Logics of English - Foundations

[AnthemLights]

I have a friend whose son is dyslexic.  She home schools.  I have been trying to sell her on Barton's - I use it with mine and know what a good solid program it is.

 

She just asked me today about a program called Logics of English - Foundations.  What I thought of it.  I have never heard of it, but I did some quick research and it looks solid enough.  Not Barton's level solid, but still...

 

Anyone have any experience with it that they could share with me?  Yeah or Nay?

 

Thanks

[Heathermomster]

I used it with my DD. I would never recommend that program to work with dyslexics. LOE Foundations was designed to be used in a reg classroom with non-dyslexic students. If your friends has tons of experience with reading instruction, look at Recipe for Reading or something similar. LOE Foundtaions is also expensive.

[Guest]

I absolutely love the program and think it is excellent for all sorts of different kids and their different issues, but for someone who is moderately to severely dyslexic it wouldn't be a good fit without some modification. I think it works very well in terms of teaching proper direction of letters and not grouping similar looking or sounding letters together in lessons until fluency with the sound and form has been established, but if she wants to try it I suggest she look for it used so she isn't out a ton of money if it isn't a good fit.

 

It's one of my favorite programs (and adapted to classrooms for the money, but Denise did originally develop it for home education with her boys ;) ), and it has worked with students who have mild reading challenges, but depending on the specific dyslexia issues it might not be a big help for her compared to something like Dancing Bears.

[Lecka]

I used this as a supplement with my daughter, who needed a little extra help. (My kids are in public school.)

 

It never would have been adequate for my son.

 

Bc they are at school my kids have Dibels screening, and my son scored very low in Kindergarten. My daughter didn't.

 

So I think it is a nice program but I agree with others, I would use it with a student who needs reading instruction in general, or who needs extra at home, but not as a program for dyslexia.

 

It is just a different level of instruction.

 

However, maybe the dyslexia is more minor, or maybe she realizes a previous reading program or informal reading instruction is not at the level of LOE, and then I could think it is a fine thing to try. That would be some context for me.

 

If solid "tier 1" has been tried, this is just more solid "tier 1." It is for a general student. If it doesn't work out you look for a different tier of instruction. You go to something in the Barton tier, for a student who needs this level.

 

But if someone has done informal instruction with older kids, or just used BOB books with older kids, etc, and then is starting somewhere, I think LOE can work out. It depends on the child.

 

If the child is diagnosed with dyslexia I think it is different; then you know a tier 1 program is probably not adequate. But in context you might know this! But some people use the word when things that worked with other kids didn't work and then a solid Tier 1 program does work.

 

If the child is older than about 7-8 then that changes my opinion, too.

 

But there is some context where it could be okay with me in a "I really hope it works out, but if it doesn't, Barton is "more," kind of way.

[PeterPan]

The author of LOE used to be an SWR trainer.  She added some of her own ideas, made her own program, and has been marketing it heavily to schools.  So when you think you're seeing a use of phonograms and more explicit instruction, you are.  However, it's NOT OG and not paced to be appropriate for a dyslexic.

 

It sounds like your friend is trying to save money, and the answer is that she won't save money when she tries three programs that don't work.  The resale value on Barton is HIGH.  If it bugs her, buy used and resell, making her cost just postage.  It doesn't make sense to buy programs that aren't made for dyslexia, when an excellent, fully scripted, easy to implement program exists.

[AnthemLights]

Thanks everybody for the responses.  That gives me a very good idea of how to advise her.  I am wishing that she should just go with Barton's....her son sounds like very much like my own and I know that mine needed the highest level of intervention available.   :tongue_smilie:

 

Cost is definitely factoring into the decision making process, which is unfortunate.

[AnthemLights]

The author of LOE used to be an SWR trainer.  She added some of her own ideas, made her own program, and has been marketing it heavily to schools.  So when you think you're seeing a use of phonograms and more explicit instruction, you are.  However, it's NOT OG and not paced to be appropriate for a dyslexic.

 

It sounds like your friend is trying to save money, and the answer is that she won't save money when she tries three programs that don't work.  The resale value on Barton is HIGH.  If it bugs her, buy used and resell, making her cost just postage.  It doesn't make sense to buy programs that aren't made for dyslexia, when an excellent, fully scripted, easy to implement program exists.

 

Very true.  I found that out the hard way.   :cursing:

[ElizabethB]

Recipe for Reading can be used for lower levels of instruction for just the cost of the manual if you use a whiteboard and/or letter tiles for the instruction. You can make your own from small tiles bought at a home improvement store, write on them with a sharpie. The manual is less than $30.

 

For follow on, first try Webster and my syllable division, here is the program:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

 

I recommend doing the entire Webster Speller if that is working, not just the excerpts.

 

Then, try Sophris West Rewards if my Webster and syllable division is not enough for upper level work.

 

LOE teaches too many things at once for a truly dyslexic student.

Edited October 7, 2016 by ElizabethB