Why my Child needs the Lindamood system

Your welcome.
Unfortunately though I don’t think there is anything that you can do about the school’s approach. First of all to use LiPs, you would have to be trained in it. That means the school would need to pay to train the teachers in it, which they are not going to do. The training is expensive compared to Wilson. ($600 vs $225) and Wilson is offered in more cities and maybe that includes your own. Or you would have to have a teacher who wants to know all she can and will take the training herself at her own cost. You know the nos. of teachers who will do this aren’t that high. You can try, of course, to persuade them. You can do some research but I doubt you will get too far.

You are left with two alternatives (or maybe three).
1. You find someone who will tutor your kid using LiPs.
2. You take the training yourself, if you think you can be an effective teacher for your own kid.
3. If not, you could pay someone to take the training, another family member/ relative, etc.

I would warn you that I think LiPs is a very cool program but formidable esp. if you have not had any linguistic/ speech and hearing background. Still we do have parents here who have taken the training and maybe they could tell you how that went. You could also look thru the archive on the old forum, as there is a lot of stuff about it.

I have heard that a kid who learns to “track”— the first part of the LMB program, if they can do that, then they will do ok with an OG based method. BTW, I heard that from Susan Barton, who does seem to know what she is talking about— has created her own OG based method.
That step goes to about page 200 in a 400 page book (the first 50 is teacher instruction, etc.)

—des

I would agree with all of des’ comments. It is correct that a parent cannot make the school use a specific program. If you want LiPS, as des said, you will need to find a tutor. I agree that LiPS would be a challenge for someone with no background in that area. Phono-Graphix (Book: Reading Reflex) is MUCH more parent-friendly and a good thing to try first.

Janis

ME too me too… and in between REading Reflex and LiPS would be Susan Barton’s program, which seems pricey but is, IMO, a case of getting what you pay for.

You can’t dictate “LiPS” — but you can sometimes get in writing that the child needs a structured, systematic, multisensory approach, and often the training is more available and a bit cheaper for programs like WIlson and Language! Or you could try & get ‘em to pay for private placement at a school that provides it (rather a long shot but when I taught at such a school 20-25% of our studetns were there via public school dollars).

The most useful part about LiPS is the articulation cards which develop phonemic awareness in kids who need the work with mouth positions.. Beyond that, Wilson isn’t a bad choice, as it does cover everything in LiPS bar phonemic awareness. I found a pretty good substitute for the articulation cards in Phonic Faces at www.elementory.com, and I used them together with Reading Reflex with my own kid. You might want to suggest combining Phonic Faces (real cheap, and easy to use) with Wilson for your kid.

Sue, that’s a good point about Susan Barton’s OG based program. A week of training in LiPS/Seeing Stars costs $1000 plus about $450 for materials and that’s if the training is local and there are no travel costs. Barton’s program is a couple thousand but includes video training. So they are all expensive, but if a kid needs it, it’s worth every penny.

Janis

Hmm, did not see much similarity between the LiPs cards and the articulation cards. In fact, I think I would have trouble with them, but they might be worth a shot given a low price tag. LiPs uses photos of the lip, tongue, etc. position, which is much more clear imo. However, you are talking about a real heavy price tag. If you just got the manual it is $90 + shipping with no guarantee you will get it. I have a background in speech and am going thru real slow and it still isn’t easy.

You all make a good point about Barton. One thing I have heard which is pretty neat is that if you go thru the tapes, you can actually get certified, without much difficulty. I think what you do is go thru 1-6 units with a couple students ( no?) and you go to wherever she is (CA I think) and can get tested. Thereafter she will refer students to you. Compare that with certification in Wilson. You have to go to 6 I think training sessions and something like half you have to bring a student. I checked into it and ruled it out as just too complicated and very pricey. They do have a three day overview which would enable you to teach it. I have the manual and some materials, and I don’t really consider it too complicated. But maybe that bit of OG in college helped here, as conceptually it’s similar. But I still think it would be advantageous to be certified in something. BTW, you can NOT be certified in LMB, at least not until you have taught it all your life, worked at a center, etc.

Anyway off the subject, Willow here might do well to take out the PG, or else get her kid a bit of tutoring in the LiPs. Maybe try the cards here since they are cheap. Wilson isn’t totally lacking in phonemic awareness either.
Actually I think the early activities in PG are pretty good— what they call auditory processing. It certainly wouldn’t set her back much either.

—des

I’m with you, des, on the Wilson certification. It’s very complex. (I am going to hear Barbara Wilson at a reading conference in two weeks, though!). And yes, $12 for a Reading Reflex book is about as risk free as it gets.

Janis

Oh I’d be interested to hear about that— Barbara Wilson. I’m sure she would be very good. I think the materials and the Wilson overviews seem reasonable (maybe why school districts have taken to it, as the price tag is fair) but I was just amazed at the certification requirements! I really don’t know how people do it!!

—des (logging in from beautiful Santa Fe tonight)

I remember when Susan Barton was starting her program about 5 years ago…man that seems a life time ago.. It wasn’t that expensive when she started it. I went to one of her trainings in San Jose and it was really good…She is very knowledgeable and a great presenter.

Maybe it just seems more expensive. But if you went to more than the most basic of training (one LMB program or the 3 day overview on Wilson), you would be lucky to spend $3500, I think. You have to consider that except in rare cases (or if you live in a large city) that you will have to pay the airfare, hotel, meals, etc. I know most people would rather have live training, but I have the free tape she puts out, and it is pretty interesting. I have watched it a couple times and wasn’t bored. She does make it a bit easier by putting it in modules, so you don’t have it buy it all at once. But still I think it is the high initial ticket price.

Still I don’t think any OG based program is enough. I think the LMB programs are quite unique. And I’m pretty sure the PG training would be very useful, though maybe not actually necessary. So I think you could still spend a lot of money on this training thing. :-$

—des

Yes, and there are people like me, ever searching for the perfect program who has taken PG, some Lindamood Bell, and Language! level 1!

I heard that the Wilson overview is coming to a nearby city this fall, but I am resisting the temptation to go as I can go see Barbara Wilson speak at a conference in two weeks, and I hope to get that curiosity out of my system then!

Janis

Well gosh, don’t think you really need Wilson too! I thought Language! was OG based. BTW, you might get on their mailing list and get their newsletter. If you really can’t stand it you could get the manual. It kind of shows you the concepts— I mean if you are like me and can’t handle the curiosity! :-) Hopefully Barbara Wilson will help you with this. I think I spent $$$ in manuals, and even got LiPs as I was so curious that all the good people that told me I wouldn’t have a clue of understanding it, I just got it anyway! I was bound to get it if it took me awhile so I am studying it. I’m sure I would be MUCH better off taking the workshop, but I think that I could now teach it to some extent. (I have had a bit of speech background which I think helps.) Yes I do plan to take the workshop.

To satisfy ones curiosity is expensive! On the plus side, I have said that I have learned more about reading in the last few months than I learned the rest of my career put together. I just got the Spalding manual as it was inexpensive at a local bookstore. IMO, it is not as easy to follow as Wilson, and is a bit more archaically written than Wilson or LMB. I have an image of Rowena Spalding coming down and tapping my knuckles as I am maybe not making some letters right! I am not knocking it! I’m sure it is good. (All these images are aided somewhat by fact that my nephew went to a Spalding school and the director looks like the church lady. :-)) But see how much VV has helped. :-D

Hehehe, having a little fun wit ya!

—des

Lol, des!!! (I’d put a smiley in here but I know you don’t like ‘em!)

Janis