Templates and checklists

• Select the appropriate settings on your printer if you want a single page; for double- sided printing, select flipping or binding on the long edge, or equivalent option.


• Decide what you are looking for before you start scanning.
• If you have no personal aim in mind, it might be helpful to decide to look for the author’s main ideas.
• Be as specific as you can; this will give your mind a chance to retain the information.


• Write the details of the material at the top and the date when you start using the page.
• Keep using the prompts at the top of the page to keep your focus.
• If other prompts work better for you, include them, or put them on one of the bookmark templates.
• Include the page number of the ideas as you note them.
• If you don’t like writing words, try using symbols or diagrams or drawings.
• Give yourself permission to ignore spelling, so long as you come back to the notes while you can still remember what they mean.


• Remember that you are scanning and only start reading if it is really the right time to do so.


• As you finish, see if you can give a priority rating to the ideas. Which are the main ideas? Which are most important to you?
• Put the notes away where you can find them again.

• 3 bookmarks can be made from this template.
• Print the pages double-sided, flipping on the short side, or equivalent option.
• Use stiff paper or card, if you have it.
• Then cut along the dotted lines.


• The bookmarks are for you to write on as you use the books in this series.
• They are intended to help you make the most of your reading.
• You can write anything you learn about your way of reading.
• They have reminders about the meanings of the boxes.
• You can record your purpose for reading, anything you find interesting.
• You can make notes on the bookmarks.
• Putting notes like this on the bookmarks will help you stay on task as you read.


• By capturing the ideas as you read, you should be able to remember more of what you are reading.

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• 3 bookmarks can be made from this template.
• Print the pages double-sided, flipping on the short side, or equivalent option.
• Use stiff paper or card, if you have it.
• Then cut along the dotted lines.


• The purpose of these bookmarks is to remind you of anything that helps you to read more effectively.


• Under ‘this text’ record your purpose for reading this book.
• Highlight or tick those techniques that you like using.


• Decide whether you are going to take notes and how long you want to keep them.
• Remind yourself of the note-taking methods you have found best to use.
• Decide how you are going to keep your notes organised; they need to be useful to you.
• Record the source details in your notes.
• Record the page number against every note.


• You might want to try some of the other techniques, if your reading is not as effective as you know it can be.

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The template has 2 pages which you can print either as single-sided or double-sided by choosing the right settings on your printer.

For each section that you read, note the chapter, section and page(s), and then write notes using the prompts 1 – 4. If there are any other prompts that you find help your reading, add them to the list.

Note 1

Good preparation for reading can significantly increase the ease with which you read. Knowing your reason to read will switch your mind on so that it will more easily retain the information you are reading.

Note 2 & 3

Assessing 1) the ideas you have just read and 2) what further questions you have will help you to recall the information as you read further on the topic.

Note 4

Deciding what you need to know next can help you to build up your knowledge in the most effective way without wasting time reading material that is not so relevant.

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If you keep notes from your reading in A4 ring binders and you use double-sided printing, choose ‘flip on the long edge’ for your printer settings.

Draw a horizontal line after each idea to keep the ideas separate.

Source: enter which book you are working with, or any other source of ideas that are interesting to you. Enter the date you start working with the book. Use different sheets for different books.

Chapter, section, page and date: record the information for each insight you enter. The date when the information is recorded is often useful too.

Summaries of ideas: briefly write what has attracted your attention; you don’t need to write in full if you have recorded where the ideas can be found. Put quote marks round any text that you copy word for word.

How and or why the ideas interest you: describe how the ideas interest you.

Note any theme or key words: note the main key words, or themes, in the fourth column. You will then be able to select the ideas that belong together without having to read all your notes. You will be able to work on one theme at a time as you explore further.

Priorities: this column can be used to show the relative importance of the ideas or your priority for going further with this idea or any other way that you want to assess priority.

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If you keep notes about your insights in A4 ring binders, and you use double-sided printing, choose ‘flip on the long edge’ for your printer settings.

Source: enter which book you are working with, or any other source of ideas that lead to ideas about your dyslexia/ SpLD.

Chapter, section, page and date: record the information for each insight you enter.  The date is often useful too.

From the book .. ideas..: briefly write what has attracted your attention; you don’t need to write in full if you have recorded where the ideas can be found.

How and why ...: describe how the ideas relate to your experience and what they are telling you about yourself.

Managing SpLD/ Profile: note whether the insight is part of your profile and/ or your management regime.

Element: record the element of your dyslexia/ SpLD management or profile that is involved.

Further exploration: using the RHS columns, you can pull together insights that belong together.

You can then work systematically with different elements to increase the management of your dyslexia/ SpLD and your enjoyment of your capabilities.

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Brain storming

• The template can be used as a straight forward brain-storming page.
• You write the topic you want to think about in the centre; it can be quite complex.
• You write down ideas that come into your mind.  You might group them in some organised way, if that seems the right thing to do.
• At some stage, you will run out of ideas.
• Then you consider what the brain storm has shown you: What connections appear?   Is there any missing information?  What should you do next?  How has your understanding changed?

Train your mind to stay focussed

• Choose an everyday object or idea, e.g. ‘cup’ or ‘red’;  keep the idea or object fairly simple.  Write it in the middle of the template.
• Write associated ideas round the circle, like spokes of a wheel. 
• After each associated idea, bring your mind back to the central idea.


• The ideas that you write around the central focus should all be directly connected to that focus.  You should not allow your mind to wander away from the central idea.


• You keep putting down connected ideas until you run out.
• Then you stay with the central idea, in whatever way suits you, for another 5 minutes.
• Every time a new idea comes, the 5 minute ending pause starts again.
• In this way, you learn to focus your mind on the chosen idea or object.
• Attention like this is very useful in dealing with dyslexia/ SpLD.

Know Your Own Mind

• You can do this exercise using the recording Know Your Own Mind – Exercise.
• Choose an everyday object or idea, e.g. ‘cup’ or ‘red’;  keep the idea or object fairly simple.  Write it in the middle of the template.
• Write associated ideas round the circle, like spokes of a wheel. 
• After each associated idea, bring your mind back to the central idea.


• The ideas that you write around the central focus should all be directly connected to that focus.  You should not allow your mind to wander away from the central idea.

(Up to this point, Training Your Mind to Stay Focused and Know Your Own Mind have the same instructions.)

• Stop after a couple of minutes.
• Then add the reasons why you thought of the ideas that you wrote down:
• What was linking the different ideas together?
• Was there any significance in the way you added ideas?
• What common threads can you see? 
• How did you remember the ideas: visually, verbally, through experience, etc.


• The map you have produced can be analysed using Thinking Preferences; those that you use are part of your dyslexia/ SpLD profile. 
• The map may also show Thinking Preferences that don’t work for you and which you should not attempt to use.
• The template E1: List of Options for Thinking Preferences can be used to help you identify your different thinking preferences.
• Use template E7: The Box ‘Other’ to capture any details that don’t fit with an identified way of thinking.

On the website:

• The recording Know Your Own Mind – Example is a discussion about adding the reasons to the associated ideas and about the thinking preferences shown by the exercise.
• The Selected Highlights entry Know Your Own Mind – Exercise from a Workshop has some contributions with explanations.

In the series:

• Book 1 has further discussion of interpretation of the mind exercise. 
• Book 2 , Book 3 and Book 4 all use the results of finding out how your mind works.

NB: be positive.  You need to have a positive attitude to finding out how your mind thinks.  For example, you could become very critical of the traits of your dyslexia/ SpLD.  You will make more progress if your approach is more like: “Oh! That’s what happens.  I wonder if there’s a strategy for that.”

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• Select the appropriate settings on your printer if you want a single page; for double-sided printing, select flipping or binding on the long edge.


• Situation: give an overall name to the situation


• Event column: give a brief description of the situation.


• Expected column: write down what you thought would happen.  It can be helpful to include any reasons behind your expectations.


• Actual column: describe what happened as objectively as possible.  If you have specific emotional responses to the event, include them too, but keep them separate from what happened.


• Comment column: in this column, you can write any reflections you have when you look at what you have written in the other columns.
• Frequently, this way of approaching events shows something that is not registering in your conscious thinking and it is often very helpful to be objective in this way.

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• Select the appropriate settings on your printer if you want a single page; for double-sided printing, select flipping or binding on the long edge.


• Date and Event columns: use these columns to record sufficient details.


• Action: describe what you were doing. 


• Results: describe the results of your actions.


• Next step: looking at your actions and the results:  Are you pleased with the results, or not?  What would you like to try another time?  Is there anything you need in order to make the change?


• Progress comes when you start to be objective about situations that happen.  You can learn where your strengths lie and what would make the difference to the way your dyslexia/ SpLD impacts on your life.
• This template is useful for monitoring your progress as you develop new understanding and skills.

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• Select the appropriate settings on your printer if you want a single page; for double-sided printing, select flipping or binding on the long edge if you want to keep the pages in an A4 ring binder.


• Title and date: deciding on a title can help you to keep focussed; the date is easier to put in at the time of writing the information; it may be important later.


• Headings: choose brief headings that represent the essential points of the columns.


• Codes: codes can be key words, abbreviations or symbols.  It might be helpful to write them at the bottom of the page so that you don’t forget your system.


• Separate entries: draw a line under each entry to keep them separate.


• Using the templates: the overall purpose of these templates is to capture information in a systematic way that allows you to look for patterns in situations, behaviour, ideas, etc.  How you work with the patterns will depend on what you want to achieve.

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• Print more than one page if necessary.


• Month and year: fill these in.  I often use a highlighter to mark the boundary between months, when appropriate.


• Tasks: write down the reasons for using the template.


• Fill in the dates. you might just put the Monday dates in, or the weekend ones; or you can fill in all the dates.  It is better to put in more than you think you need.


• Filling in the days: put down everything that is happening, including time away, time to visit friends, time to go shopping: anything that occupies some time.
• Make the entries brief so that they will fit in.
• You can write entries with time slots attached or position them approximately according to the time of day when they will happen.
• Be very realistic, or slightly pessimistic, about the length of time anything will take.


• Assessing time and priorities: when you have finished filling everything in, see how much time you have available for what you want to do, or must do.
• You can take a photocopy if you need to move entries around, then you don’t lose the first set.  I often work in pencil so that I can rub out to make changes.
• Seeing how little time is really available is often helpful when the deadline for a task seems a long way ahead.

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• Enter the date and the reason for finding out what is going on.
• Answer the questions as objectively as you can.
• Do you think the questions have covered all the issues?
• If not add more questions.
• Decide what the answers are showing you.
• What do you want to do next?.

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• Select the appropriate settings on your printer if you want a single page; for double-sided printing, select flipping or binding on the long edge if you want to use an A4 ring binder.


• You probably want to find out how you are progressing with a skill or some task for which you are learning processes.  It might be several things at a time.
• Choose whether to use separate sheets for different skills or tasks or whether to mix up the skills and tasks and work in date order.


• Date: put the date in for each entry, then you can see your progress over time.
• After each entry: draw a line to keep entries separate.


• Skill / task: in this column briefly describe the skill or task.


• What you do/ what is working: as objectively as possible, describe how you go about using the skill or doing the task.


• How easy/ difficult is it?: think about how well you think you are using the skill or doing task.  If you think you are doing badly, remember you can’t make progress without seeing where you’ve got to.


• What next?: write down what you would like to try next or any help that you need.
• Also write how you will make the next step happen.

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• Enter the child’s name and the date and agree some situation or task to talk about.


• Don’t stop at the first answer, try to find out how the child thinks his/ her way through doing anything.  You want to find out what connections his/ her mind makes easily.
• You want to find out why he/ she thinks anything makes something difficult.
• You want to end with some ideas to try with the child to help him/ her find easier ways to do anything that is being difficult.


• It might be that he/ she just needs support to use alternative thinking strengths that will work very well.
• The Selected Highlights entry: Know Your Own Mind – Exercise from a Workshop has several contributions with explanations showing how several adults use different thinking strategies.

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• The date when you start to use the template is worth noting.  Your profile is likely to change over time; at some stage, you may want to start a new sheet and knowing the dates of the different versions is often interesting.


• As you learn how the different elements impact on your life, fill in key words or brief descriptions.
• You can use the space in the way that feels right to you.
• Template C2 is an example profile to show the kind of insights that can be gained.
• Although Template C4 is in a linear format, it is worth seeing the insights shown in the two examples.
• Keep testing your understanding of your profile by trying out the insights in different tasks or situations.

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Use the template to make sense of the instructions to Template C1.

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• The date when you start to use the template is worth noting.  Your profile is likely to change over time; at some stage, you may want to start a new sheet  and knowing the dates of the different versions is often interesting.


• As you learn how the different elements impact on your life, write key words or brief descriptions.
• You can group the insights in linear lists, if this makes sense to you.
• Template C4 has 2 example profiles to show the kind of insights that can be gained.
• Although Template C2 is in a spatial format, it is worth seeing the insights shown in the example.
• Keep testing your understanding of your profile by trying out the insights in different tasks or situations.

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Use the template to make sense of the instructions to Template C3.

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• Print the page or download it into your device.
• As you fill in the template, use the space to show any relationships between different entries.  You can use colour, symbols or drawings as well.
• Use D5: Experiences for Managing Dyslexia/ SpLD (Example from a Student) to show you the sort of things that can be useful.


• Date, place, situation: record date and place; briefly describe what is happening.


• Goal aimed for : summarise what you want to happen in this situation.  How well do you manage to achieve it?


• Thinking preferences used: summarise the ways you are using your best thinking preferences and strategies in the situation.  How effectively are you using them?  Do you need to try something else?


• Pitfalls recognised: describe any effects due to your dyslexia/ SpLD.  Can you identify:
• glitches, which just take a moment to deal with
• hazards, which take some mental effort and time to deal with
• obstacles, for which you have to find ways round?


• Pause strategies: identify and describe any strategies you use to pause and give yourself time to deal more effectively with the situation.  How effective are your pauses?  How well do you manage after a pause?


• Think about your entries.  Are there any significant points that help you manage your dyslexia/ SpLD better?  Is there anything that you want to transfer to Template D3: Regime for Managing Dyslexia/ SpLD ­ Spatial?

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• Print the page or download it into your device.
• Use key words, brief phrases or sentences to fill in the sections.  Make lists, if that is the way you like to process information.
• Use D5: Experiences for Managing Dyslexia/ SpLD (Example from a Student) to show you the sort of things that can be useful.


• Date, place, situation: record date and place; briefly describe what is happening.


• Goal aimed for: summarise what you want to happen in this situation.  How well do you manage to achieve it?


• Thinking preferences used: summarise the ways you are using your best thinking preferences and strategies in the situation.  How effectively are you using them?  Do you need to try something else?


• Pitfalls recognised: describe any effects due to your dyslexia/ SpLD.  Can you identify:
• glitches, which just take a moment to deal with
• hazards, which take some mental effort and time to deal with
• obstacles, for which you have to find ways round?


• Pause strategies: identify and describe any strategies you use to pause and give yourself time to deal more effectively with the situation.  How effective are your pauses?  How well do you manage after a pause?


• Think about your entries.  Are there any significant points that help you manage your dyslexia/ SpLD better? Is there anything that you want to transfer to Template D4: Regime for Managing Dyslexia/ SpLD ­ Linear?

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• Print or download the document.
• As you fill in the sections from your previous collections of insights, group the entries together into related clusters.  Use key words, or phrases.  Try to be brief in what you write, but have enough detail that you can remember what each bit means.
• Use D5: Experiences for Managing Dyslexia/ SpLD (Example from a Student), to show you the sort of things that can be useful.


• Date: enter the date you start using the template.  Your Regime is likely to change over time; at some stage, you may want to start a new sheet and knowing the dates of the different versions is often interesting.


• Thinking preferences to use: list what you have discovered about the way you think well.  It is quite a good idea to indicate how important each preference is.


• Strategies for defining goals:  describe the ways you set about to identify your goals.


• Possible pitfalls:  these are the aspects of your dyslexia/ SpLD that can get in the way of you functioning at your best.  Having a clear list is one of the first steps to decreasing the impact they have on your life.


• Pause strategies:  note how you pause.  It is useful to know any conditions that affect how well you can use any technique.


• Priorities:  as you use your Regime, you may find there is a difference in the importance of the various aspects.  Add these differences to your Regime.

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• Print or download the document.
• As you fill in the sections from your previous collections of insights, group the entries together into related clusters.  Use key words, or phrases.  Try to be brief in what you write, but have enough detail that you can remember what each bit means.
• Use D5: Experiences for Managing Dyslexia/ SpLD (Example from a Student) to show you the sort of things that can be useful.


• Date: enter the date you start using the template.  Your Regime is likely to change over time; at some stage, you may want to start a new sheet  and knowing the dates of the different versions is often interesting.


• Thinking preferences to use:  list what you have discovered about the way you think well.  It is quite a good idea to indicate how important each preference is.


• Strategies for defining goals:  describe the ways you set about identifying your goals.


• Possible pitfalls:  these are the aspects of your dyslexia/ SpLD that can get in the way of you functioning at your best.  Having a clear list is one of the first steps to decreasing the impact they have on your life.


• Pause strategies:  note how you pause.  It is useful to know any conditions that affect how well you can use any technique.


• Priorities:  as you use your Regime, you may find there is a difference in the importance of the various aspects.  Add these differences to your Regime.

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Use with the other templates of this section.

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• Download the template to your device or print it.
• If you print it, decide how you want to use it; you might like to see both pages together, in which case double-sided printing won’t be helpful.  But, if you want double-sided printing, select flipping or binding on the long edge.


• As you explore different options, you can highlight or underline those that you use. 
• You can code them according to how easy you find them to use.


• Sometimes, your thinking preferences may not work for a new situation or task.  If that happens, use the list in this template to experiment with other thinking processes to see if there is one which will help you better with the new situation or task.


• It is also a good idea to explore options that don’t immediately appeal; you may find new ones that really work for you.

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• Download or print the template.
• Anytime when you have reached an understanding of the importance to you of the various thinking options, you can use this table to record your understanding.


• Enter the date when you start using the template.  You may find your preferences develop over time and use.


• Thinking processes: list which one you use in the order of importance – this list shows your thinking preferences.
• Used for: use these columns to how how you use each thinking process.


• References to evidence: this table could be useful when letting others know how you deal with your dyslexia/ SpLD.  Its use is strengthened when you can back your decisions with evidence from notes about your use of the thinking preferences.  The ‘References to evidence’ column allows you to record where you keep the evidence.  It is useful to be able to find it easily when you want it.

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• Download or print the template.
• Use the example with the other templates in this section. 
• Does this layout help you?
• Is there another layout that would suit you better?
• How are you deciding the strengths of your thinking preferences?

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• Print the template or download it to your device.
• Put in the date you start using the template.


• Fill in the sections as you find which of the ways work for you, include brief notes about how you use any of the options.


• How well you deal with dyslexic/ SpLD situations can be noted in ‘Levels of Compensation’.
• How well you deal with situations which have an emotional impact can be noted in ‘Emotional competence’
• ‘Other’ can be used for insights you don’t want to lose but which don’t seem to fit anywhere else.


• Put the date against each entry so that you have a sense of how your knowledge grows.
• Make more detailed notes somewhere as evidence of how you use the various thinking preferences.  On the template, record where you keep the evidence-notes.


• When you have a feeling for the relative importance of your thinking preferences, fill them in on Template E2: Table of Thinking Preferences.

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• Print the template or download it to your device.
• Put in the date you start using the template.


• Fill in the sections as you find which of the ways work for you, include brief notes about how you use any of the options.


• How well you deal with dyslexic/ SpLD situations can be noted in ‘Levels of Compensation’.
• How well you deal with situations which have an emotional impact can be noted in ‘Emotional competence’
• ‘Other’ can be used for insights you don’t want to lose but which don’t seem to fit anywhere else.


• Put the date against each entry so that you have a sense of how your knowledge grows.
• Make more detailed notes somewhere as evidence of how you use the various thinking preferences.  On the template, record where you keep the evidence-notes.


• When you have a feeling for the relative importance of your thinking preferences, fill them in on Template E2: Table of Thinking Preferences.

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• Download the template onto your device or print it.


• Circle the letter on the margin for any statement that is true for you.
• Count the number of As, Vs and Ks you have circled.
• Enter the numbers into the table on page 2 and see what percentage of answers you chose ‘yes’ for each of Visual, Aural or Kinaesthetic.
• The relative numbers indicate the relative use you make of these three different senses.


• Think about the results using the questions below the table.

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• Print or download the template onto your device.


• Date: enter the date you use the template.


• Situation: describe what is happening.


• Using the template for several situations: you might want to use the template for several situations.  Number each one and then use the number to show which of the other entries belong to a particular situation.


• Evidence of intelligence: you should put down all the ways you are showing capability and intelligence.


• Practical abilities: include the practical skills you have.  These can be overlooked but they are very important.


• Characteristics that don’t fit anywhere else: describe the insights that don’t seem to fit anywhere else and why they are important.


• Interests, in order of importance: your interests can be an important part of how you engage with activities and they may contribute further ideas that will help you achieve your goals and fulfil your potential.


• Possibilities: include anything that would be worth exploring further.


• Further confirmation: build on the ideas you put down in the box ‘other’.  This is important information about the way you think best and what helps you as an individual.

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Hard copy:  Print the template that you want to use; if you like working with colour, work with coloured pens and highlighters.

Working electronically:  Copy the template to an appropriate place on your computer/ electronic device; name it in a way that helps you find it later.

Title or key words: give what needs organising a title, or represent it in a few key words.  For the purpose of these instructions, your project represents what is being organised.

Gather your strengths: write down all the things that you know you do well; include everything; unexpected things might turn out to be very helpful with your project.

Assess hazards: write down anything that you know is going to make organising your project difficult.  I would suggest that you separate the hazards into those that relate to your dyslexia/ SpLD and those that don’t.

Describe your project: you can outline the project because that will probably help you think about the organisation; don’t go into unnecessary detail; you need to focus on the organisation aspects of your project; if your project is big, divide it into smaller, more manageable sub-projects.

Recognise insuperable obstacles: as you describe your project, you may realise there are certain things that you have no way to work round; you need to put them down and decide what to do about them; you may need to ask others to help you.

Develop constructive ways forward: gather ideas that you would like to use and build them into a system; you may be able to think of several ways to organise your project, but if you don’t like what you choose to do, you will be making life hard for yourself and you probably won’t be able to organise your project.

Record your organisation: record how you have decided to organise your project and note where you have recorded it; keep monitoring how your organisation is working for you and let it evolve to be something that you can work with effectively.

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Hard copy:  Print the template that you want to use; if you like working with colour, work with coloured pens and highlighters.

Working electronically:  Copy the template to an appropriate place on your computer/ electronic device; name it in a way that helps you find it later.

Problem: use a few words to capture the problem, or give it a title.  Replace the words the problem with your title, or words, if this helps you focus your mind.

Facts: write down the facts about the problem.  Be as literal as you can be, try to be objective and leave feelings out.

Present state: describe the state of the problem’, i.e. what has happened so far with the problem.  Here you can include feelings.

Best possible outcome:  set out how you would like matters to be when the problem is resolved.

Other people:  include people who are involved with the problem, and those who might be able to help with advice or practically.

Anything missing:  as you gather your thoughts about the problem, you may realise that certain things, or people, are missing from the present state of affairs.  Write them down.

Hazards or obstacles:  write down anything that is impeding progress in solving the problem.

Resolution:  how can you move the problem from the present state to the best possible outcome?  Do you still want the same outcome that you put down earlier?

Action plan:  make an action plan to move the problem forward.  This might just be for immediate progress; it might be to achieve the best possible outcome.

Include revisiting your reflections on the problem. 
Did it help you resolve the problem?
Were all the right issues included? 
What would you do differently another time?

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Hard copy:  Print the template that you want to use; if you like working with colour, work with coloured pens and highlighters.

Working electronically:  Copy the template to an appropriate place on your computer/ electronic device; name it in a way that helps you find it later.

Root cause of the problem: fill in the problem you are working on that is showing you something unknown is getting in the way.

What is happening?  Include anything that is impeding your progress with the problem you’re solving.

How are you trying to do something?  Write down what you are trying to do.

What is going wrong?  Describe how solving the main problem is being hampered.

What are the pressures? Think about any feelings you have or any pressure that is impacting on the problem you are trying to solve and the way you are doing it.

Does anything emerge as the root cause?  In answering these questions you are searching for anything that is undermining your progress in solving the main problem.  It could be some information you don’t have, some objects or equipment that is missing. You may need help from other people. It could be a worry or anxiety or other emotional reaction that is preventing progress.  It could be something completely unrelated to the main problem you are working on, but which you subconsciously know needs attention.  Whatever it is, it will be easier to deal with once it is clearly identified and the appropriate help can be found.

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• Select the appropriate settings on your printer, either single-sided, or double-sided printing, in which case select flipping or binding on the long edge.
• Draw a line at the end of each entry so that they are clearly kept separate.


• If you want to work electronically, create a table with 5 columns, in landscape orientation.  Use the bold headings below and have one entry per row.


• Date: enter the date.


• Time or place details: note the time, and the place; both are worth recording. 


• What is happening: describe the events taking place.  You can include the result of the problem with time or place.


• What is going wrong with time or place:  here you describe, objectively, how the problem with time or place impacts on the event.


• Underlying time or place issues:  How do you think you process time or place? 



What are your thinking patterns? 
How do you feel about any problems? 
What strategies do you use?
Are they successful?



• This template is useful for monitoring your progress as you develop new understanding and strategies for dealing with time and place.

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• To work on a hard copy, select the appropriate settings on your printer if you want a single page; for double-sided printing, select flipping or binding on the long edge if you want to keep the pages in an A4 ring binder.
• Draw a line between individual activities to keep them separate.


• To work on a computer, download the file and save to an appropriate location with a name that will help you find it later.


• Activity: describe what you are doing.


• Expected time: record how long you expect the task to take or how long you want to spend on an activity.


• Start: record the time you start.


• End: record the end time.


• Actual time: work out the actual time.


• Reflect:

How does the actual time compare with the expected time?
When does the difference matter?
Does the difference impact on others?
Do you need to use the information to let your life flow better?

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Print more than one page if necessary.  If you want to consider 7 days in consecutive  weeks, choose the page without days in the headings and write in the days.

If you are working out a timetable for a period of time, you don’t need to put any date by the days, though you might want to put the date that you work on the timetable at the top of the page.

If you are using the sheet to plan a particular week fill in the dates above the days.

As you write in entries, make sure you indicate the start and end time.

When using a sheet like this for time management, it is useful to include journey and preparation times.

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• Print the page(s) that you want to use.


• Month and year: fill these in. 


• Tasks: write down any tasks that are important as far as time management or prioritising are concerned.

To keep an eye on the spread of activities

• Fill in the activities you want to keep an eye on; also include anything that will clash with these activities.

To manage time or assess priorities:

• Filling in the days: put down everything that is happening, including time away, time to visit friends, time to go shopping: anything that occupies some time.
• Make the entries brief so that they will fit in.
• You can write entries with time slots attached or position them approximately according to the time of day when they will happen.
• Be very realistic, or slightly pessimistic, about the length of time anything will take.


• Assessing time and priorities: when you have finished filling everything in, see how much time you have available for what you want to do, or must do.
• You can take a photocopy if you need to move entries around, then you don’t lose the first set.  I often work in pencil so that I can rub out to make changes.
• Seeing how little time is really available is often helpful when the deadline for a task seems a long way ahead.

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For 2021 and 2022, print the part of the year that covers the time you need to look at.

If you are using the blank sheet, print it and add the dates as necessary.

Using either of the spreadsheets allows you to select the number of weeks that you need.  Use print preview to adjust the row height so that you have spread the weeks evenly over the page. Choose whether landscape or portrait orientation will be best.  Then print the page.

If you are managing a deadline, put in everything that will occupy time.  Be very realistic.  For example, if you are putting in the time of a journey, allow for delays; don’t rely on being able to read or work on the journey.  It is usually to better to be pessimistic and have time left over than to be too optimistic and run out of time.

It might help to separate the months visually. I do this by drawing a line with a highlighter between the months.

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• The first table is an example for discussing the way words are used in different contexts, how their functions and meanings change.
• The second table provides an opportunity to check understanding by using the same original sentences.
• The third table allows students to think of other sentences which include the word ‘round’ and then find substitutes.


• The table on the second page is for further work on other words. The words could either be supplied by the teacher, or the first part of the task could be for students to find words that can be used with different functions.


• Other words that have different functions include:

head (noun, verb, adjective)
back (noun, verb, adjective, adverb)
green (noun, verb, adjective)
shop (noun, verb, adjective)
like (enjoy: verb; similar: adjective, conjunction, preposition)
following (noun, adjective, preposition)
up (adjective, adverb, preposition)
well (noun, adjective, verb, adverb)
near (adjective, adverb, preposition)
before (adverb, conjunction, preposition)

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Let your student use this template when working on any aspect of language.

Initial work:

Select some text that is interesting to the student and in which the font is not too small nor the layout too cramped.

Choose a different colour for each function.

Underline the words or phrases that fulfil the different functions in the appropriate colours.

Use the parts of speech terminology as long as your student keeps paying attention to the function.

It can be useful to use the same text for each function, possibly having different copies of it.

Do several demonstrations with discussion.  It is important to prevent misunderstandings becoming established.

Start with the naming function.  Move on to the replacing function; and then describing.

Discuss what is being named
what is being replaced
what is being described.

Depending on the student’s questions and interests, choose to identify
relationships
verbs making the group of words into a statement, question or command.

Discuss the relationship and what it is between.

When identifying verbs, find the subject as well.

The skill from this approach is recognising how words work together so that the building blocks of language can be used to assist reading.

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Consider the examples on page 1 and ask:

• What do I want my student to learn?
• Do my examples demonstrate the point clearly without any unnecessary changes?
• Does my student have any suggestions that could help them learn this topic more easily?

Print both pages separately, i.e. don’t use double-sided printing.  Let your student use the first as a reminder.  Or create your own example sheet based on text you have been using with your student.

Possible text to use:

• the same text that was used for identifying the Functions of Words in G2
• text on a topic that is interesting to your student
• some suitable phrases or sentences that you know can be altered easily.

Initially, work with your student to make the alterations.

Write the task at the top of the sheet, such as:

• Replace nouns with other nouns, keep pronouns agreeing with the noun as appropriate.
• Add adjectives or adverbs and discuss how the meaning changes.
• Change the verb so that the time of the sentence changes.


• Generally, experiment with words to see what effects can be achieved.

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Print all pages on separate sheets.  Page 3 could be used electronically.

Use pages 1 and 2 to discuss sentence structure and answer questions.

Keep at least one of pages 1 and 2 in sight until your student is confident about recognising sentences.  Be guided by your student’s preference as to which page is in sight.  They may need both.

Use some text about a topic your student is interested in.

Demonstrate how to put the text into the basic sentence table.  Discuss how you are doing it and ask your student for suggestions.

Watch while your student does the same task, still on a topic that interests them.

Get your student to practise for 5 minutes a day until they are easily recognising sentences whenever they read.

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• Reading is helped when the underlying structure of the building blocks of language is understood.  The structure usually needs to be taught deliberately to dyslexia/ SpLD students.


• In turning a complex sentence into its basic sentences, it is important to be clear about any changes that have been made. It may not be helpful to give full explanations, but the changes should be visible.  In the example, there is a time element in the complex sentence which is retained in the way the sentences are numbered. 


• Use complex sentences which relate to the everyday life of students. 
• Use different tenses.
• Use verbs that are not obviously ‘doing’ words, such as: sleep, think, become, have.

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Exercise 1

• Explain to your student that eyes take in words better when they move across a page in jumps rather than in a smooth manner. 
• Use a piece of paper to cover all but the top line of exercise 1 and ask your student to read the letters without moving their eyes and then let them follow the instructions at the top of the exercise.
• Discuss with them:
•  how they feel their eyes are moving
• what you notice
• how they feel as they try to keep their eyes on the cross.
• They can practise the exercise over several days.

Exercise 2

• The exercise is similar to exercise 1, but is based on words instead of letters.  When eyes are accustomed to sliding across print, it can be quite difficult to keep them on the line, but the improvement in reading skill is worth the effort.

Reference

Elder, T. and Wood R. (Eds.) 1961, Harrap’s Swift Readers, Book 5, Harrap, London

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Discuss the way the groups of words are selected so that they form meaningful groups.  Use other texts that your student is reading and ask them to mark the meaningful groups.

Keep the groups short to begin with.  Your student can lengthen the groups when their reading mind becomes more familiar with the skill.

Reference

The exercise is adapted from one in

Elder, T. and Wood R. (Eds.) 1961, Harrap’s Swift Readers, Book 5, Harrap, London

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Discuss the way the groups of words are selected so that they form meaningful groups. 

Compare the layout with the normal layout of the story in Template G9: The Short Story ‘Paper’.

Use other texts that your student is reading and ask them to mark the meaningful groups.

Keep the groups short to begin with.  Your student can lengthen the groups when their reading mind becomes more familiar with the skill.

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Discuss what to look for to recognise meaningful groups of words.

Work with similar passages from other sources.

What difference does it make if you use text relating to one of your student’s hobbies or interests?

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Print or download the format you want to use. 

If you save the template for use electronically, do so with a name and in a place that means you can find it again.

Before you read the book(s) in this series, the check-list can be used to help your mind prepare for the information and knowledge you will be reading about.

As you read the book(s):

• the check-list can be used to help you cover the material you want to read
• the questions in the Word document can be used as headers for creating a set of notes.

After reading any of the books, the checklist can be used to:

• reflect on the ideas that are taken for granted in your profession
• consider how the effects of dyslexia/ SpLD impact on those you work with
• assess what you need to know about dyslexia/ SpLD
• discuss situations with dyslexic/ SpLD people
• put in place policies, systems and accommodations that will diminish the impact of the dyslexia/ SpLD of the people with whom you work or communicate
• consider any other changes in your work practice that would be beneficial.

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Print or download the format you want to use. 

If you save the template for use electronically, do so with a name and in a place that means you can find it again.

Before you read the book(s) in this series, the check-list can be used to help your mind prepare for the information and knowledge you will be reading about.

As you read the book(s):

• the check-list can be used to help you cover the material you want to read
• the questions in the Word document can be used as headers for creating a set of notes.

After reading any of the books, use the check-list to assess:

• how far you understand the issues
• to what extent you already adopt dyslexic/ SpLD friendly approaches
• the context in which you are likely to encounter dyslexic/ SpLD people
• the role(s) in which you encounter dyslexic/ SpLD people
• how open you are to people who do tasks differently or think differently to the way you do.

You can also reflect on any further questions you have and where you are likely to find out more.

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Print or download the format you want to use. 

If you save the template for use electronically, do so with a name and in a place that means you can find it again.

Before you read the book(s) in this series, the check-list can be used to help your mind prepare for the information and knowledge you will be reading about.

As you read the book(s):

• the check-list can be used to help you cover the material you want to read
• the questions in the Word document can be used as headers for creating a set of notes.

The check-list can be used by a support provider with an individual person:

• How confident is my student about the things they do well?
• How well does my student understand their dyslexia/ SpLD?
• Are they using objective observation?
• Which techniques have we covered?
• Are the techniques being used?
• What else is emerging about the way my student processes information?


• Have we covered ideas that aren’t immediately useful so that my student will have options in future situations?

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Print or download the format you want to use. 

If you save the template for use electronically, do so with a name and in a place that means you can find it again.

Before you read the book(s) in this series, the check-list can be used to help your mind prepare for the information and knowledge you will be reading about.

As you read the book(s):

• the check-list can be used to help you cover the material you want to read
• the questions in the Word document can be used as headers for creating a set of notes.

After reading the book(s), the check-list can be used to reflect on:

• the way you use observation
• how open you are to approaches that are different to yours
• whether you deliberately discuss with your students how they build 1) their profile of dyslexia/ SpLD and 2) their regime for managing it
• how you notice any possible misunderstandings  and how you deal with them
• how positive you are about finding solutions to problems and giving your student agency when they are away from you.

What further questions do you have?

Who will help you find the answers?

Also use check-list H2 Check-list about the General Background to reflect on you general understanding of dyslexia/ SpLD.

Use H3 Audits of Understanding and Skills – for an Individual Dyslexic/ SpLD Person to guide and reflect on your work with each dyslexic/ SpLD student you work with.

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Print or download the format you want to use. 

If you save the template for use electronically, do so with a name and in a place that means you can find it again.

Before you read the book(s) in this series, the check-list can be used to help:

• you decide which topics are most important to you immediately
• your mind prepare for the information and knowledge you will be reading about.

As you read the book(s):

• the check-list can be used to help you cover the material you want to read
• the questions in the Word document can be used as headers for creating a set of notes.

After reading the book(s):

• reflect on the expectations and ideas you have about learning
• consider how the effects of dyslexia/ SpLD impact on your students
• assess what you need to know about dyslexia/ SpLD
• discuss situations with dyslexic/ SpLD students


• Is there anything you can immediately, easily change that will help your dyslexic/ SpLD students?
• Are there longer-term or more complex changes that are needed?
• Do you need senior management to support the changes you want put in place?

Close

Print or download the format you want to use. 

If you save the template for use electronically, do so with a name and in a place that means you can find it again.

Before you read the book(s) in this series, the check-list can be used to help your mind prepare for the information and knowledge you will be reading about.

As you read the book(s):

• the check-list can be used to help you cover the material you want to read
• the questions in the Word document can be used as headers for creating a set of notes.

After reading the book, use the check-list to reflect:

• how willing am I to accept another person’s different way of thinking or doing a task
• how clearly do I know my own approaches and expectations
• how readily do I welcome a dyslexic/ SpLD person telling me how they function
• what possibilities are there in my work for misunderstandings between me and a dyslexic/ SpLD person
• can I, should I, seek advice and insights from a specialist support provider
• what will be the impact on a dyslexic/ SpLD person’s life if I work on the basis of what they are telling me?

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Print or download the format you want to use. 

If you save the template for use electronically, do so with a name and in a place that means you can find it again.

Before you read the book(s) in this series, the check-list can be used to help your mind prepare for the information and knowledge you will be reading about.

As you read the book(s):

• the check-list can be used to help you cover the material you want to read
• the questions in the Word document can be used as headers for creating a set of notes.

Reflection after reading the book(s) – Do I understand and accept:

• that what is vital for dyslexic/ SpLD people is good practice for all
• that there is no cure for dyslexic/ SpLD learnt confusion once the relevant neural networks have become established
• that the outcome is best when the right approaches (support and teaching) are used early in a child’s life
• that the above best outcome makes sense economically, morally and emotionally?

What further questions do I have?

How can I engage with dyslexic/ SpLD people to widen my understanding?

Close

Print or download the format you want to use. 

If you save the template for use electronically, do so with a name and in a place that means you can find it again.

Before you read the book(s) in this series, the check-list can be used to help your mind prepare for the information and knowledge you will be reading about.

As you read the book(s):

• the check-list can be used to help you cover the material you want to read
• the questions in the Word document can be used as headers for creating a set of notes.

After reading the book(s) reflect:

• how important is it that the message or content of your work is clearly understood
• how do you check it is properly understood
• do you consult people
• what are the profiles of dyslexia/ SpLD that will affect how well your message or content is understood?

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