| More
Success Stories Back
to Top
When the psychologist told me that my fourth-grade son, Dylan, had dyslexia, I flipped into denial. I wanted to continue to believe that he was just willful and stubborn about doing his homework. But I could not ignore his dropping self-esteem and his growing lack of confidence in school. He has been been getting one-on-one Barton tutoring since then, and he is very close to completing your system. It is amazing to remember that two years ago, his fourth-grade teacher was talking about retention. He is now at and above grade level in all of his subjects. Two years ago, he tested at the "basic" level in language arts on the STAR test. He is now only a few point from the "advanced" level. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Kate Lenox
San Jose, CA
At the beginning of the school year, my son (who had repeated first grade twice) was scoring at the 1st grade 7th month in reading, with an instructional level at Kindergarten 6 months. His self-esteem was at an all-time low, his frustration level was at an all-time high, and he hated school. Showing him a page of print would immediately send him into a panic.
He was tested for dyslexia and was found to have a moderate-to-severe form of it, along with a very high IQ. There were absolutely no resources for him in our entire area. I read everything I could get my hands on about dyslexia. I found the Barton System online and decided, after reading other glowing reports from parents, that this program could work.
I could tell right away during Level 1 that his phonemic awareness skills were very poor. However, the way the Barton System presented dissecting words and hearing sounds began to ring bells for him immediately.
I began to go to his school daily to tutor him in place of his Spanish class. It was obvious he was making strides. He never balks at reading anymore.
School has been in session for 18 weeks. His reading level was reassessed this past week. He is now at the 2nd grade 9th month level. His instructional reading level went from K-6 to 3.1. For the first time ever, he is no longer in the "below average" range. In fact, he is at the 73rd percentile. His spelling scores are also outstanding.
The biggest change of all is in his self-esteem. He is like a different child.
I realize that Barton Reading is a business, and that I paid for the materials, but I still think that you deserve a world of thanks. My child's entire future will forever be positively impacted by this program! There is no amount of money I could pay that would adequately compensate you for this program's worth. My son's dyslexia, which had been a huge problem in his life, is being very successfully and rather easily remediated.
Carolyn Taylor
Martinez, GA
P.S. The school is bowled over by his progress. I have been asked to take on other students for whom "nothing has worked." After the holidays, the school's reading specialist is going to shadow me to get a sense of the program. The principal has copied my son's scores and is taking them to a districtwide curriculum meeting next month. They are seriously considering purchasing the Barton System to use with the school's IEP students.
My daughter Faith was diagnosed as dyslexic in December. At that time, she was reading at about the 1.6 level, which was on par for her age, but not her expected potential. The psychologist who evaluated her strongly recommended Kumon.
After I found your program and began to believe it was the right way to go, I had to conquer my husband's opposition to 'going against medical advice.' We started Barton tutoring in mid-January, and I saw steady improvement. It was amazing. To reassure my husband that we were indeed doing the right thing, we had Faith's reading level rechecked just two weeks ago. In six short weeks, she had already reached the 2.4 grade level. Incredible.
I know that part of it was just the fact that she had been set free. She no longer felt something was intrinsically wrong with her. She understood that she was different, not defective. Most importantly, she knew that there was an answer -- that there was hope.
The hope that your program provides has changed my little girl. She no longer gives up in frustration. She enjoys stories again, and picks up books on her own. While she used to shamefacedly tell people, "I can't read," she now proudly tells anyone who'll listen that she's dyslexic and that she's learning quickly. The change in her outlook is remarkable.
I really cannot express how much I appreciate your commitment to these children. I know you must hear it all the time, but you really do make an enormous difference in their lives. You are truly a Godsend.
Erin Crabtree
Key Biscayne, FL
For my Master's research topic, I chose dyslexia and effective teaching methods. A comparison was made between the Barton System and the other Orton-Gillingham-based systems in terms of the cost and training involved, ease of use, and its effectiveness.
The Barton System ended up with the highest recommendation in all three areas. My instructor said my thesis was the best she had ever read and recommended that I get it published in an educational journal. Wow! Kim Reilly
Joliet, IL I am tutoring 9 students. It is so rewarding to watch the transformation as each struggling student becomes a confident reader. When my own daughter was in fourth grade, she was reading at a second grade level. Thanks to the Barton System, by sixth grade, she was at a ninth grade level. There are no words to describe the gratefulness in my heart when she finally started succeeding in school. Deanna
Certified Barton Tutor My daughter is in Level 3 of the Barton System. She has made awesome progress. She is gaining confidence in her abilities, and her teachers are seeing improvement in areas we would never have dreamed. Thank you so much. Vonda Stirn
Bloomington, IL The most impressive thing about your program -- besides the easy, thorough, and systematic way it is laid out -- is the training that comes on the DVD's. You are a master teacher, and I have learned a great deal from watching and rewatching your DVD's. I really thought that being a teacher myself, who won the Edwin Parr Teacher Award for best teacher in the province, that I would not learn a whole lot that would surprise me. Well, I learned a lot from watching you. The method in which you teach, plus your positive and encouraging manner, has made me an even better teacher. Thank you. Jean Armes
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
My son has been doing the Barton System with me since the end of first grade. He just finished second grade. I just got his STAR testing results, and his HUGE advances are remarkable after only one year of tutoring.
Reading . . . . . . . . from 54 to 84 %ile
Language Arts . . . from 50 to 99 %ile
Spelling . . . . . . . . from 32 to 52 %ile
But the scores don't tell the whole story. Not only did he pass second grade with no problems, but (and this is what is most important to me), he is reading for pleasure. He gets into bed at night with a chapter mystery book and reads until I tell him "lights out." Thank you, thank you, thank you. Julie Hoffman
Baton Rouge, LA
Our daughter struggled with reading through first grade. Her teacher and the school's reading specialist said she just needed to try harder. Then they recommended she get tutoring at Sylvan. That didn't help.
A few months into second grade, we knew something was wrong. The school did not respond in a timely manner to our requests for testing, so we had her tested privately. We learned that she is dyslexic. We were very worried about her future. She is very bright, so it was disheartening to see her struggle with school work and become turned off by school.
After learning more about dyslexia, we decided to hire a Certified Barton tutor. Our daughter has made slow but steady progress in her year-and-a-half of twice-a-week private tutoring.
In September, we applied to get her into a private school. The staff at the new school was concerned about her dyslexia, so two teachers tested her. Happily, she passed and was accepted. One of the teachers commented that her reading was better than many others in her future fourth-grade class.
Not only is our daughter able to read at grade level now, but her spelling has improved dramatically. Instead of getting 20% scores like she did in second and third grade, she is averaging 80% on fourth-grade spelling tests.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for creating such a wonderful system for teaching spelling and reading to people with dyslexia.
Also, thank you for helping to educate us about dyslexia. Understanding dyslexia has made it much easier to deal with it in practical ways. We now know that dyslexics can have a great future.
Feel free to share our story with anyone who may be interested.
Eric and Annette Nellen
San Jose, CA
My adult student is 50 and a high school dropout. Over the years, she has tried many reading programs and has had several well-meaning tutors. Nothing has worked -- until now.
She is only in Level 3, and there is still a lot of hard work ahead. But for the first time in her life, she has solid evidence to justify her new feeling of self-confidence -- and her belief that she really can learn to read and write. Thank you for creating the Barton Reading & Spelling System. Steve Chupack
Cape Coral, FL I just wanted to let you know that Evan is now an official Barton graduate. He made it all the way through Level 10. Thanks to your system, his teacher says he's at the top of his class and is actually "overachieving." How many severely dyslexic kids can make that claim! This is probably my 50th thank you, but it is as heartfelt and well-deserved as my first. Karen Markus
Cupertino, CA Our Special Ed teacher, who has been using the Barton System with a dyslexic student, shared the following conversation that she recently had with that student: Teacher: "Wow. Your reading is really improving!" Student: "That's because I like reading now." This student was a non-reader at the beginning of fourth grade. He is now sounding out words and carrying himself with confidence. What a gift it is to watch this student make such great progress! Sidney Hough
Colorado Springs, CO I work for a small literacy council. We train about 150 volunteer tutors a year. I have used the Wilson System with my own student for about 3 years. Although I have tried to convince our volunteer tutors to use it, they say it is too hard to use. The Barton Reading & Spelling System is volunteer friendly, and I like it better than the Wilson System. It is perfect for our literacy council. Diane Browne
Fayetteville, NC I tutored six students with the Barton System at my school last year. Those six were in the lowest of the low reading groups. This year, all of them are in the middle or high reading groups. In fact, the one student who completed all ten levels has been taken out of special education because he no longer needs it. According to the GORT, he now reads at the 8th grade level. Erika Burleigh
Manteca, CA I just received Garrett's STAR test results. He went from a 345 (top of Basic) to 392 (top of Proficient, and only 3 points from Advanced) this past year. He received Barton tutoring 5 days a week at his school, and he just finished Level 7. His grades -- and his attitude -- have improved so much. I knew that the Barton System had made a big different and helped him greatly, but it is nice to see it confirmed by these test scores. I'm thrilled. Sheila Larson
Pleasanton, CA The father of one of my students has called my principal on 2 separate occasions to comment on his son's progress. The first call was to thank my principal for purchasing the Barton Reading & Spelling System. The second call came in early December, and it brought tears to my principal's eyes. He shared that for the first time, his son had asked if he could read a book to his dad. His son is in second grade, and he has made great progress in the Barton System. Carolyn Cain
Mesa, AZ
My son, Garrett, was labeled an "at risk" student every year of his school career. But every year we were told he was not far enough behind to be placed in resource.
The school's answer was motivation. Garrett was simply not a motivated student. We tried to motivate him with prizes, money, stars -- anything and everything -- to no avail. So we struggled, trying to help Garrett any way we could, only to have him eventually start acting out his frustration. Everything we tried left us all frustrated, tense, and angry.
This year, he has gotten an hour of one-on-one Barton tutoring as part of his school day, which has changed all that. Not only is Garrett doing his own homework for the first time in his life, but his grades are good -- A's and B's -- and all on his own!
He is so much more fun to be around now. He is not moody, evasive, touchy, gloomy or destructive anymore. I've got my happy, playful, fun son back.
Tutoring with the Barton System has changed his life, and ours, too.
Jim and Sheila Larson
Pleasanton, CA
I am a Special Needs Coordinator at a private school who accidentally stumbled upon the Barton System three years ago. Although I have a Master's in Education, along with a California Teaching Credential, I never learned the essentials of phonemic awareness or how to tutor students with dyslexia and ADD. The Barton System saved me -- and my students. Within a few weeks, one of my third graders said, "Thanks for teaching me how to sound out words." Whether I'm tutoring a kindergartner or an eighth grader, the results are superb. It's 100% foolproof. A huge burden has been lifted from these bright students who, at one point, thought they were stupid. The Barton System brings hope and opportunity to bright minds, who would otherwise be overlooked and misunderstood. Kathy Fortuin
Oakland, CA I am a certified teacher, having taught first grade for many years. For the past seven years, I have worked in adult literacy in Michigan and Ohio. As the program director, my job is to train volunteer tutors, pick the materials we use, and monitor results. We work with struggling adults who read below an 8th grade level, both native English speakers and ESL. Recently, we have started to work with children who have dyslexia. When I first came to this job, I started testing existing students. The first student had made only one year's growth despite ten years of regular attendance. When I asked why he kept coming, he said he thought that one day "the light would come on." Our approach wasn't working -- not only for him, but for most of our students. Our attrition rate was so high. Most adults came in reading at a second, third, or fourth grade level, and rarely progressed because we were using the standard adult reading materials: Laubach, Challenger, etc. While teaching first grade, I had been trained in Orton-Gillingham. So when the brochure for the Barton Reading & Spelling System came across my desk, I ordered Level 1 and 2 to pilot the program with an 8 year old and the adult who had been coming for 10 years yet had only made one year of growth. My results? The adult improved his reading by 4 grade levels in one year. The 8 year old, who was failing first grade, has A's in reading and language arts on her report card in third grade. Her teachers were so impressed that they started an after school program using the Barton System. Through a combination of tutor donations and grants, I got a site license. Everyone loves the Barton System. The training tapes and scripted lesson plans are great. It really, really works. Every single student has significantly increased his or her reading level. Our volunteer tutors love the program. In fact, our staff members personally tutor as many as 5 students each. Our attrition rate is now 0. We use the Barton System not only with adults, but also in our juvenile care system, and in our family literacy program. Students that the public school system gave up on are now becoming readers. I have nothing but praise for the quality and effectiveness of the Barton Reading & Spelling System. Becky Manning, Program Director
Literacy Council of Midland County
Midland, MI I am a volunteer tutor at a local elementary school. I began tutoring a 5th grade boy last year. The family was discouraged, as was the student. The student, family, and I talked at length before we began. The agreement was that we would give it our best shot and see if he could complete Level 4 in one school year. It took a lot of work, but in the first week of June, we completed level 4. I wanted him to complete Level 5 before he entered sixth grade, so I volunteered to tutor him during the summer, 3 times a week, at my home. We finished that level in early August. Did it help? It sure did. I just spoke with his mom. She said her son just completed the language arts testing in sixth grade. For the first time in his life, he tested "at grade level." His teacher said he will probably be above grade level by the end of the year. I look forward to getting his high school graduation announcement in 6 years. You can be sure I will attend. Alan Mode
Pleasanton, CA My husband and I both work at a university and highly value reading. We have always read a great deal to our son. When he was younger, trips to the library involved bringing home 25 to 30 story books to be absorbed, experienced and shared. He loved to be read to, and he never tired of books. However, as a Montessori preschooler, he was very resistant to any work that involved letters or writing. When I tried to play with the alphabet on tiles, or word puzzles, he just wouldn't show any interest. He couldn't read in first grade. I would try to bribe him with money to sound out those little phonetic "Bob" books the school had. He wouldn't do it. During first grade, although he would demonstrate some reading skill when pressured, I was befuddled at his inconsistency. I shook my head when he would try to sound out the "t" and then the "h" in "the." I couldn't understand why he didn't recognize it. He had just read that same word on the previous line. He was so resistant about doing schoolwork that the teacher claimed he had a motivation problem. That was when I knew we needed to have him tested. Once he was diagnosed as dyslexic, I realized his needs could not be properly met at school. I did a great deal of internet research and was very excited to find the Barton Reading & Spelling System. I was concerned about the cost of hiring a private tutor,and I didn't like the idea of farming out such an important task to a stranger. So I took the plunge and began tutoring my son in the Barton System in the spring of second grade. He was very excited at the beginning, but there have been times during the past two years when he did not want to be tutored. He felt it was unfair that we had to "work" at home when the other kids didn't have homework. He expressed resentment and unhappiness about being dyslexic. But he began to feel empowered by the skills he was learning. I could see the improvement in his reading almost immediately. He quickly learned to decode words. He began to see how syllables were constructed. At his latest reading evaluation, he tested at grade level. We still read nightly to our son. He listens voraciously. We read literature that most fourth graders aren't reading, such as Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Phillip Pullman books, etc. Over the past month, we have been reading The Fellowship of the Rings, dense reading to say the least. Last night, after I had finished reading a chapter to him, he asked to take the book with him for his own bedtime reading. To my astonishment, he completed the next chapter all on his own -- and then recounted the story to me with great delight that he knew what happened next, and I didn't. What a milestone we had reached. My son, who refused to read in first grade and who couldn't decode the word "the," now loves books and enjoys reading challenging material. I feel privileged to be traveling this road with him. The thing I love about the Barton System is that it has allowed his learning process to be a shared experience. I am learning right along with him. With the Barton System, my son has come to realize that he is gaining skills that will allow him to succeed, and although he is dyslexic, it does not need to define him, impede him, or limit him. Elizabeth Morrow
Arlington, TX
My name is Tammy Hughes, and I am the Chair for the Accelerated Reader program.
After 6 long years of watching my son, Matt, struggle with reading, spelling and writing, I finally found a program that works for him. The result have been simply OUTSTANDING.
Matt is 12 years old and in 6th grade.
He has had an IEP since 2nd grade.
His progress was at snail's pace at best.
His teachers and staff tried everything they could to help him.
As parents, we spent thousands of dollars on private tutoring and anything else we thought would help him.
Yet when he graduated from 5th grade, he could only read at the 2nd grade reading level.
He would guess at every single word when he would try to read.
He could only put very simple words three-letter words to paper.
He couldn't even write a simple sentence.
But he could comprehend at or above grade level, if the material was read to him.
He completely understood the curriculum as long as he doesn't have read it.
All his teachers said he was an incredibly hard worker.
I have been using the Barton Reading and Spelling System for the last 6 months.
The difference is night and day!
He can write simple sentences and paragraphs now, with capitalization and punctuation.
He can read without guessing. He knows how to sound out words.
For the first time in his life, Matt wrote a book report for school, with absolutely no help from me.
When he brought it home and showed it to me, I actually cried.
My son read a book and wrote a paper by himself -- something I never thought he would ever be able to do.
Tammy Hughes
Naperville, IL
Prior to Barton tutoring, Dustin struggled in school. Three years ago, at age 10, his teachers said that he could not spell, and his reading was far below grade level. They told me he was "unteachable." They painted a bleak picture for his future academics and stated, "We don't know how he will get through high school -- or even middle school."
He became more and more frustrated with school work, and he began to have serious socialization and behavioral problems.When I questioned his teachers about the possibility of dyslexia, they said, "Oh, you want to label him." They were in no way helpful. I had no idea where to turn.
At that point, I did an internet search on dyslexia and found your website. You sent me a list of Certified Barton Tutors, and I hired one.
After three years of twice-a-week Barton tutoring, Dustin is about to finish Level 10, and his life has changed. He is happier. He says, "This is the best year!" School is easier. He is getting A's and B's. His GPA is 3.5.
This year, he received the "Student of the Month" award for attitude and achievement. He was the recipient of the Vice Principal's Recognition award. He has also received awards for productivity and helpfulness.
His teacher reports that Dustin is flying through math and reading. She is amazed that he knows high school level words.
Thank you so much for your work. It has made a vast difference for our son. We are so grateful.
Deanna Baker
San Jose, California
Last May, when our son was at the end of first grade and the school recommended we retain him, you advised that we negotiate delaying that decision until just before school starts and tutor him during the summer using the Barton System. I have been working with him for about an hour a day, 5 days a week, using your system. We breezed through levels 1 and 2, but learned lots of great tools -- especially for b-p-d confusion. When we reached level 3, we spent two months working through it, and his improvement is phenomenal.
As far as the school, they gave him a reading test on August 20, and much to their surprise, he is at a level 16 -- right where he should have been at the end of 1st grade! His comprehension and ability to sound out words is amazing. They were also amazed at how well he was able to sound out words when they dictated a sentence. He heard every sound, a huge improvement over 2 1/2 months ago.
In fact, my son mentioned one of the spelling rules to their Reading Specialist. She asked me about it, so I explained some of the spelling rules to the school officials, and they were really impressed -- so much so that the reading specialist wants to take a look at your system. They actually thought I had an education background after talking with me, but no, I am an accountant at heart - a far cry from a teacher.
The assistant principal agrees that what I have done has helped, so she is now willing to let me come to school to work with Sammy two times a week during his normal "reading specialist" time so that he can continue on the same path. I have gotten them to understand that the whole language approach was not working for him. This from a school which is completely focused on the whole language approach.
So in the end, we have decided to send him on to second grade. He is on the right path and everyone is pleased.
Allison Nucerino
Liberty Twp, Ohio
Back
to Top |
