Oh yes...that sounds very familiar. When my son is stuck and not able to write I have him say his thoughts out loud and I type what he says. Then he edits and rearranges it into something readable.

Your son sounds a lot like mine...slow PS, inattentive ADHD, etc. One thing he's been doing is writing down the time at the beginning of each math problem. He has a lot of trouble staying focused and is seemingly unaware of time and when he's "spacing out". It's helped a lot with that.

Has anyone used this as a progress monitoring tool to go along with the Barton program? Did you like it and why or why not? Does one need to purchase the whole kit?

I am considering taking the Online Orton-Gillingham Introductory Course. I was not able to find out what kind of internet connection is required. I have the Verizon MiFi and am not able to stream. Would this be a problem? Was the course helpful to those of you using the Barton Reading and Spelling Program? Thanks!

bump :bigear:

Does anyone have experience with the Barton stand-alone books for levels 3 & 4? How long are they? What ages are they good for? Would they interest a 11 yr old girl? I am doing the Barton System with her and am wondering if it is worthwhile purchasing them. Does anyone have some used ones for sale?

Thanks so much, ladies, for all the great info! I've been reading about the importance of rhythm training but wasn't sure how to incorporate it. This help so much. I will definitely be trying this!

There's been mention made in various posts about using a metronome. I would love to hear more about that. How have you used it? What issues is it helpful for? What kind of improvement did you see?

Thanks, OhElizabeth!

OhElizabeth, I am interested in more info on "HeatherMonsters Metronome". I googled it but can't find anything ??

My son went through this program and we were very happy with the results. We saw a lot of improvement with his dysgraphia. He has an amazing ability to remember facts that he reads but could not rephrase or summarize and that also changed dramatically. His school research paper from one year to the next changed so much that you would have never thought it was the same kid. He took the Woodcock Johnson test before and at the end. His percentiles were up in every category with the most dramatic one being writing fluency. He went from the 25th percentile to the 92nd. It did not take all his problems away but it made things a lot more manageable. I hope it make as big a difference for your child as it did for ours!

Hello, I've never considered my 11 yr old daughter as having a learning disability as she has no difficulty in school. She has had some minor attention issues and struggles with tics. Her "storytelling" is what concerns me. She jumps around a lot, adds non-essentials, clarifies, and constantly says "it's like...". It can be very difficult to follow what she's trying to communicate. Is there help for this? I tried to google it but found it difficult to search when I don't know what to call it. I would love if there would be something I could do with her at home. Any ideas?

Thanks for your advice, Merry Garden! It sounds like from what you said about the program being helpful for speech issues that the LiPS stick may be the way to go. I would like to work on learning the LiPS program over the summer and hopefullly be ready to teach it to him in the fall. I am using the Barton System with another student and it is extremely user friendly. It sounds like this will take a lot more effort on my part. With the way God has made me, I think I will be able to. If I can't, we haven't lost a lot since the alternative is no intervention. :001_smile:

Thank you, Merry Gardens, for your response! I have found your posts to be very helpful. I am a volunteer tutor (just beginning) for a small private christian school and so the student is not my child. Previously, the school (because of lack of funds) did not offer any help for learning disabilities. So I feel like I have soooo much to learn and am so limited in what I can offer but feel like it's better than nothing. The school has a very tight budget and so I am trying to do as much as I can and learn as much as I can on as little as possible because it all needs to be approved by the school board. I have a son that is very gifted but has a learning disability. We were able to do educational therapy outside of school with him so I do have a small amount of experience. His therapist was a very dear lady who taught me a lot and she encouraged me to do more for others. My student struggles with auditory memory and that's why he didn't pass the student screening. Sequence is very difficult for him. You recommended having an evaluation done by a speech therapist. I'd love to hear more about that? What is the reasoning behind that suggestion? Also, there are a number of other students who have speech problems...don't pronounce their "R"s, etc. Are there things in this program that the teachers could incorporate into their classrooms? Thank you!

I just joined here and I am so grateful for all the help I've gotten just reading through posts! I have a student who was going to do the Barton System but did not pass the screening. Susan Barton said he needs to do a portion of the LiPS program first by a trained professional. Finances and availability do not allow that. From what I've read on here it sounds like it is possible to learn the program on my own and teach it to him??? Is it okay to get an older manual or would it be better to get the 4th addition with the dvds that come with it? From what I've read, it sounds like I should get the vowel and consonant dvds as well??? Is anyone familiar with the LiPS stick? Will that give me all the accessories that I need? Thanks!