Every Barton lesson starts with review. You do not move on until mastery. So in level 4, for example, each lesson starts with reviewing the units. Then you start the lesson. Each lesson consists of: 1. Phonemic awareness warm-up. 2. New teachings 3. Spell real words on tiles 4. Read Nonsense words on tiles 5. Spell nonsense words on tiles 6. Read words on paper 7. Spell words on paper 8. Practice reading sight words 9. practice spelling sight words 10. read phrases 11. spell phrases & sight words 12. read sentences 13. spell sentences 14. read a story. This is for EACH new concept. For example, one lesson in level 4 deals with spelling the /k/ sound in the middle of a word. So first you teach the lesson, then they practice by spelling words like cactus and broken (they've already learned the difference between open and closed syllables at this point.) Then they read nonsense words like slupky and spacken. And you go on through the procedures for just that concept. Barton levels cost $300, and you can resale them for about $250. Depending on the level and the severity of the child, it takes anywhere from 3-6 months to get through levels 3-10. (Levels 1 and 2 can go quicker.) You should NOT start in level 3 unless the student has received prior Orton-Gillingham tutoring. Level 1 is all phonemic awareness, and is crucial. Each level builds upon the previous levels, so you really can't skip them. Hope this helps answer your questions. Sorry, but still not able to form paragraphs from my computer! :)

One thing to keep in mind: if you are going to do Barton tutoring, she doesn't recommend that you work on a formal writing program until they are through level 4. If you want him to write a bit in a journal, that's probably ok. But I would just do it low key and only if he wants to. It can be deflating for them to work hard at writing, and then have all those corrections to be made. I would let him write if he wants so that he builds up stamina and enjoyment of it (if he truly does like it), but I would not correct the errors. Wait until he's through level 4, at which time you can teach him to go back through his writing and make the corrections based on the Barton rules.

My two sons have each had (over the years) 2 neuropsych evals, and 1 Barton Screening. For the NP evals, their IQ and achievement were measured, resulting in a discrepancy which earned them the label of reading disorder. (Other tests were given as well, of course.) For the Barton screening, the screeners administered 9 different probes to look for specific signs of dyslexia. I was given a 12-page report with very specific remediation recommendations to help each child, along with a list of accommodations and further resources. The screeners are also able to sign for Learning Ally membership. The NP reports were nice because I understood what other factors may be playing a part (like memory, executive functioning, etc), but none of them seemed to have a solid understanding of dyslexia and what the very specific symptoms are, even though they actually mention it in their report. The Barton Screeners, on the other hand, specialize only in dyslexia, and are quite good at testing for all the very specific symptoms that you'll see in dyslexics. They cannot do the IQ,achievement, ADHD, etc., testing, however. So there are pros and cons to both. I'm sure the $850 screening was the type that you can take to the public schools to demand remediation -- they cost more and Susan Barton no longer certifies that type of screener, I don't think, because the school districts fight outside evaluations so intensely. The $350 screening tells you whether the child fits the scientific definition of dyslexia, which is valuable because then you know what direction to head with your remediation, but it won't qualify the child for services through the public schools or get them testing accommodations. So it really depends on what you need the eval for. If it's a younger child, the $350 screening is nice because you'll know if they fit the profile for dyslexia and you can then start an Orton-Gillingham program to help them. In time, and with the right kind of tutoring, hopefully they won't need any accommodations. On the other hand, if it's an older child who needs college entrance exam accommodations, you need a NP eval. Sorry all one paragraph -- not sure why my enter button isn't working!

I looked into the IM Home first, but couldn't find someone to oversee it in our area. So just did the sessions in-office with the provider. :)

Twice a week for an hour. You can't really do IM straight for an hour -- they need breaks. But they would work hard for an hour with little breaks in there.

I WISH they were percentiles! :laugh: The WISC-IV scores are composites. So his processing speed of 94 is the 34th%, up from the 9th%. And working memory of 91 is the 27th%, up from 18th%.

Hi all, My ds, 13, just finished 8 weeks of Interactive Metronome. I know many are considering it, so thought I'd give a quick account of how it went for us. For background, ds is (was -- Barton saved him) severely dyslexic and dysgraphic, with low processing speed and working memory. According to the neuropsych, he is not ADD, but certainly struggles with time management. He is also very bright. We did IM with an OT who is a certified IM provider in a COVD optometrist's office -- they evaluate and treat together. We pursued this therapy because my ds is a very slow processor, and homework was taking forever in the evenings. I homeschooled him for three years, and he is now in 7th grade at a rigorous private school. He has also struggled with word retrieval, etc. Anyhow, I am delighted to report that we have seen some changes in processing speed and working memory! Ds is definitely able to complete his schoolwork quicker. I did not tell his teachers we were doing the therapy, but near the end asked them if they had noticed any changes in him. His math/science teacher said he was no longer the last child to complete his practice problems on his whiteboard (3 or 4 were now slower), and he was no longer the last child to complete his tests. He was required to outline chapters in history, which was extremely difficult for him. He was now able to actually outline faster than the teacher's lecture. At home, he went from spending 2-4 hours on homework, to an average of 1 hour. He is quite level-headed and aware of the placebo affect, but still felt he was benefiting. He felt that before the IM, his processing speed was a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. Upon completion, he rated it a 7+. The IM provider did her own before and after tests, which showed the following: Visual modality - went from 16% to 37% Auditory Modality - 21% to 34% Delayed Recall - 37% to 75% Word fluency - 16% to 70% Now, being the skeptic that I am, I decided to have a neuropsych administer just the working memory and processing speed sections of the WISC IV to see if there was more "objective proof" that his speed had improved. Even though I believed it had, I was curious if those numbers would go up as a result of the therapy. And since ds has had 3 evals over the years, I had lots of previous numbers to compare to. :) So, from his latest testing in June 2011, his working memory was 86, and his processing speed was 80. Last week, on the same test, his working memory was 91, and his processing speed was 94. That increase from 80 to 94 in his processing speed is significant, as it's almost a standard deviation. Anyhow, I was pleased with those results and felt that having an objective 3rd party test him was further proof that it actually helped. The OT said IM has a cumulative effect, and that she would expect improvements to continue over the course of the next year. I may just test him again in a year out of curiousity. She did say that ds was an extremely hard worker at IM, and that she felt she really maxed him out as much as possible in the program. While she thinks some kids can benefit from a "tune-up" in another 6 months, she felt that ds would not need that as she had made the program as difficult as possible for him. So, I hope that by sharing our experience, it may help someone else. Obviously each child is very different, but I know that I appreciate hearing others' experiences. Hope this is helpful.

Yes - I bought it a few months ago. I'm a certified Barton tutor and give it to kids to track their progress. I liked it -- it is easy to administer and score. I've only given it twice. Mine came in a box with instructions and test booklets. You would definitely need both to use the test. I will say I haven't tested those two kiddos again -- I will in May. Their baseline scores were lowere than I expected.

This book has worked very well for my dyslexics: "Two Plus Two is Not Five" by Susan Greenwald They have it on Amazon. It gives them a different "hook" in order to remember addition and subtraction facts. As an example, it teaches the 4+7=11 fact family by pointing out these three numbers are the "straight line" numbers -- all the other numbers have curves. If you use it as it is intended (10 min. a day with flashcards as described in the beginning of the book), it really does work. It's not a full math program, just a way of memorizing those darn facts. Also, Times Tales DVD can be very successful for some kiddos.

Yes! You're right -- it is Balametrics! It was a few years ago, and we used Balavisx with an OT, so that's why I got confused. Maybe it is Neuronet that had the Chinese equipment.

We tried it. I bought the entire kit, along with 2 balance boards. The only disavantage (and it is a problem) is the user manual is old and not the greatest. The whole kit is sold under another name -- I can't remember it -- with an updated manual, or maybe a DVD, again, I can't remember, but it was more expensive, so I went with the original. Plus, it was made in the USA, whereas the other one was China. Since the manual wasn't great, and I wanted my guy to be able to do it somewhat independently (after I trained him), I made up some sheets with pictures that described what he should do, in what order. That worked, and I would train him on how to do it, then he could just follow along on the sheets on his own and do it. BUT, then I ran out of time making the sheets, and we moved, and basically, we stopped. We only did it for probably one month. Did it help? I didn't really see anything, although I don't think we gave it enough of a try. Which is what I heard from people before I bought it. I haven't talked with anyone who really stuck with it for a long time and could therefore say whether it was beneficial. :)

Hi all, Just wanted to share a book I found that has been amazingly helpful for learning addition/subtration math facts. I ordered it in the spring and used it over the summer with my 8-year-old mildly dyslexic rising third-grader. It's a bit unique because instead of just drilling, it provides a different "hook" for the various math facts. For example, it teaches the 7+4=11 fact family by teaching that all three of the numbers have straight lines (and they are the only numbers with all straight lines). Some of it still ends up being rote memorization (like the doubles), but it tries to bring in patterns or hooks for the different facts as much as possible. The intro tells you how to do it, but basically you teach a fact, then have a few pages of practice, and put the fact on an index card. The next day, you review your index cards, and either learn a new fact, or continue practicing. There's lots and lots of review all throughout the workbook. I have been so pleasantly surprised at how well its worked. We have been fairly diligent about doing just 10 minutes a day, which of course has been met with resistance by ds! But after a few months of doing it, he is actually very positive about it because it has helped so much. He just started 3rd grade, and he's doing way better in math. I can't say for sure that it's this book, but it sure has me suspicious. I also have an older ds and older dd (one dyslexic and one not), and discovered that they are not automatic on some of their addition/subtraction facts. After seeing their little brother's success, they are willingly going to spend 10 min. a day on the facts they don't know. The book is called "Two Plus Two is Not Five," written by Susan Greenwald. It's on Amazon for $25, but I can't get the link to work for some reason. Hope someone finds it useful! :) Carolyn

Based on your description, your son has many signs of dyslexia: spelling difficulties, reading difficulties, leaving out vowels sounds, mixes up letters within a word, etc. Here are the warning signs of dyslexia: http://www.bartonreading.com/pdf/Dys%20warning%20signs.pdf If you need more info about dyslexia, try this link: http://www.dys-add.com/index.html If your child is dyslexic, research shows an Orton-Gillingham method is best to teach reading/spelling. There are several such programs listed here: http://www.dys-add.com/getHelp.html#anchorOrtonSystems Many on this board have used the Barton program, such as myself, with great success. Of course, your child could have other/different issues. I am just basing my comments on your brief description. That's why I'd encourage you to look closely at the warning signs, and if there are many, then learn more about dyslexia from the link above. Hope that helps! Carolyn

I have never heard of this, but my ds has almost all the signs. One neuropsych said he was ADD when he was really young (kindergarten). We tried a few weeks of Ritalin, which didn't help and gave him a lot of anxiety. Last year (when he was 11) another neuropsych said no he wasn't ADD -- he just has low working memory and processing speed. Please let us know what you find out!

Yes -- We had a therapist prescribe a similar-sounding program for my ds, who is severly dyslexic. I knew right away that it was problematic for him, because breaking his guessing strategies was very, very difficult. Encouraging speed over accuracy for a dyslexic is not a good thing as it will encourage them to guess because decoding is hard for them. So we didn't do it. At that time in our rural community, there was no COVD therapist, so this was one of a couple that we tried. Now we live in a much bigger area, and there is a COVD therapist, who has an o/t that does interactive metronome. So we're going to try it in an attempt to increase my ds's processing speed and working memory (plus coordination). I'm hoping we will see some gains. As for fluency, typically that can be increased by reading the same passage at least four times. There are programs that are specific for fluency, but I'm not familiar with them as I use the optional fluency program that comes with Barton. But the idea is to read the passage and time the child. You read along with your own copy and mark any words misread. Have her read for one minute, at a speed that she can keep her accuracy high. Count the words read, and subtract any errors. Then have have her read it again, but this time ask her to try reading just a little faster. Do that every day, having her read the same passage 4 times (twice a day for two days). Then switch to a new passage. The key is finding a passage that is at the correct reading level, that's why the programs are nice because they provide the passages. If she's dyslexic, you'll need to be very careful that she is only reading controlled text, which is text that she's been taught to decode. If you don't do this, and she doesn't know how to decode some of the words, then she will have to resort to guessing, which you don't want. Do these fluency exercises for as long as it takes to bring up her speed. I've seen young children respond very quickly to this -- increasing wpm drastically in about 2 months. But it can take some children a very long time to increase fluency.

Couple of questions: What program is she certified in? Is there a scope/sequence to the program she uses that you can look at, so that you know what to expect? How did you find her? Did someone recommend her? Does your son like her (aside from the storm comment)? Before you bail (which might end up being the best thing), I would recommend sitting in on a session to observe. The comment about the storm does seem odd to me. It is not uncommon for dyslexics to have gaps in learning, and to seem to know a concept one day, and not the next. While it doesn't sound like a spectacular start, I'd want more info before I stopped. Do you have some other options for a tutor?

You'll have to be careful with the public schools. Most schools do not DIAGNOSE dyslexia. Instead they determine if your child is ELIGIBLE for services. So you may be successful in getting them to do some tests, but it's highly unlikely you'll walk away with a diagnosis. Instead, they'll tell you if your child will qualify for different types of services. Which leads to another problem. If your child is indeed dyslexic, and does qualify for special ed services, most public schools do not have the resources to properly remediate them. A dyslexic child needs individual (or at least a small group of no more than 2 other children) tutoring in an Orton-Gillingham program. There are exceptions, so it's worth asking, but most PS do not offer this. And there have been many, many parents who fight desperately to get their child into special ed, only to find that it doesn't help them. The Scottish Rite is a good option, as are Barton screeners (but they won't be free). If you have good insurance, you may be able to get a neuropsychological eval for cheap (believe it or not, I only paid $30), but please ASK before they test. we've been to three NP, and all three said they COULD NOT diagnose dyslexia. They could, however, diagnose a reading disorder, but they could not tell me if it was dyslexia. But I do think some NP will diagnose it. Many parents learn about dyslexia, become convinced their child has it, and then start tutoring them with an O-G system without a formal diagnosis. If the child is struggling in reading/spelling, and there is a high likelihood that the child is dyslexic (they have many of the warning signs, a close relative has it, and there aren't any other issues going on), an O-G system is highly likely to help that child, with or without a diagnosis. Here are the warning signs of dyslexia: http://www.bartonreading.com/pdf/Dys%20warning%20signs.pdf Here are some informational videos: http://www.dys-add.com/ Good luck!

It would be wonderful if people could pay $60 and get a qualified, honest opinion. Unfortunately, there are many other providers out there, and it's not always easy to find a good one who is both competent and is not looking to make a quick buck by passing off the patient to one of the techs. In our case, there was only one doc within 4 hours. Since we wanted the eval, I went with her. In our case, it was a waste of thousands of dollars and a year of time. So in a perfect world, I would agree with you. But in our flawed world, I don't think it's that easy.

Just wanted to also add that all kids should be regularly screened for hearing/vision. I'm singling out vision therapy as separate from a regular eye exam. Also, if the child clearly has tracking problems (that presents differently than the OP description), than v/t may be the first-line approach...

Clearly some kids can have both dyslexia and a vision issue. I would GUESS (and I don't know this for sure) that most kids will have only dyslexia, while a smaller percentage will have both dyslexia and the vision problem. Do you know what percentage of the population has vision issues that need V/T? I do know that up to 20 % of the pop has dyslexia. Many, many children with dyslexia have a poor visual memory. They read a word on one page and can't recognize it on the next. O-G programs do address this. You are right that you need a good visual memory to be able to read -- because of sight words. Barton goes through a very long, incredibly multi-sensory procedure on how to visually memorize sight words, which account for 15% of our English language (if taught the O-G way -- some programs will teach more like 40% of words through memorization instead of decoding). So that issue is being addressed. Can you work on it through v/t? Of course. But if it's visual memory that's the issue, it will be address in an O-G program. What if it's reversals? That's also addressed, very effectively. So that addresses two common problems that v/t addresses -- visual memory and reversals. There are obviously other skills that v/t helps with, and individual children MAY benefit from doing v/t first, but looking at the population as a whole, my guess is more kids will get the help they need faster if they simply cut to the chase and do the O-G program first. But I admit that there will be some that need the v/t first. I had to laugh to myself when I wrote my first post, OhElizabeth, because I know you are a staunch believer in v/t, and I knew you'd probably call me out on my recommendation. :001_smile: I really respect your opinion, and your kids are lucky to have you. I know v/t was extremely helpful in your family. In my case, I've done v/t with two of my kiddos, and O-G. We worked hard for 45 min. a day for many months, and it didn't help their reading and spelling one bit. Our therapist actually had a very elaborate exercise where my son was supposed to use a ball hanging from the ceiling that he would swing follow with his eyes and say the letters of his spelling words while I would slowly erase one by one off a chalkboard. But we would outline the word first, so that the outline would help him remember how to spell the word. After I've learned and been trainined in O-G programs, I realized this is simply reinforcing the dyslexic's strategy of spelling/reading words based on shape. Additionally, one v/t had a computer program that was to improve tracking. My child was to read a story as fast as possible, one line at a time on it. Once I realized what it was, we stopped, as it was totally reinforcing the guessing strategies that I was so desperately trying to stop. These are just a couple of examples of exercises that are problematic for dyslexics. They were from two different docs, by the way. By the way, is SWR a TRUE O-G program, or one of the spin-offs? Hope this helps clarify my position. I do agree that in some cases v/t would be helpful first, but again, my educated guess (since I don't know the % of kiddos that truly need v/t) is that more kids just need O-G. Carolyn

I think this is the biggest problem -- our public school system is incredibly flawed. So many children do not qualify for special ed services and fall between the cracks. Then there are those that do, and most SE departments are woefully unable to meet their needs -- both in terms of staffing and also being educated properly (teachers don't learn about dyslexia in college -- which is insane!). If our public school system could properly meet the educational needs of kids (we are such a VERY LONG ways from this) and help all the children who need it, children would be much more successful, and families wouldn't have to spend nearly the amount they do seeking private therapies/tutoring. As it is now, children are so much better off if their families can afford to take matters into their own hands pay for outside testing/therapy/services, but many families cannot. And so these children continue on struggling. It's really a travesty to our children and our society as a whole.

What you describe here is would be a typical reaction of a child with dyslexia. I would have her tested for this first, because if she is dyslexic, no amount of vision therapy is going to change that. (Although she could have two separate issues going on.) Check out the videos/information on this link: http://www.dys-add.com/ See if your daughter has the symptoms, and if she does, either start tutoring her with an orton-gillingham based program, like Barton Reading & Spelling (you can do it or you can hire someone), or have her tested (there are links to testers on the website) for dyslexia. I would do this first, as opposed to doing VT first. Statistically, her chances of having dyslexia are higher (up to 20% of the pop. has it) than having a vision issue. And, some of the V/T exercises can further ingrain the bad habits of dyslexia, like reading/spelling based on the shape of the word. If she still isn't making progress, then get her vision checked. Good luck! Carolyn

Copy work for a dyslexic will build up their writing stamina, which is often low if they also have dysgraphia (most do, but not all). Copy work WILL NOT teach a dyslexic how to punctuate, spell, etc. That's because they need very explicit systematic instruction for those areas of disability. So when you want a dyslexic to compose, there should be several drafts (really, that's true for all students). The first draft is ONLY to get their thoughts and ideas down. THEN you go back and apply the spelling rules and check for grammar punctuation, etc. If you insist on it the first draft, it will interfere with their ability to simply express their thoughts/ideas, so don't do that. Since most dyslexics are dysgraphic (again, not all), either allow them to dictate to you while you type, or let them type or use voice recognition software to get their first draft onto the computer. Then editing is much easier, and they don't have to write a final copy. Forcing anyone with dysgraphia to do several handwritten copies is cruel and will cause them to not want to write. Hope this helps!

Reading to her is great as it will continue to grow her background knowledge and vocabulary, which is super important. You can also download books onto an MP3 player, or get books on CD from your library. The other thing you can do is find and focus on her gifted areas, which they all have. Whether it's sports, art, music, math, drama, science, whatever. Focusing on those areas in which your child succeeds is important to help build the their self esteem. Please do call Susan so that you don't spend more time than you need on the LIPS. And believe it or not, catching them after second grade is still considered early! :) Good luck!

Which section did she fail? Lips is only for if they fail section C... If it's A or B, there is different remediation. Contact Susan either way, as they don't need the entire LIPS program in order to pass section C. She'll tell you what LIPS section they need to get through.