about organizing your thoughts and make writing an essay less difficult. 

An adaptable tool

There are three main types of essays: expository, persuasive and narrative.  Mind maps can work for all of them. 

The Expository Essay:

  • Purpose: To inform, explain, or describe. It presents facts, ideas, or arguments in a clear, precise manner. 
  • Mind Maps: The central topic is in the center of the mind map with the main branches detailing key sub-topics or categories of information. From there, sub-branches are the facts, details, and explanations related to each main branch. Once the mind map is created, writing focuses on one main branch at a time so as to present information in a clear, organized fashion.

The Persuasive/Argumentative Essay:

  • Purpose: To convince the reader of a particular viewpoint, or to take a specific action. It presents a statement supported by evidence and counterarguments. 
  • Mind Maps: Your central idea is your thesis statement. The main branches represent your key arguments supporting that thesis. From each key argument, you branch out and provide evidence, examples, and reasoning. Main branches can also include counterarguments with statements that refute them. Mind maps allow for a structured approach that helps  build a solid, well-supported argument.

The Narrative Essay:

  • Purpose: To tell a story or recount an experience. It often includes elements like plot, characters, setting, and theme. 
  • Mind Maps: Your theme is the central idea of the story.  Main branches can be used for “Beginning,” “Rising Action,” “Climax,” “Falling Action,” and “Resolution.” Within each of branch are characters, settings, key events, and emotions. This can help visualize the sequence of events and the emotional progression of the story.

Example

Let’s use a mind map to plan out an expository essay. The assignment is to write an essay on the book Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.  The topic of the essay is to discuss how the main character transforms over the course of the novel. I used Canva for the free online mind map. 

  1. Start with Your Central Idea: For this essay, the central idea would have “Percy – change” written in the middle of the mind map. This is the topic of the essay distilled into 2 words. 
  2. Brainstorm Main Branches: Now we start thinking about the main points or arguments to be made. These become the primary branches. In the book we noticed how Percy was very insecure in the beginning and through his quest developed confidence in himself. So we can have a branch for “confused,” one for “acceptance,” one for “confident,” one for “developing abilities.”  The order doesn’t matter with Mind Maps and that helps students.  At this point, there isn’t any organization.  It’s simply the moment to write all of the thoughts down using 1 word, or even a quick visual.  Anything that will help the writer remember the point.    
  3. Add Sub-Branches: The sub-branches are the time for details and examples from the book. Start with any main branch and add a smaller line with a word or image.  From the main branch labelled “confused” we add sub-branches for “dyslexia” or a picture of a brain to represent that Percy views his dyslexia as a liability.  We can also add “expelled” to capture the many schools that he was kicked out of. We could even show a picture of a foot to represent being expelled.  As thoughts occur we add them to the different main branches.  It’s this ability to jump around that can be so helpful when planning the essay. 
  4. Connect Ideas: As the mind map is built, connections between different branches may occur. Use arrows, highlighter, or different colored pens to show these relationships. This helps to visualize the flow of your arguments. For example we might have two sub-branches labeled dyslexia.  One off of the Confused Main Branch and one off of the Acceptance Main Branch because Chiron explained that many demigods have dyslexia.  We can circle both words and draw a line connecting them.  
  5. Review and Refine: Once you’ve got a good amount of information down, step back and ask yourself if the map makes sense? Are there any gaps? Can you re-organize anything to improve clarity? This is a flexible tool that allows you to add, move, or delete branches. 

I believe it can be helpful to set a timer for 15 minutes when your child is first learning to use mind maps.  If they are stuck, you’ll want to work together to create the mind map.  Ask open ended questions, have your child respond and then you can add the information to the mind map.  On the other extreme you don’t want your child to spend 3 hours making such an elaborate mind map that they don’t have any energy left. Think of the mind map as the draft.  

Once you have the initial mind map, you’ll still need to decide which points to focus on for the essay. In an ideal scenario, you would create a mind map on one day, and then plan out and start writing the essay the following day.  Take a highlighter or colored pencil and select 3-4 main branches to use in the essay.  Number them according to which point will be discussed first. 

Why are free online mind maps so effective?

  • Visual Organization: Unlike linear outlines, mind maps provide a holistic view of information. For students with dyslexia who might struggle with linear processing, this visual structure can be incredibly helpful for seeing how ideas fit together.
  • Reduced Writing Load: For students with dysgraphia, who might experience fatigue or difficulty with handwriting or typing, mind maps minimize the amount of initial writing. You only use 1-2 keywords or symbols which reduces the physical demands of planning. More mental energy can be directed towards content and organization.
  • Flexibility and Non-Linearity: Mind maps don’t force ideas into a rigid sequence early on. There is free association and exploration long before the writing begins. 
  • Enhanced Memory and Recall: The use of colors, images, and spatial organization in mind maps leverage different cognitive functions, making the information easier to recall.
  • Identification of Gaps: By seeing the ideas laid out, it’s easier to spot where more evidence is needed or where an argument is weak.

Summary

Free Online Mind Maps

Mind maps are visual and flexible. It’s a tool that helps students build confidence and competence when writing. I use them all the time when tutoring because they work. You can find free online mind maps in Zoom, at Canva.com, or Mindmup.com. 

As with any tool, it takes time to learn to use mind maps effectively. I like to use a 3-step approach:

  • I do,
  • we do,
  • you do. 

 

What does this mean? You start by showing how to use mind maps (I do.)  Then you work together to create the mind maps (we do.)  At the appropriate time your child creates the outline with their mind maps (you do.) 

This may take more than 3 tries before reaching the “you do” stage.  You may spend 2-3 times in the I do; 3-6 times in the we do, before being able to progress to the “you do” phase.  Don’t rush it.  It’s like training wheels on a bicycle.  You know when they can be removed. Try different free online mind maps until your child finds the right one.

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