Lindamood Bell for K and Gr 1

We began using LIPS and VV at the end of Grade 1, with tremendous results. Before she began, she was basically guessing words and trying to memorize. She has been going for almost 2 yrs, 2x/wkly. WIthin a few weeks, I noticed she began to try to sound out words off signs when we were driving down the road.

I also know that Shay, Victoria and Sue also have had success with some other reading programs, but with a child like mine with multiple disabilities, I think LMB is one of the best programs you can do.

Thanks for the quick response. I have used LiPs with Gr. 2 and 3 with tremendous success.

Next year, I’ll be working with K and Gr 1 and I’ll design an early intervention program (I’m sort of a resource teacher). I’m just wondering if it’s okay to use LiPS at the beginning of the year, or whether to use Torgesen’s phon. awareness program first.

The school district I work for uses LmB (calls it Pathways and has different label names and mouth pictures). We use it Pre-K - Grade 3 in the regular classroom-supposed to be district-wide but I’m sure it is not 100%. All our teachers are trained in the classroom version. It has made a huge difference in spelling and early reading across our district. Our referrals for sped are way down because kids are learning to read earlier.

We still have about 1-5% of students in each school (that really use the program) who need clinical intervention. We have clinicians in each school—either SLP’s or specially trained teachers. I am one of these. I work in the reg classroom but also pull kids who need more than they are getting in reg ed.
Even our Title I teachers are trained and required to use this program. Reading Recovery is not the norm here!

Still, at the middle school, I saw children who were stalled at about 3rd grade because the clinicians didn’t have a firm understanding of the multi-sensory phonics piece and the multi-sensory teaching of prefixes, roots, and suffixes along with syllabication. That piece carries word recognition into high school and beyond.

If any of you are close to the Kansas City area and wish to see this in action, email me privately. We are in the final stages of a three-year research project. Torgesen helped construct the experiment.

I’ve used LMB for K and grade 1. I also know of a Montessori school that’s using it in pre-K classes with kids as young as three - not using the symbols (letters) but just the sounds and pictures. It suits a Montessori environment very well.

My five year old going into K son sat in on some sessions that a tutor was doing with our older child. He loved it and was really picking it up.

Beth

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When I was looking for a job, there was an opening that matched my background in Kansas City. In the end, I didn’t get the job. Couldn’t help but read your post and wonder if my son’s life would have been different if he’d had a program like what you describe instead of what he has had.

Wish it was the standard. We can only hope for our grandchildren.

Beth

We never know why things work out just so. Getting what we need is the main thing. I think you’ve provided that for your child.

Have you read “The Alchemist”? You would enjoy it, I believe. Philosophical without lots of big words. It is a fable about following your dreams and destiny. The theme: Your personal legend. Author is Paulo Coehlo. Published in the early/mid 90’s.

We’re having a chat group about the book next weekend. Sort of an Oprah club without her. Bunch of Phud’s (Ph.D.’s) and me. You’d be a welcome addition, except it will probably still be 110 degrees in the shade. (I’m ready for Maine!)

We sometimes happen to be on-line at the same time!

Wish I could be at the book club. It does sound like fun, even if 110 in the shade does not!!!

Every place has its advantages and disadvantages I think and there are blessings everywhere, if you look. We still don’t have the reading piece together completely but we have had the fortune of working with some very skilled people with Neuronet and Interactive Metronome. Largely because of these talented women, my son’s self esteem is intact. That is as important as being able to read fluently at grade level.

I had a friend visiting whose oldest child is 19 and is LD. My son asked her if she wanted to see his garden and proceeded to tell her about all the plants and answer all her questions. She commented later that on his self-esteem—and that her daughter’s took such a beating in school. My son has certain islands of competence—like the garden—but he also now is a normal kid in ways that matter and frankly I think that has helped even more. For example, he can jump on a pogo stick, walk on stilts, ride a bike slow, kick a kickball—all things that he couldn not do before therapy. He is so pleased with himself—you wouldn’t believe the pleasure he gets from doing things that other kids take for granted.

But still… wouldn’t it be even better if my school district did what yours has done.

Beth

Wow, what a dream. All personnel trained in LMB! Maybe we should all move!

Janis

I’ d go for it :)
I remember reading recently that w/ or w/o an intensive explicit P.A. element, kids benefited much from early intervention.

Though all are trained, some don’t see the light and use it. It is nice to have at least one trained clinician in each building. It has made a huge difference for kids. As Anitya often points out, there are other issues that need to be addressed, too. We are a long way from perfect. I do appreciate their effort, though. (As a parent, I would have hung when shown some effort in the right direction—but that was another school district.)

Several years ago, my Sped Dir. and the Asst. Super. (Elementary Ed and Curriculum) saw Louisa Moats, Joe Torgesen, and Reid Lyon for a day. It was a reading Epiphany. I love those. They came back and wrote a grant to train teachers & collect data. I think we are in our final year—not sure.

Wanted to use pure LmB but it was too expensive. Lindamoods wanted each teacher to have a $100.00 manual, plus etceteras. So, we modified the labels and pictures and kept the instructional techniques. They don’t track in the classroom with blocks but I do in the clinic. Most reg. ed. kids don’t need to track. Some sped kids don’t either.

They have yet to see how OG fits into all this. But that is another chapter in my personal legend.

My son has matured so much—thank heavens! He always had a heck of a time putting the coordinative pieces together. You should see him dance now! It is one of his favorite things to do and feels very confident. Moon walk, Harlem shake…I can’t name them all.

Competence builds self esteem. I loved your islands of competence analogy. That’s what we have to provide: opportunities to build islands of competence. Multi-tasking is the name of the remedial game with our kids.

Oh, no, not that ribs thing again… :-)

Our data do show that the P.A. preventive model is excellent for non-disabled kids as well. Their spelling is *way* improved and many just launch into reading. Intermediate classroom teachers report observing a big difference, too.

It’s been known for years that a well-taught phonics-based program does better for grade 1 *and* continuing all through school. See the NIH/NICHD report, Jean Chall, and various other sources for repeated proof.
The usual caveat — the program has to be well-organized and well-taught, and some children will alwyas need extra help in any program. But all levels of students do better.

I have had much success with lips and with the sequencing blocks - following the manual is confusing and I have kind of developed my own system pulling in more phonemic awareness activities. I also use Stevenson and Wilson in conjunction with LIPS - however my K - 1 students were all in the above average range of intelligence. I have not used these systems with lower level students.