ShelleyW Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) I just purchased Barton level 1 for my 10 yo and 8 yo dc. I have watched all the training videos and started w/lesson 1 this week. My son is ok, he is pretty compliant so he is not a problem. My dd (10) is not an easy student to begin with. Well, she thinks the hand motions are stupid. I think that sums it up. She is a very self-conscious child anyway and doesn't like the structure of the lessons. I am ok with this for level 1 b/c she is going to complete level 1 anyway b/c it was obvious after 2 lessons that she needs it. I do understand that there is a certain structure that she needs to follow but I personally found the scripting kind of cheesy too so maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree? My question is this - before I go sink $250 on the next level for her, is the Wilson program similar in structure? I read here that it is much less scripted and more teacher intensive which I can deal with. I feel like I have tried so many programs and I have been doing this for a while so I have a pretty good idea of what is expected of me and as long as I have a scope and sequence, I can figure it out. I do think the phonemic awareness lessons ln level 1 are spot on what both of my dc need but maybe as we move into actual reading Wilson might work as well? I am NOT the kind of parent that usually gives into my kids complaining b/c something is stupid (in their opinion) or whatever other complaint they have, but my dd is beyond frustrated w/reading as well I would be so a little indulgence to improve her attitude makes sense to me. I would love to hear opinios from those of you that have seen both programs or have experience with Wilson. ETA: I do understand that I don't have to use the scripting as Susan Barton has written it and am not sure there is a way around it, just looking for info on Wilson to see how similar they are. :) Edited March 20, 2012 by ShelleyW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onaclairadeluna Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I adapted Barton quite a bit to my sons learning style. Perhaps if you explain what the hand motions are supposed to help he with she might come up with an alternative or me more willing to try them out. I don't have experience with Wilson so I don't know the difference but I would imagine you would come across similar issues no matter what program you use. Susan Barton is a great resource and always eager to help folks with issues like this. Why don't you email her and see if she has any suggestions? I have taken my son through Barton 10. It is a fantastic program! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrself Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Wilson has no "scripting," but it uses finger tapping for the sounds in words too. After 3 or 4 levels I think, they say if your student doesn't need it anymore you can let them give it up. Nicole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelleyW Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 I am going to contact Susan Barton this afternoon. I guess I am suffering from sticker shock and then to have to fight w/dd? Not so happy about that. I know the programs are very similar so I am going to see if I can get a hold of an instructor's guide and compare them. Then decide. The real sticker is that I can buy Wilson's entire program for less than the cost of 1 level of Barton. I know that I can sell them but I still have 2 coming up to learn to read so if they have the same issues, which is a strong possibility, I might as well keep the set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 (edited) It takes some time and effort to become Wilson certified. The last time I looked into enrolling for Wilson, it was costly and you have to hold a four year degree. You cannot simply watch a video or two and purchase a couple of books and use the system effectively. I would not recommend Wilson unless you are certified because it is highly teacher intensive. I thought I understood intense and then realized I was clueless after observing my DS be tutored for an hour. I never understood why he was so tired after being tutored, now I do. I'm always amazed that he has such a good attitude. Tutoring is really, really tough. Are you tutoring your DD in the presence of your younger child? If you are, I recommend that you not do that. Tutoring exposes their reading weaknesses and that can be embarrassing enough without hand gestures. All those movements serve a good purpose. If your 10 yo continues to be resistant with you and Barton, I recommend you place your DD with an O-G trained tutor. A good tutor can make that stuff fun and they generally love teaching. My son's tutor is passionate about teaching. A tutor only sees your child for an hour and can stay more upbeat and positive. Your DD may get more out of the program when the instruction comes from a stranger rather than you. Edited March 21, 2012 by Heathermomster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelleyW Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Heathermonster-I definitely am not going for certification of any program at this time. :) I have looked into having dd tutored but we just can.not.afford.it right now. She is doing VT, has OT and needs ST which has to wait until we free up some funds from what she is doing now. Reading is a priority but it is also something that I can do myself. I do think she would do better with someone else some days but she is an extremely shy child and often does worse with strangers. She won't tell a stranger she doesn't understand or if something is too hard or even ask a question. That is one of the main reasons she is home with me and not in PS. I don't ever do her reading lessons in front of anyone although her younger brother has the same issues so they can totally identify with each other's struggles. Funny though, she is proud to be Dyslexic and often shares this with her friends. I do understand how intense tutoring is b/c I used to tutor before my kids were born when I was a PS teacher. I also have realized that she has come a long way since September working on reading 4 days a week. That is what I am striving for. She is excited that she is starting to approach grade level so I am just trying to get her there as quickly as possible, within her limits. I am bordering on obsessed at this point w/reading programs so before she is ready to finish w/Barton level 1 I want to have a plan of action. She did tell me that the reason she *hates* (her word) Barton is because it is for babies. Maybe it will get better with the next level but since it seems well below her reading level I doubt it. When I called Barton they advised me to go through all the levels starting with 1 to ensure there are no gaps. I will mention it again when I call for advice. Thanks for your thoughts!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 If your DD hates Barton now for being babyish, she'd hate Wilson worse. I've known older kids who started Wilson later (say 4th-5th grade) and they don't like going through the prescribed 12 Wilson books. Good luck with whatever you decide. I know a handful of Wilson tutors and have a dear friend that took the certification class to work with her two children. It's an awesome program. Blessings, Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myboyluvsdinos Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 She did tell me that the reason she *hates* (her word) Barton is because it is for babies. Maybe it will get better with the next level but since it seems well below her reading level I doubt it. When I called Barton they advised me to go through all the levels starting with 1 to ensure there are no gaps. I will mention it again when I call for advice. Thanks for your thoughts!! Barton quickly gets tough. There's a BIG jump from level 3 to 4, and I can tell you from experience, it's not at all babyish. If you can get her to stick with it, it's the best program out there (obviously just my opinion). You do need to start with level 1, as it sets the stage for the other levels. If it's easy, just breeze through it and consider it a confidence booster before it starts getting tough. There is a huge resale market for Barton, so you can probably get about 75% of your investment back if you resale the products. Good luck! Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelleyW Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 (edited) Carolyn, I KNOW it will get harder for her quickly b/c the reason she needs it is b/c she struggles with reading. I just know that the next level will be "for babies" in her mind too so I am facing a struggle for at least a few months. She is not breezing through Level 1 at all although she is probably reading on a 3rd grade level. Her PA skills are seriously lacking. As a matter of fact, her 8 yo brother is breezing through the book, (to my surprise) and she is not. It just really clicked for him yesterday, so now, he gets it. I will not share that fact with her but I have been a little surprised at how she is struggling. I do believe that some of it is self-induced b/c her attitude stinks but it still isn't easy. Sigh............this is the child that will greatly diminish my level of sanity as I age. Thanks for your thoughts! Edited March 22, 2012 by ShelleyW typos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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