How my 11yo just spelled "dyslexia". And a Barton question...

[Renee in FL]

deacleca

Is there any doubt?:D

I am trying to decide whether to start him in Barton or try to remediate him with All About Spelling.

Part of me says to try the cheaper option while the other part of me says to go with the best.

What made you decide one over the other?

[Leanna]

I am having the exact same dilemma with my 10yo ds. I hope someone chimes in.


Leanna

[Tree House Academy]

deacleca

Is there any doubt?:D

I am trying to decide whether to start him in Barton or try to remediate him with All About Spelling.

Part of me says to try the cheaper option while the other part of me says to go with the best.

What made you decide one over the other?

Gosh, I hate to say it, but my poor speller would probably do something similar with that word. There are times that he spells words like "distance" to the point where they are unintelligible. :( He reads fine, but I have often wondered about that form of dyslexia that affects spelling more than reading.

Sorry - kinda went off topic there. How did you find out ds was dyslexic? Could I have my son tested somehow? Gosh, I am not even sure where I would start.

[LizzyBee]

When we realized my 7 yo is dyslexic, I made a decision that I would not throw good money after bad by trying to make cheaper, less efficient or less user-friendly options work. I have spent a lot of time researching therapies and curriculum, and I have not found a single negative review of Barton. As soon as my dd can pass the student screening test, we are going with Barton. We are currently using LiPS, another curriculum for which I've not found any negative reviews.

One thing to keep in mind about Barton - it has a high resale value. IRRC, you'll have 2 using it; but once you finish with the modules, you'll be able to recoup a lot of your money. And if you have to, you can sell the modules your older son finishes and then purchase them again later for your younger son. I've even heard some people say that when they buy used, they can re-sell for their entire cost. Of course, if you buy used, you'll have the tile issue - are you aware of that? From the 2nd level up, you need all the tiles for the next levels. Some people buy extra tiles from Susan, which you can only do if you buy your modules from Susan; and some people buy blank plastic tiles and write on them with a sharpie marker.

What made you decide one over the other? I own level 1 of AAS, and it didn't work for my dd. I've seen people refer to AAS as an OG program, but based on what I know of OG programs, it is not. It is multisensory, but not OG. I emailed the author because I was curious about the discrepancies I saw between AAS and what I'd been told about the OG method, and she modifies the program when she tutors dyslexic kids. I want something I can use as it's written.

[LizzyBee]

but I have often wondered about that form of dyslexia that affects spelling more than reading.


Same dyslexia, just a milder version. I wish I had printed the article, but a journalist wrote an article about himself and his inability to spell. He could spell a word 3 different ways in the same paragraph without realizing it. The resource teacher at his daughter's school was confident she could teach him to spell, but he scored even worse on his post-test given at the end of the course than the pre-test given before he started. He finally had a working brain scan done that showed he was dyslexic. That article was very enlightening for me irt to my now 12 yo.

You might find some of the articles at www.mislabeledchild.com helpful. Another good website is www.visualspatial.org. Some books I've found helpful include Upside Down Brilliance (oop, but you could check your library), Right Brained Children in a Left Brained World, The Mislabeled Child, and The Edison Trait.

FWIW, Calvert Spelling (the old version) is what finally unlocked spelling for my dd. The program is visual-spatial, with a little auditory thrown in, and somehow it worked for her.

Could I have my son tested somehow? Gosh, I am not even sure where I would start.

This website is a wealth of information about dyslexia: www.dys-add.com It's a good starting place. There are hours of videos that you can watch for free. Susan is not the most riveting speaker. If you prefer to read, there are lots of lists and articles on the site.

[Renee in FL]

Gosh, I hate to say it, but my poor speller would probably do something similar with that word. There are times that he spells words like "distance" to the point where they are unintelligible. :( He reads fine, but I have often wondered about that form of dyslexia that affects spelling more than reading.

Sorry - kinda went off topic there. How did you find out ds was dyslexic? Could I have my son tested somehow? Gosh, I am not even sure where I would start.

We don't have an official diagnosis yet, but:

*The symptoms fit him to a T (except multiple ear infections - I don't know if he has ever had one.)
*We have a strong family history
*His spelling, writing, and reading ability are FAR behind his level of understanding. He's a mechanical genius but can't read instructions very easily!

When we realized my 7 yo is dyslexic, I made a decision that I would not throw good money after bad by trying to make cheaper, less efficient or less user-friendly options work.

That's what I was thinking - I have already spent so much money trying to "fix" this that I hate to keep spending. I bought AAS 2 last week with a credit at the homeschool store, but I could still use it with my others. It will be great for my 5yo.

I own level 1 of AAS, and it didn't work for my dd. I've seen people refer to AAS as an OG program, but based on what I know of OG programs, it is not. It is multisensory, but not OG. I emailed the author because I was curious about the discrepancies I saw between AAS and what I'd been told about the OG method, and she modifies the program when she tutors dyslexic kids. I want something I can use as it's written.

I was afraid you were going to say that!

thanks! I think I will just go ahead and give him the post tests (Susan Barton sent me the first three) and see how it goes.

[iwka]

I am in the middle of the same problem...poor 3rd grade speller (only short vowel words), a lot of dyslexia symptoms...trying to think about Barton, AAL, Pears and Apples (or Apples and Pears?)...

[Ofer]

Ghotit (http://www.ghotit.com) super spell checker assistive technology was developed by people that have dyslexia and who are coping with their dyslexia every day. For over a decade, the founder of Ghotit had a vision of the "ideal" writing assistant tool for people with dyslexia that if made available, will dramatically improve their writing abilities.
The benefits of regular spell checkers are limited for people with dyslexia. Your spelling has to be very, very close in order to get corrected spelling. Ghotit super spellchecker is aimed at dyslectics and includes the following unique capabilities:


"Outrageous" spelling mistakes are captured and corrected
Advanced context-sensitive spelling algorithms are applied, pointing to out out-of-context (but correctly spelled) words.
Definitions and sentences are offered to help choose the correct word
Integrated text to speech service is included so that you can confirm that what is written is the exact text you intended to communicate.

Ghotit offers a high performance super spell checker, enabling people with dyslexia to dramatically improve and gain confidence in their writing.
Ghotit offers its services FREE (http://www.ghotit.com/home4edu.shtml)to educational institutions.

A new Ghotit review http://speedchange.blogspot.com/2009/03/word-accessible-wordtalk-and-ghotit.html

[Ottakee]

A very easy to use and effective program is Apples and Pears Spelling. It is a bit more than some programs but not too bad. http://www.prometheantrust.org/soundfoundationsbooks.htm

You do 1/2 to 1 level a day--depending on how much your child can handle. There are no word lists, no drills, etc. They just use what they are learning over and over in various situations which means the spelling carries over to their everyday work as well.

[LizzyBee]

Drama Queen,

You might want to read the discussion at this link:

http://www.thechatterbee.com/forum/topics/barton-reading-and-spelling