Phoebe N Burt Beacham

I’d like to send a note of praise regarding the Barton Reading and Spelling System. I am a parent AND a tutor. The Barton System gives students rules to follow and “tricks” to help them remember the rules. In my opinion, it is a program that helps the “falling through the cracks” kids who are bright but struggle with reading.

My son is one who needed this program. He now picks up things to read that he wouldn’t have considered a year ago.

At an IEP meeting, I was told that I needed to understand that some children were not capable of learning to read, and that I might need to resign myself to the fact that Kyle wouldn’t ever learn how to read – despite his high IQ.

I began the Barton System in July. At that time, Kyle, who is 11, could not read a simple book such as the Berestain Bears. Simple sentences were frustrating because he guessed at so many words.

We have just started Level 4. Now he can read Magic Treehouse books independently. His reading is still slow, but he can sound out the long words. He is very proud of his achievements.

We actually have not tutored for a few weeks because he is enjoying spending time reading by himself.

He is now working more independently at school, and we are having fewer days when he complains about headaches and stomachaches when it is time to go to school.

I also want to add that this system has saved us lots of money. I have tutored him myself. Compared to the cost we thought we would have to pay for brain training, private tutoring, and vision therapy, this has been so simple and far less expensive.

I’d like to thank you for the Barton System.

My son has always loved reading — when someone else was doing it. If he wasn’t listening to an audiobook, he was asking us to read to him. It gave him a great vocabulary (which made him good at guessing words), but he couldn’t read himself.

When I found the list of symptoms of dyslexia on your website, I just started crying because it described him exactly. We suddenly knew why this smart little boy who loved reading just couldn’t do it himself.

He’s doing so much better now. We homeschool, so he has to be tested every year. I chose the Peabody (PIAT) because the format was more relaxed (my son HATES timed activities, and gets stressed when he’s being tested). He’s nine, but got 95th percentile for reading recognition and comprehension. His spelling was 53rd percentile – right where he should be for his age.

Considering he was at preschool level about a year and a half ago, that’s a great result! Not that we needed the test to know he was doing better. 🙂