FAQs
Is my child dyslexic?
Dyslexia presents equally in girls and boys. Only a neuropsychologist, psychologist or psychiatrist can officially diagnose dyslexia and other learning disabilities. But a parent can get a good sense if this is what they are seeing in their child by doing the following:
1. Print out the Dyslexia Warning Signs (These dyslexia warning signs are copyrighted by Susan Barton, founder of Bright Solutions for dyslexia. They are shared here with prior written permission from Susan Barton.)
https://bartonreading.com/pdf/Dys-warning-signs1.pdf
2. Watch the video “Dyslexia: Symptoms and Solutions” at www.brightsolutions.us and check off any warning signs that apply to your child.
By the end of this exercise you should have a pretty good idea if this is what’s going on with your child or not.
What happens at your prospective student appointment?
After an extensive telephone conversation to be sure the student would be an appropriate fit for Rachel’s services, a prospective student appointment is scheduled. This meeting is a chance for the student and parents and Rachel to get to know each other. A typical meeting may take 2 hours and includes the student doing the CTOPP-2 and Barton Screener, and then Rachel interpreting and discussing the results, and next steps. This is a time to see how Rachel interacts with your child and get your questions answered. Since this will be a long term relationship we all need to feel comfortable working with each other.
How long will it take to catch up to grade level?
That depends on what grade level is. It typically takes 12-18 months to catch up to a primary grade level (1st-3rd). Reading will generally catch up before spelling. It will take longer to catch-up to higher grades, since the expectations are higher.
Barton does not follow a typical grade-level sequence, but a student will have all the information they need if they complete the program.
How long will it take to finish the complete Barton Reading & Spelling System?
On average it takes most students around 4 ½ years to complete the full 10 levels of the Barton System, at which point they are prepared for high school and college level words. At the extremes, Rachel’s students have completed the program from 2 3/4 years to 8 years.
What student assessments do you offer?
If they have not already had an outside evaluation/diagnosis, Rachel likes to do the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, version 2 (CTOPP-2). This assessment gives us a snapshot of where the child’s foundation skills for future reading and spelling success are at. These normative based scores compare the student to others across the country in their age range. This test can measure anyone between age 4 and 24 years old.
Rachel always administers the Barton Student Screener to see if they will be ready to be successful starting with the Barton Reading & Spelling System, or if they should begin their tutoring journey with a pre-Barton program such as Foundation in Sounds or LiPS.
To determine grade level, Rachel can administer the Word Identification and Spelling Test (WIST). This assessment is a normative based test for students in 2nd grade through 12th grade or aged 7 to 18. This test can also classify errors into the mistakes most typical with dyslexic readers and spellers.
If more assessing is desired, Rachel can also administer the Slingerland Screening for Identifying Children with Specific Learning Disability, for grades 1 through 6 and the Malcomesius Junior High Level Screening through 8th grade. Although this does not provide normative based scores, it specifically identifies strengths and weaknesses in the tasks typically seen during the school day and looks for typical errors made by dyslexic individuals.
Rachel can also administer the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessment to get a measure of reading fluency, for 1st - 6th grade.
Will Barton help them if they don’t have a diagnosis?
Yes! Barton explicitly teaches the structure of the English language from the most used spelling rule to the least used. It won’t hurt anyone to have this knowledge, but it may be considered overkill for those with strong phonological awareness and strong phonological and visual memories.
Can you tell me what grade level they are reading and spelling at?
Yes. Rachel can do some assessments which will provide a sense of where their reading and spelling skill level is at.
Do we get the summers off?
Summer is actually the best time to tutor because the child is not exhausted from a full stressful day of school. Rachel does tutor over the summer and encourages you to consider adding in extra sessions over the summer, to move forward faster.