Modifying Text

Purpose:  Included students participating in the general education classroom frequently need text from course textbooks, novels, online sources, etc., modified to a more "readable" level and/or form.  The text may be 

• presented in simpler, shorter sentences; 

• simpler terminology may be substituted; 

• some material may be deemed extraneous and eliminated altogether (a judgment call on your part); and/or

• picture support may be added to increase fluency and comprehension     

Helpful Software: 

• Microsoft Word

• CoWriter

• Picture It

• Writing With  Symbols 2000

• Inspiration

• Draftbuilder

• Omnipage Pro (scanning software)

• Spell Catcher

• eReader (Cast)

Helpful Equipment:

• Computer

• Flatbed Scanner

• Time-you'll need it

• A refreshing beverage-again, you'll need it

My Preferred Method:  Scan the entire text, and then

• determine the reading level of the text

• delete extraneous text

• simplify sentences( any sentence 10 words or longer gets reduced)

• substitute easier words (using the thesaurus feature)

• if appropriate (you'll know which student(s) need this), import the text into Picture It (Mac) or Writing With Symbols 2000 (PC) to add picture support to the text

The Final Product:

• Color Code important vocabulary words

• Change color of text and/or background (some students read or test easier if the background is a different color.  Really.)

• Add pictures above text (if needed)

• Change the font (some students benefit from an enlarged font)

• Create a graphic organizer of the material (this is where Inspiration or Draftbuilder come in handy.)

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