Comprehension Activities for Barton Tutors

[frogger]

I was curious if anyone has tried using these lessons.

http://supportingdyslexia.com/index.html

 

 

 

Like Barton, they seem a bit expensive and well you as most of you know with these special resources it is one expense after the other.

 

I would love to hear from someone who might have tried these.

 

 

[frogger]

Hmmm. The more I look at it the more I think I could come up with something myself after the Barton practice pages for these types of activities.

[PeterPan]

I've got them for Barton 3/4.  Although they seem really obvious, they're done for you, well-done, and extensive.  They have masters of the worksheets for each story.  My theory is I'm learning *how* to teach, and that's why they cost $$.  We have not been able to use them yet, because I decided we should go back and repair his grammar comprehension before working on the reading comprehension that uses the grammar comprehension, sigh.

 

It was Barton who told us we needed them.  She said his comprehension issues were because of his ASD, *not* the dyslexia, and that we would need them.  I'm fine with that, but I'm just saying if you *don't* have extra comprehension issues going on I wouldn't buy them till it became really obvious you really needed them, kwim?  Like my ds could read "The frog sat on the log" and have NO CLUE what he read.  We had trouble, Houston!  Make sure you're doing all the steps Barton says (reading silently, reading again aloud, blah blah) before concluding you need them.  

 

It's a big packet.  Obviously I wish it were less, but they're very well done.  I'm super picky, you know.  Like I rag stuff left and right, and I was impressed.

Edited November 22, 2015 by OhElizabeth

[frogger]

Thanks for review. It is appreciated.  I'm tempted again.

 

My son usually understands the sentences and I love that Barton separates the different who, what, where phrases but when they are put in paragraphs I don't know if he forgets what he is reading or if it is just to confusing because the word choices. It is hard to write much sensible with the available words at that level so they aren't necessarily easier to understand just because they are easier to decode. I certainly couldn't do better though. They are pretty good considering the small amount of vocabulary the writers have to work with.  

[PeterPan]

Well are you having a comprehension problem or a working memory problem or an attention problem?  My ds has had detailed language testing, so I knew he wasn't comprehending.  I tried your obvious things like breaking it into sentences and having him illustrate each sentence, asking the 5 Ws (who, what where, etc.).  

 

Ok, I pulled up the B3 compr activities.  Strategies used for this level include main idea and supporting details, visualizing, cause/effect, retelling with details, sequencing, interpreting, making connections, inferences.  That's only half the list.  It includes 13 graphic organizers.  

 

You are correct that attention, working memory, executive function, that these are going to affect his comprehension.  My dd would do that when she wasn't engaged, and she doesn't even have a comprehension issue.  Her reading is OFF THE CHARTS, but (because of her ADHD), if she's not actually engaged and attending she won't remember ANYTHING.  It's really unreal.  But when you actually do those activities with her (discussing inferences, etc.) she would blow them out of the water.  Like she was always multiple grades ahead in reading curricula even, because she just had this ability to do those skills.  They were just kinda natural for her and obvious.  But if you try to get my ds to make an inference, he's just gonna miss it, totally miss it.  Doesn't matter if he's engaged with the topic or that you slow it down or try three times.  He'll still miss it.  So that's why he needs this kind of packet, to go through those skills slowly and explicitly and build these experiences, because he's going to need a lot more explicit, intentional exposures before some of these things click.  Where my dd had the skills but just wasn't attending.  (Attending = engaging the brain, something missing with ADHD, oops)

 

Make sense?  

 

The packet directs you to read the stories multiple times.  A lot can improve with that.  The packets are EXCELLENT, and I think that if you need them, they're a good way to go.  Like you can say oh I can do that for myself, but if you could you already WOULD, kwim?  I'm just being honest.  No, it's not mind-blowing rocket science.  But they're thoughtfully put together and significant enough that you'll go wow I would have had to make a lot of effort to have done something as well myself.  So if you're getting these lessons for 22 stories (that's what is in the packet) and each one would have taken you maybe 30 or 45 minutes to prepare (once you get the drift), then that's 11-15 MINIMUM hours of prep that packet saved you.  And it was like $45.  So you're paying $3 an hour, $2 a story, to get someone else to do that dirty work.  And it's really thoughtfully done.  I wouldn't want you to buy it if you don't *need* it, but if you need it I don't think you'll regret it.

[Kat w]

Ok. OhE you just answered the main question of what I was going to post about today. I have read all that you've said about Barton for awhile now and contacted them....memory doesn't always serve me well ( esp these days) so I don't exactly remember the details but I came away with the impression , from talking with her, that I wouldn't be able to use her program. I wish I could pull up the email. My operating systems are shifting down and can't access email.

 

Maybe it was because I needed to take a tutors course? Or do something that I wasn't sure I could do or maybe could just do at that point. Wish I remembered.

 

If you don't mind my asking under your post frogger....OhE, what does one need to do as a homeschool parent to get started ?

I also remember the cost was blowin my mind. But. Other similar attempts have failed with my youngest son. Older one? He's done better. The younger one...sadly I've found. Understand....nothing. Can fly through the words with seemingly comprehension...but when you pick it apart, actually....knows nothing. I mean...nothing. I've been quite shocked .

[OneStepAtATime]

Ok. OhE you just answered the main question of what I was going to post about today. I have read all that you've said about Barton for awhile now and contacted them....memory doesn't always serve me well ( esp these days) so I don't exactly remember the details but I came away with the impression , from talking with her, that I wouldn't be able to use her program. I wish I could pull up the email. My operating systems are shifting down and can't access email.

 

Maybe it was because I needed to take a tutors course? Or do something that I wasn't sure I could do or maybe could just do at that point. Wish I remembered.

 

If you don't mind my asking under your post frogger....OhE, what does one need to do as a homeschool parent to get started ?

I also remember the cost was blowin my mind. But. Other similar attempts have failed with my youngest son. Older one? He's done better. The younger one...sadly I've found. Understand....nothing. Can fly through the words with seemingly comprehension...but when you pick it apart, actually....knows nothing. I mean...nothing. I've been quite shocked .

I am not OhE, but I will attempt to answer this, although I admit I am not clear on the question.  Are you asking how you get started with Barton?  Also, I think you would get more targeted responses with your own thread, so that you are getting more effective answers, so you might want to start your own thread anyway.   :)

 

In the meantime:

 

1.  If Barton herself didn't think you could use her program then what other issues besides reading does your child have? Or are they struggling with reading? Are there other comorbid problems that might make Barton unsuccessful?  Is the only issue reading comprehension, not decoding and fluency?  If so, then I don't think Barton would be much help, although I could be wrong.  Barton really is designed to help with decoding/fluency in reading plus spelling.

2.  Did you give yourself and your child the pre-screenings for Barton?

3.  IF you AND your child passed the pre-screenings then all you need to get started is the actual program.  You don't need any advanced training, just a way to watch the training videos and the ability to read the Tutor manuals (which are brilliantly done so a layman, even a dyslexic, can usually use them).  There is a ton of support for tutors, even untrained parents with no background in this.

4.  Yes the program is pricey compared to similar programs for Neurotypical kids.  Why?  Because this program was designed to help a layman do what a professional with training can do for kids who are NOT neurotypical, kids who need a very specialized approach to tackle reading/writing/spelling.  Taking your child for intense dyslexia remediation through a professional can cost 10s of thousands of dollars over time.  

 

Honestly, compared to what we spent on tutoring, Barton was a huge bargain.  Besides all the normal tutors we tried to hire before the diagnosis, in one month I spent over $800 on specialized dyslexia tutoring for my kiddos and got virtually nothing out of it.  That's almost the cost of the first 3 levels of Barton.  And the first 3 levels of Barton did far more for my kids than any tutor or teacher ever had.  

 

Is it perfect?  No.  Is it a good fit for all kids? Nope.  Can every parent use this program?  Again, no.  A LOT more parents could use this program without any training than many others that are on the market, though, because Barton designed it with laymen in mind.  

 

If you can't hire a specialized tutor and your child passed the screening and you passed the screening it can be a lifesaver for a parent to help a child with reading challenges.  Plus, it frequently resells for almost what you paid for it (and if you find you do well tutoring with this program you might consider tutoring other kids and making enough money to pay off all the levels and then some).

 

I am uncertain if this post will help you but I thought I would share my take on this, just in case.  

 

Best wishes.

Edited November 22, 2015 by OneStepAtATime

[PeterPan]

Tutors | Barton  Kat, this is the tutor screening.  Perhaps you failed that and that's what you're remembering?

 

Students | Barton  This is the student screening, and same deal, need to pass that to be ready.

 

The resale value on Barton is strong.  If you can come up with the initial money, then you buy a level, buy an extra set of tiles, and sell as you go to fund the next level.  Makes your cost a bit lower.  It's highest for people with several kids where they need to save and re-use.

 

When you say he flies through stuff but then has no comprehension when you pick it apart, you mean reading comprehension?  That's the language stuff, not dyslexia.  For my ds, it showed up in the CELF5.  Our private psych ran it, but you can get the ps to run it.  Or maybe they have already run something similar?  You might dig through your pile and see what they've run for that.  Detailed language testing can sort out whether you have a *vocabulary* problem or a meta-linguistics problem (noticing the bits, things like verb tenses, plurals, etc.) or an overall language delay or what.  That way you can target your efforts and not be GUESSING at what is causing the comprehension problems.

[Kat w]

Oneatatime. Thank you. Yes. One son has all 3 issues. The other can decode fine and fluenty read....has absolutely not one single clue what he just read or even any of the characters names! Ugh.

 

I wish I could pull up the email. I didn't take the Barton screenings thank you for the link OhE. I will do that for us all. Maybe my impression of i can't or shouldn't do it at that time was maybe the process to get started seemed ...idk...not easy lol.

 

I was very impressed thst she herself answered me and talked with me about it. She didn't think Barton wasn't for them. It was my impression of implementation that was my hiccup.

 

Good point on the tutors. I was thinking just this morning. Maybe I should just find a Barton tutor. After being reminded of the cost...yea...no.

 

And you're right. I need to start my own thread about it. Still formulating exactly what I need help with . ugh.

 

I'm swimming in overwhelmedness at this point. I know...not a word. Jus throwin in a lil humor so I don't lose it! :)

 

Yes yes. The younger one flies through reading and doesn't know what he's read. I think sometimes I speak interchangeably abou the boys not realizing I haven't been clear on which son I'm speaking about in that sentence . sorry.

 

Yes. I thought last night. I need to get all their testing and what have you out from PS and private and spread them out and look at the whole picture for each son separately.

[Kat w]

I remember now! :) Not on my own though. I went to the pretest link and remembered. It was their language delays. We have totally immersed ourselves in that for 2 yrs tho. 4 hrs a day w lots of short breaks. They've come so far. Way further than I thought they would.