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Are there any Barton placement tests?


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Since my son is 11, and because Barton is hard for me to afford, I'm wondering if I can start at Level 3 or 4 instead of Level 1? Obviously no matter how old he is, I will have to make sure he has mastered the skills in those first few levels. I do know we has trouble with the Silent E so we would definitely have to start with that level, at the least.

 

But is there any way to "place" your child initially into a level other than Level 1 of Barton?  Reeeally hoping I can bypass a good $500-800 worth of levels if he is able...

 

 

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CatholicMom, I am using Barton and I honestly don't think you should skip any level.  The first level, to me, is almost the most critical for success with teaching a dyslexic to truly read and spell with any real fluency/accuracy.  It goes back to the very basic building blocks of reading and starts over, which is where MANY dyslexics have a disconnect, even if they are already limping along in reading.  Without that first layer, subsequent layers may fall apart.  Also, you and your child need to get used to this system.  The easiest way to do that, so that subsequent levels will be smoother and more intuitive to implement, is to do Level 1 together.

 

These are not levels like a grade level.  These are building blocks that build to a larger whole.  If you are missing some of those building blocks, getting your child to mastery in the higher levels could fall apart like a house of cards.

 

But I totally understand the daunting cost you are facing could prevent you from even being able to embrace this program.  It is extremely unfortunate that Level 1 and Level 2 go so quickly but are so expensive.  For most kids, they can make it through both levels within a month or two, sometimes much, much faster (although some take much longer, depending on other underlying challenges) which means your child might get through all three levels in less than a year.  That is a considerable cost (although MUCH cheaper than a year of twice a week tutoring through a professional tutor).

 

My suggestions are these:

 

1.  See if you can borrow Level 1 from someone in your area.  Maybe ask around to different homeschooling organizations.

 

2.  Or see if there is a Scottish Rite near you that uses Barton.  You might qualify for tutoring through them for a much reduced rate or no cost.  

 

3. See if someone on these boards could sell you Level 1 and Level 2 at a reduced rate.  There are many using it.  I would sell or lend you mine but I may start tutoring other kids and would need it in the future.  There are many parents in my area with nowhere to go for help.

 

4.  See what the cost would be to hire an on-line Barton tutor (you can get the list from Susan Barton at her website) for Level 1 and possibly Level 2 since your child might be able to get through those levels very quickly.  It might be cheaper to do that than purchase the Levels yourself (although I think you are going to have a very challenging time tutoring the other levels if you didn't tutor Level 1 and 2 yourself).

 

5.  Find a way to afford Level 1 and Level 2 yourself then use the free materials on Barton to keep reviewing Level 2 until you can afford to purchase Level 3 or find someone you can borrow it from or buy it from used.

 

6.  Consider using another system that is more affordable.  Barton isn't the only good option out there, it is just one of the easiest to implement for a layman because of the training DVDs and the really well laid out TM.

 

I wish you all the best.  I also wish with all my heart that this system were not as expensive as it is.  At least if the first 2 levels were significantly cheaper it would make it more affordable since early levels go quickly.  Later levels take a lot more time to get through so there just isn't the same hard hit over and over in a very short period of time.  Best wishes and good luck.

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If your child has already received either Orton - Gillingham or Linda mood - Bell remediation for dyslexia, you can contact Barton about level placement testing.

 

As One Step said, the expense of Barton spreads over the years, so it may not be as costly as you imagine. Barton has been the backbone of my son's language arts education for over four years. Level 4 took us nearly a year. It's taken longer than I'd wished, but slow progress is still progress. We start the final level, level 10, this week. His siblings have also using it--and since I already have all the materials, it's cost me nothing but time to use Barton with them.

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merry gardens has a good point.  This system can be used with NT kids, too.  You just move them through at a MUCH faster pace.  So you could use it with the other kids as their language arts program.  Just couple it with a more explicit writing and grammar program after Level 4.  Level 10 is more High School level so Barton covers quite a bit of ground.  It isn't just early reading/writing/spelling remediation.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think it's so much better to start at level one. I believe if you buy level one from Bright Solutions, and you get through it quite quickly, she will let you send it back and exchange for level 2. Only for that first level though. Here is from her website.

 

So if your student has not had recent and intense Orton-Gillingham-based tutoring, start the student in Level 1. If it proves to be too easy, we will exchange it – FREE – for Level 2.

 

Resell is amazing on these things. I probably sold too cheaply , but lost 50-75 for each level. I wanted them sold quickly though. I just sold through Amazon, but one of my buyers was reselling it..so I did a poor job pricing. Currently level two is $250.00 and I think I sold my used one for $180.00. Of course I could have probably purchased it for $180-200 and resold it for the same.

I am also using it with a NT son and it is a through program for anyone! If you buy the iPad app, you won't need the letter tiles, but I would get through at least level 3 with regular tiles first. Here is something to consider..if you use it with three of your kids, you could get certified as a tutor later and either make a little extra money or use it as a ministry to make a huge difference in another kiddos life or both. Also recommend Learning Ally...all of you younger kids could listen to many stories, lit, history to free up time for Bartons. HTH

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I agree with the others, unfortunately you really have to start with Level 1 because you're essentially retraining your child's brain and the lack of phonemic awareness is the biggest issue with dyslexics. My DD needed several extra days practicing each skill in level 1 and she was 11 and reading on a 1.5 grade level in 5th grade. 

 

I'd just buy Level 1 used, keep it nice, and sell it on ebay. I've had great success with that, selling level 1 for $208 and level 2 $240 for a $250 program. So we're talking $20-60 per level, including shipping. It's still cheaper than paying a tutor even if you paid full price. 

 

It's been difficult to set aside the money for Barton but has been so worth it. After 10 months my DD is halfway through level 3 and last I checked reading on roughly a 2.5 grade level, a full grade level above where she was a year ago. Her school told me she couldn't make that much progress in a year, which is when we pulled her out, and here she is already proving them wrong. 

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