Kid Pix

By Brian Bodnar & Paisley Hemminger

What is Kid Pix?

     Originally released by Macintosh in 1989, Kid Pix is a drawing computer program for children. Although it has undergone multiple updates, Kid Pix still contains many of the same features and original software. The program contains tools such as the pencil tool, line tool, paint bucket, erasing tool, stamps, typing, sound insertion, and many more. Newer versions of the program contain functions such as slideshows and moopies (animated videos). To purchase a version of Kid Pix, or to download a free trial, visit 

http://www.mackiev.com/kidpix/index.html. 

How do I use Kid Pix?

    As it says in its name, Kid Pix is designed for kids, which makes it very user friendly. The tool bars around the edge of the work space have click-able icons that reflect what function they have. The paint bucket fills a space with the color you selected. The pencil draws where you click your mouse. The stamp tool "stamps" pictures on to your work. The list goes on and on! Each tool is complete with its very own sound effect that plays while you use the tool. (Don't be surprised if kids start using tools specifically for the sound they make, rather than to work on their picture!) For a full Kid Pix tutorial, featuring instructions for each tool and settings, visit http://www.learningelectric.com/kidpix.htm.

Kid Pix Important Steps

     Kid Pix 2- Added new features: slideshow, wacky t.v. (allows for watching video clips in common formats).

     Kid Pix Studio- Added animated creations, moopies (animated video), stamps, and standalones (allows a creation to be saved as a standalone executable which allows it to be viewed by others regardless of copyright). 

     Kid Pix Studio Deluxe- Allows you to edit text after is was placed down.

     Kid Pix Deluxe 3- Added 3D looking interface, new sound effects, and a play button (can read text aloud to you).

     Kid Pix Deluxe 3X- Added podcasts

     Kid Pix 3D- Added 3D animations and backgrounds, emphasizes digital storytelling.  

Kid Pix and Literacy

     The following are examples of how to use Kid Pix while teaching literacy. For more ideas and lesson plans visit http://www.cobbk12.org/sites/literacy/fetc/ppt/ppt_index.htm or http://www.lite.iwarp.com/toolkpix.htm or http://www.lttechno.com/links/kidpixrdg.html  

Summarizing a story

     Kid Pix is a great tool for students to summarize stories. Depending on a student's level, the summary assignment can be adapted to be more or less challenging by requiring a longer summary. Students can illustrate main events in the story and/or incorporate words in their summaries. The example below is a summary of the story The Doorbell Rang. The student used paint tools and typing tools within Kid Pix to outline the events of the story.

Creating Stories

     Students can use Kid Pix to create and illustrate their own stories. The typing tool allows students to include text and show their writing skills and the various illustrating tools allow their creativity to shine as they illustrate their work. Have students either develop a completely original story, or base a story on the structure of a book you have read in class. For example, This class read Dr. Seuss's There's a Wocket in my Pocket. Students all made their own rhyme that followed the same structure as Dr. Seuss's book and illustrated it with Kid Pix.

Phonics

     Kid Pix probably doesn't come to mind when you are thinking of ways to help children learn phonics, but it should! Kid Pix features an option that reads text that is typed out loud. Students can work on sounding out words with the help of the computer program when they get stuck.

     Kid Pix can also be helpful in helping kids decode and blend one-syllable short-vowel words and words ending with silent "e" to match pictures with words as well as to spell the names of the pictures. 

Alphabet

     Kid Pix can help students identify letters with the type tool (on many versions a voice will say the name of a letter that is typed with this tool) or allow them to practice writing letters with the paint or pencil tool. There are many different lessons available to teach the alphabet. One way is to have pictures of the letters already created and have students trace the letter with another color. Another, more advanced, project is to create an alphabet book as a class.

Enhancing Your Word Wall

     If you have a word wall in your classroom, Kid Pix is a great way to get students more involved. For all those visual learners out there, pictures are a great way to remember important words. Have students create pictures of the words on the word wall using Kid Pix. Either assign a word to each student to create a picture to put up on the wall, or have each student create a picture for each of the words and keep a personal copy to help them remember.

More Teaching Ideas

     Don't think that Kid Pix is limited to teaching literacy! There are endless ways to use this software in a classroom. From science to history, math to art, Kid Pix can be incorporated into any subject. There are many lesson plans already created and available online. To find lesson plans for all subjects (organized by grade level) visit http://www.uvm.edu/~jmorris./kidpix.html. 

     Kid Pix Integration Web Site: http://www.lisd.org/technology/itswebs/elem/tech/handouts/kidpix.htm