Help me read my teacher's manual

[shadah]

I hope you ladies can help me. We use Heart of Dakota. Until this year I have been able to rewrite the manual from a daily format into a cleaner weekly format. It is so busy my mind cannot focus enough to read it. I posted here because most people don't understand that I'm not just complaining. I get stressed just looking at it.

Background:

I have an almost photographic memory for print, but I cannot process print and graphics together. The only way I can read a DK or Usborne book is to cover everything else up except the one little caption I am reading. It is usually not worth it.

The manual from Preparing reminds me of one of those books. It has graphics and odd-size boxes all over the place. If I simply put it on a chart or schedule then what do I do with the study questions, discussion questions, Bible verses, craft instructions, etc. all imbedded in the text?

I need that information too but it won't fit on a chart or in a planner.

I like actually using the ideas from this curriculum writer. When I tried to write my own it was very similar in content. I just cannot read the manual.

Ideas how to format a rewrite?

[OneStepAtATime]

No ideas but hugs.  Although I don't have the same issue, I do have a vision problem that makes looking at very busy text with lots of graphics and small print exceedingly difficult for me to read.  I get headaches and miss important pieces.  I am sorry you are having this issue and send my sympathies. I hope someone who has used the material you reference will be able to assist.

 

Best wishes.

[Heathermomster]

If you have an IPad, maybe get the Notability app and use a stylus to edit out the annoying boxes and images.  

Edited April 21, 2016 by Heathermomster

[PeterPan]

Ok, I'll toss out an off the wall suggestion.  Instead of rewriting it, get 6 post-it notes (or enough for however many sections there are on the page).  Put only a basic label on each sheet, so like maybe it will say math or LA or Monday or whatever is in the box.  Then put it ON the text box, so the only thing you see is the one you lift.  All the rest are covered.

[READ Learning]

Hi!

 

I'm not sure if this would help or make it worse, but are you able to use a graphic organizer tool like, Inspiration.  Here's a link to see an example.

 

http://www.inspiration.com/inspiration-language-arts-examples

 

If not, what about the Goodnotes app for ipad?  I haven't used it extensively, but I wonder if you can scan a picture of the page, crop out what is distracting and place these pieces on their own pages.

 

Another idea for reading a "clean page" that's not too visually distracting.  I use something that I call a word window.  I take a half page of cardstock, cut a window in it the size of a line of text and or paragraph (or however big the are is you want to see) and put it over the page as the person reads. This blocks out the distractions that overwhelm the eye as you are reading.  

 

Hope one of these give you an idea that works!

 

Kelly 

[Heathermomster]

....purchase lots of white out and correction tape, and then massage your husbands shoulders while he whites everything out for you.

 

I opened the sample and tried to edit out the lines with Notability, and Notability did not work. Maybe explore some PDF editors, or contact the publisher and see if they can sell you clean copies.

[Heathermomster]

Just so that you know, I just opened up one of the HOD samples, selected and copied all the text, and pasted the text into a Word file.   It took like 2 seconds.

[shadah]

Thanks to everybody. I will try the post-it notes. I blocked off things as we did them one year, but I never thought about blocking all but one and just working through. Simple, but brilliant. I will have to see if I have white post-its. I can't do color. If not, putting the text in a word document and then editing would work. I would have to scan, though.

I love this board. I rarely post here, but I admire the creativity.

[Bookworm4]

Thanks to everybody. I will try the post-it notes. I blocked off things as we did them one year, but I never thought about blocking all but one and just working through. Simple, but brilliant. I will have to see if I have white post-its. I can't do color. If not, putting the text in a word document and then editing would work. I would have to scan, though.

I love this board. I rarely post here, but I admire the creativity.

 

Could you email HOD and explain your situation and ask if they would be willing to send you a pdf of the TM?  You could send them a picture or something that shows that you own it.  I'm sure they have a pdf file for their records, but understand they may not want to release a pdf version for fear of it getting shared and reducing potential sales for them.