How long does the program take?
The Barton Reading & Spelling System is a 10 Book program that teaches the best ways to understand the totality English for the dyslexic brain. Each book builds upon the prior book in such a way that it all comes together like a beautiful lego masterpiece. No book is skipped, all books matter. No matter what age the student comes to me at, we start at Book 1.
My 1st 10 book graduate, my oldest daughter Kay 1-15-2020
What I most love about this system is that it’s designed to work for EVERY dyslexic. From Mild>Moderate>Severe>Profound (the severities of dyslexia are on a continuum), this program meets each student right where they are. The other, and probably most important part of this program, is that it is mastery based. This is why one to one tutoring is necessary. We don’t move to the next concept UNTIL the concept we are working on is attained. This can not be done in a group or classroom environment because we would only be able to move at the speed of the learner who is slowest. The fantastic part also lies in the fact that if a student already understands or understands quickly the concept we are on, we can more more quickly through that concept.
The student that moved through this curriculum the fastest came to me at age 17, and was a 2E learner, meaning he was both Gifted & Talented as well as had a Learning Difference. He was motivated to get this information as he had high goals for his future. He worked with me twice a week for two years and post tested many of the levels at 99-100%. He was truly like a sponge absorbing the information at the highest rates I’d ever worked with.
The average student will complete the entire program in approximately 4 years. Session frequencies affect that timeline as well. The minimum students come to see me as prescribed by the creator of the program, Susan Barton, is 2x per week. Some students see me 3-4 times per week. The more frequent, the faster the progress.
The most profound dyslexic can take longer, naturally, and I do have one of those students as well. Progress is hard earned and the family is seeing the progression in him.
Each student of mine, at the completion of each Book, can expect a Post Test grade (aka Showing Off) as well as the Scope and Sequence of the program. The Scope and Sequence is to see what is learned/mastered and what remains and, more importantly what is coming next. Having a lay of the land and a knowledge to help connect the learning at home is huge. I often ask my students to teach their parents/siblings what concept they are now working on as teaching it to another often solidifies what we have been seeking to understand.
How long does the program take? The short answer is - it all depends.