Reviews for Dianne Craft method of teaching reading?

[A home for their hearts]

A friend showed me this and I'm wondering if it would work for my ds8 who is struggling to learn to read. I just started him with Abecedarian short version A and he hates it and I don't know if it's going to work for him anyway. I'm tempted to buy Dianne Crafts phonics materials but it's so expensive I want to make sure it is something that would work for us. I can't keep jumping around from program to program or he isn't ever going to learn to read! LOL

[Pongo]

I went to her seminar. My oldest 2 used SWR no problem, then my youngest could not remember the phonograms. It seemed like such a chore. I bought the Brain Integration Therapy and started doing the exercises, I also took the set of phonograms I already had from SWR and added color and pictures to them. Honestly, 3 months later she started reading, fluently!

 

My older 2 still went through the sounding out stage until 7 and my ds till 7.5 Alas, my little 6 yod started reading smoother that either of them. She is currently using SWR as her spelling program, and on words that really throw her, I write it on an index card, make a picture about that word (something simple), I hold the card up over her head, have her close her eyes to see in in her mind, and then she writes it. I can tell you it is rare if she misses that word after that technique.

 

I am not familiar with her reading program other than her referring to is when she was explaining to teach reading. I just adjusted what we already have.

[LizzyBee]

I have not used her materials, but I am on several reading and dyslexia lists and I have seen many, many posts saying that her materials did not work for the posters' children. The evidence based method for teaching kids with dyslexia and other reading disorders to read is the Orton-Gillingham approach, which is multisensory, cumulative, and systematic. Most OG programs require up to 70 hours of training to learn how to teach it, but Barton Reading and Spelling comes with all the training on DVDs and included in the price. The cost of the complete program is about $3,000, but it comes in 10 modules, which you can buy one at a time over a period of several years. The program ends at the 9th grade reading level.

 

Secondly, most kids who struggle with reading have a phonological awareness deficit. An easy, free way to find out if this might apply to your ds is to administer the Barton Reading and Spelling student screening test. If your ds cannot pass Part C of the screening, his phonological awareness weakness will most likely need to be remediated before he will be successful with any phonics program. Susan Barton recommends the Lindamood Bell Phonemic Sequencing (LiPS) program for this. There are 3 options available for LiPS: 1. Go to a Lindamood Bell Learning Center, which is very expensive but probably most effective. 2. Find a speech language pathologist who has been trained to teach the program. 3. Buy the clinical kit from Linguisystems, watch the video and read the manual, and teach your child yourself. The clinical kit is about $340. There are other (much cheaper) things you can do to improve phonological awareness, but LiPS is unique and I think probably the most effective method available.

 

If your dd needs work on her phonological awareness but LiPS is out of the question, here are some other things you can do:

1. Literacy Leaders from EPS, $31,95. You can download the first chapter free and get started now.

2. Read lots and lots of rhymes and poetry

3. Earobics - software that you can use at home, $69.95

4. Join the Heart of Reading yahoo group and look at their files for more ideas.

 

Regarding the phono-graphix approach (which includes ABeCeDarien), I've read that if it's going to work for your child, you'll know fairly quickly. I forget exactly how long other posters have said to give it before ditching it in favor of OG - but I think it's somewhere between 6 wks and 3 months.

 

I understand what you mean about jumping around. When I realized my youngest dd is dyslexic, I told my dh that I don't want to a) waste time using stuff that doesn't work, and b) throw good money after bad. I'm going to research and find out what works best and just buy that one thing.

[home4fun]

with the last post, but I have used the Dianne Craft method. I think you will want to research also about being right brained and a picture thinker. That is Dianne' s main area that is really helpful. Her method and I think any method is time consuming and at times exhausting. (I have 4 as well). But Diannes method did help me understand why my son was having so many problems with reading and gave me a lot of patience that I did not have before. We do her figure 8 exercises everyday, do repatterning once a week, we used her sound cards, which my son loved and really helped him take his first steps in reading. We have her dyslexic handbook and we read words from that each day. I agree that if your son is dyslexic then he may need a different program. I used Diannes methods for 6-8 months, but my son really needed more help. We used and are using the Davis program from the book The gift of dyslexia by Ronald D Davis. We were able to find a tutor in our area and yes it is expensive, but the results will and have been life changing for our son.

 

There is not one way to help with Dyslexia, and that is what makes it so hard to decide on a program.

 

Blessings as you proceed and find what is best for your son.

 

Angie (home4fun)

 

3 boys 10,7,4, and a princess (1)

[Pongo]

I didn't realize the OP was talking about a dyslexic child. I don't believe that was the case with my dd which is why I think Dianne's ideas helped my dd to read. I don't know how it would fair among dyslexic children.

My dd is a right-brained kid that needed color and pictures. I think she would have eventually learned to read but this really got her going with great results.

I hope you find what you are needing.

[ElizabethB]

I would try my online phonics lessons first--they're free and have worked with some of my students who were diagnosed with dyslexia. You really need to get to lesson 14 before it all starts clicking. (I've tried to get there quicker, but you have to build certain fundamentals before you can get to that point.)

[A home for their hearts]

I really don't know if my ds is dyslexic or not. I'm trying to figure out where to take him to be tested. This is all so overwhelming. I would never be able to afford the other programs mentioned. My head is spinning.

[A home for their hearts]

 

Secondly, most kids who struggle with reading have a phonological awareness deficit. An easy, free way to find out if this might apply to your ds is to administer the Barton Reading and Spelling student screening test..

 

I went to the Barton website and I can't find a link to the test is this available online? Thanks

[siloam]

A friend showed me this and I'm wondering if it would work for my ds8 who is struggling to learn to read. I just started him with Abecedarian short version A and he hates it and I don't know if it's going to work for him anyway. I'm tempted to buy Dianne Crafts phonics materials but it's so expensive I want to make sure it is something that would work for us. I can't keep jumping around from program to program or he isn't ever going to learn to read! LOL

 

Stacy,

 

I haven't used Dianne Craft materials, though I have looked at them. I am dyslexic myself, so this is my take.

 

For any child having visual memory issues (which most dyslexic students do) I don't see it working well. Generally most O/G programs do include an element of visual distinction, but they also include other tools. Not saying it can't work, just that I think it relies a little too much on the visual aspect to me.

 

That said, what problems are your ds having? I have taught three children to read, two of them being dyslexic, and have one ds who is probably dyslexic, and has other auditory processing issues who is doing LiPS for speech therapy right now. If you post the issues you are having I might be able to suggest some different approaches.

 

Heather

 

[LizzyBee]

I went to the Barton website and I can't find a link to the test is this available online? Thanks

 

Here's the link:

http://www.bartonreading.com/students_long.html#screen

[A home for their hearts]

Stacy,

 

I haven't used Dianne Craft materials, though I have looked at them. I am dyslexic myself, so this is my take.

 

For any child having visual memory issues (which most dyslexic students do) I don't see it working well. Generally most O/G programs do include an element of visual distinction, but they also include other tools. Not saying it can't work, just that I think it relies a little too much on the visual aspect to me.

 

That said, what problems are your ds having? I have taught three children to read, two of them being dyslexic, and have one ds who is probably dyslexic, and has other auditory processing issues who is doing LiPS for speech therapy right now. If you post the issues you are having I might be able to suggest some different approaches.

 

Heather

 

 

Heather, thanks for your post. I'm just really lost right now at what to do. I myself am dyslexic and it makes it even harder on me doing all this research and trying to figure out that best approach and what will work for my ds. We started off reading instruction with OPGTR. He didn't like it and it seemed like it was taking forever for things to click so I switched to the I Am Sam books. He is doing okay with them but doesn't like them because he thinks they are babyish. I've noticed lately he is mixing sounds up when he is reading. For instance with the word pot when he first reads it he will say pat and then I'll say let's look at the sound in the middle and then he will say oh yeah, pot. He does this maybe a third of the time when reading. We really have gotten into long sounds much. We touched on them some in OPGTR and he really struggled. I just got Abecedarian short version A. He really hates that we have to start with 3 letter words he thinks it's too easy and he already knows them but then he starts making mistakes like mentioned above while going over these 'easy' words. The thing that I though may help him with the Diane Craft materials is if he's having trouble remember the sounds the vowels make the pictured flash cards might help him. I really don't know if Abecedarian is going to work or not. It's a new method to me and sometimes I worry I will implement it wrong messing him up even further.

 

I've made an appointment with a child psychiatrist, recommanded by our ped, for testing. It's not until the end of April.

 

I really appreciate any advice or suggestions anyone may have. I'm trying my best not to loose my mind! LOL

[siloam]

Stacy,

 

Barton's is a little out of my price range too. I ended up with All About Spelling, which doesn't have the reading portion (yet-it is coming), nor the videos, but it is scripted, it uses O/G methods, and it sequential with lots of review. All the things dyslexic children need. BUT from what I hear Abecedarian is also a good program and AAS would also start with CVC words, which wouldn't thrill your ds, though if he doesn't spell well he might tolerate it better. (shrug) If it is just a problem with the readers being easy then I say stick it out with Abecedarian.

 

Ok now down to really cheap things you can do now.

 

First of all try having him practice his letter sounds daily, using multi-sensory methods where you say the sound and then he writes the letter and repeats the sound:

 

Write them in sand or corn meal.

Use a textured fabric and have him write on it with his finger.

Use a plastic bag with shaving cream inside to write on.

Have him use is first two fingers and just write really big in the air.

Make some sand letter cards for him to trace.

 

It really isn't fun, but dyslexic children usually have to over lean things to transfer then into long term memory, and the multi-sensory learning helps with them both learning the material and recalling it later (another issue with dyslexic children). In fact I did sand letter cards or writing in sand with all four on my children for a whole year last year (all 26 letters while saying their sounds). Talk about groans by the end of the year. We are taking this year off, then next year I will do it again with the youngest 3. While it was a pain the middle two have stopped almost all their reversals, and my 2nd dd made lots of improvements in remembering the phonograms (now she actually remembers them better than my non-dyslexic child). :D

 

Another possibility you might consider, is I try to have them reading both something that is on their learning level and something that is easy to build fluency. For example my 9yo reads aloud to me 5 pages a day on about a 3rd grade level, then she reads for 20 mins alone on a 2nd grade level. My 7yo is reading the Bob long vowel books (1 a day) and she is also reading the I See Sam Books (2 a day).

 

Another great way to build fluency (this is built into AAS, but you can do it with other spelling programs) is make up flash cards of his spelling words, and have him read them. Helps with reading fluency, and with "seeing" words spelled correctly. I also them spell a few out loud, which is really hard for my girls. It is easier for them to write them out, but it forces them to picture the word in their head and I believe that helps them remember how it is spelled later.

 

I know it is discouraging, and really hard when they are giving you attitude, but I would encourage you to stick with a multi-sensory method (Abecedarian or otherwise). The I See Sam books are great, but I wouldn't use them alone without some multi-sensory approach.

 

Heather

[ElizabethB]

He didn't like it and it seemed like it was taking forever for things to click so I switched to the I Am Sam books. He is doing okay with them but doesn't like them because he thinks they are babyish. I've noticed lately he is mixing sounds up when he is reading. For instance with the word pot when he first reads it he will say pat and then I'll say let's look at the sound in the middle and then he will say oh yeah, pot. He does this maybe a third of the time when reading.

 

I really appreciate any advice or suggestions anyone may have. I'm trying my best not to loose my mind! LOL

 

With my remedial students, I like to use sports analogies and compare their practice to the drills football players do. Even NFL football players do very simple drills, that's how them improve. And, they do them hundreds of times. (Most sports have similar drills, any sport the child likes can be used as an example.)

 

Also, I teach 2 and 3 syllable words from lessons 1. For lesson 1, I teach to divide between two consonants, then they divide up and sound out some nonsense words like mitsitpin. On lesson 2, one of the words they learn to divide is a real word--fantastic. I also have nonsense words for practice, it helps stop guessing and helps them focus on the sounds of each letter.

 

Here is a game that even my adults and older children enjoy to take some of the drudgery out of practicing those short words, it makes both real and nonsense words:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/concentrationgam.html

[A home for their hearts]

Stacy,

 

Barton's is a little out of my price range too. I ended up with All About Spelling, which doesn't have the reading portion (yet-it is coming), nor the videos, but it is scripted, it uses O/G methods, and it sequential with lots of review. All the things dyslexic children need. BUT from what I hear Abecedarian is also a good program and AAS would also start with CVC words, which wouldn't thrill your ds, though if he doesn't spell well he might tolerate it better. (shrug) If it is just a problem with the readers being easy then I say stick it out with Abecedarian.

 

Ok now down to really cheap things you can do now.

 

First of all try having him practice his letter sounds daily, using multi-sensory methods where you say the sound and then he writes the letter and repeats the sound:

 

Write them in sand or corn meal.

Use a textured fabric and have him write on it with his finger.

Use a plastic bag with shaving cream inside to write on.

Have him use is first two fingers and just write really big in the air.

Make some sand letter cards for him to trace.

 

It really isn't fun, but dyslexic children usually have to over lean things to transfer then into long term memory, and the multi-sensory learning helps with them both learning the material and recalling it later (another issue with dyslexic children). In fact I did sand letter cards or writing in sand with all four on my children for a whole year last year (all 26 letters while saying their sounds). Talk about groans by the end of the year. We are taking this year off, then next year I will do it again with the youngest 3. While it was a pain the middle two have stopped almost all their reversals, and my 2nd dd made lots of improvements in remembering the phonograms (now she actually remembers them better than my non-dyslexic child). :D

 

Another possibility you might consider, is I try to have them reading both something that is on their learning level and something that is easy to build fluency. For example my 9yo reads aloud to me 5 pages a day on about a 3rd grade level, then she reads for 20 mins alone on a 2nd grade level. My 7yo is reading the Bob long vowel books (1 a day) and she is also reading the I See Sam Books (2 a day).

 

Another great way to build fluency (this is built into AAS, but you can do it with other spelling programs) is make up flash cards of his spelling words, and have him read them. Helps with reading fluency, and with "seeing" words spelled correctly. I also them spell a few out loud, which is really hard for my girls. It is easier for them to write them out, but it forces them to picture the word in their head and I believe that helps them remember how it is spelled later.

 

I know it is discouraging, and really hard when they are giving you attitude, but I would encourage you to stick with a multi-sensory method (Abecedarian or otherwise). The I See Sam books are great, but I wouldn't use them alone without some multi-sensory approach.

 

Heather

 

Heather thank you for all your great suggestions. I thought about trying to use AAS for phonics but I'm not sure how to do it. We do have level 1 & 2.

I think I'm going to try abecedarian for a few weeks with some of the suggestions you gave to add in some sensory work. The program mentioned below looks great too!

 

With my remedial students, I like to use sports analogies and compare their practice to the drills football players do. Even NFL football players do very simple drills, that's how them improve. And, they do them hundreds of times. (Most sports have similar drills, any sport the child likes can be used as an example.)

 

Also, I teach 2 and 3 syllable words from lessons 1. For lesson 1, I teach to divide between two consonants, then they divide up and sound out some nonsense words like mitsitpin. On lesson 2, one of the words they learn to divide is a real word--fantastic. I also have nonsense words for practice, it helps stop guessing and helps them focus on the sounds of each letter.

 

Here is a game that even my adults and older children enjoy to take some of the drudgery out of practicing those short words, it makes both real and nonsense words:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/concentrationgam.html

 

Thank you for this phonics program and the game they both look great.