All posts by Julie Gisbon

Now More Than Ever, Lindamood-Bell Academy is the School for Your Child!

Academy, Specials

 

At Lindamood-Bell, we have always believed that all children can learn to their potential. Especially now, our personalized approach is an ideal school environment for many students.

 

Lindamood-Bell Academy provides our renowned evidence-based instruction and offers a full, individualized curriculum and synchronous learning—direct teaching through the entire school day—that can make the difference of a lifetime for your child.

 

Whether your student needs a full year or simply one-semester enrollment, Lindamood-Bell Academy’s rolling admissions allows you to make that choice.

 

See how the Lindamood-Bell Academy can be the school that helps your child engage and thrive.

 

 

Enroll now and take advantage of unprecedented savings: 10% – 25% off tuition packages* 

 

Call 800-300-1818 to learn more or get in touch to enroll.

 

*Savings expire 10/30/20

Help for Homeschool at Lindamood-Bell

Homeschool

 

For decades, homeschool families have turned to Lindamood-Bell for help with language and literacy skills. We work with homeschool educators to make learning easier for their children. Families can continue to benefit from homeschool community resources—without needing to gain expertise in new subjects.

In these unprecedented times, we are pleased to also offer a helping hand to families who may be new to educating their children from home. Just like every student has unique learning needs, homeschool families require varying levels of support.  

 

Homeschool Enrichment Programs

If your student has a weakness that affects learning, they may not get everything they should from your homeschool curriculum. A learning weakness is not only frustrating for a student, but prevents them from accessing school curriculum. 

 

Our Approach

We believe that all individuals can be taught to read and comprehend to their potential. We identify strengths and weaknesses that may be affecting school performance in reading, comprehension, and math. Our instruction is based on an individual’s learning needs. Some students who come to us have a previous diagnosis such as dyslexia, autism, or a general learning challenge—and we make a difference for each of them. Some students seek our help to enhance their skills or to just make learning easier—and we do.

We start by identifying strengths and weaknesses that may be affecting performance in reading, comprehension, and math—and we make recommendations for individualized instruction plans that create learning gains. One-to-one instruction is available at a Learning Center or online.

 

Reading

Strong readers recognize common words and can sound out unfamiliar words easily. This makes reading at grade level or above easy and not a chore. 

Students who are currently struggling can learn to read to their potential.  We identify why reading is hard for each student and develop the skills they need to become a better reader. Learn about our approach.

 

Early Learning

If your child is still learning to read, we can work on the basics that will make the transition to kindergarten or first-grade curriculum a breeze. We strengthen the imagery-language foundation for reading, spelling, and comprehension. Learn about how we help young learners here.

 

Comprehension

Do words “go in one ear and out the other” for your child? This is more common than you’d think. A weakness in concept imagery—the ability to image a gestalt (whole)—may be the cause. Weakness in concept imagery interferes with reading and listening comprehension, memory, oral vocabulary, critical thinking, and writing.

There are individual differences in the ability to visualize language—a key to good comprehension skills. We teach students how to “see movies when they read,” so they will get the big picture. Improving this skill will make many aspects of school easier. Learn more about how we develop comprehension here.

 

Math

Does your child “hate” math? People who are good at math can visualize math concepts. The language of numbers turns into imagery and they “see” mathematical relationships. We teach students how to think with numbers. Learn how we solve math “problems” here. Individuals of all ages can learn to do and enjoy math!  

 

Academic Prep

Academic Prep is an enrichment program for students ready to advance in areas like writing, study skills, organization, and test-taking. Students benefit from our expertise in learning and cognition. One-to-one programs are tailor-made to address the academic needs of students.

 

 

About Online Instruction

Lindamood-Bell Online Instruction is located where each child needs to learn. This has worked well for homeschool families who live far from a center and for busy families with challenging schedules. Now, our ability to provide great virtual instruction and transition seamlessly between in-person and online instruction has ensured student progress.

 

What Sets Lindamood-Bell Online Instruction Apart?

Lindamood-Bell has been providing individualized live, online instruction since 2015! Our online instruction is evidence-based and proven effective, delivered via video conferencing hosted by Lindamood-Bell.

Instruction is live and one-to-one, with two-way interaction based on your child’s individual learning needs.

  • Evidence-based Programs for Reading, Comprehension, and Math
  • Live Online Instruction with a 1:1 Student/Instructor Ratio
  • Daily Intensive Instruction
  • Tech Kit Provided as Needed
  • Digital Materials and Student Motivation

 

Lindamood-Bell Academy | K-12 Curriculum

Families seeking a full school solution may enroll at Lindamood-Bell Academy, our accredited school. Our unique private school features 1:1 and small-group instruction in person or online. Students make progress in K-12 curriculum and benefit from our instructional expertise. We attract students of all levels, including gifted students and those who thrive in a non-traditional setting. The learning needs of each child are addressed so they are ready to learn. And they do.

 

Teacher Workshops

Homeschool educators may learn the steps of our evidence-based program in a professional development workshop. 

Lindamood-Bell Teacher Workshops include:

  • Instruction in the Steps of the Program
  • Videos of Student-Instructor Interactions
  • Guided Practice Sessions
  • Credit Options

Learn more about Lindamood-Bell Professional Development for Schools and Educators here.

 

Learning Ability Evaluation

If your child is struggling, it is important to know why and how to help. We identify the strengths and weaknesses that may be affecting performance in reading, comprehension, and math. Evaluations are administered in person or live, online. Our Learning Center team will meet with you in a consultation to go over your child’s unique learning profile and make a plan with you for a successful year.

Learning Skills Measured

✔ Sounding Out Words

✔ Spelling

✔ Word Reading

✔ Vocabulary

✔ Reading Comprehension

✔ Following Directions

✔ Paragraph Reading

✔ Math 

✔ Oral Language Comprehension

 

Contact us to discuss how we can help your family go back to homeschool, and have a great year. Find your nearest location or Get in Touch.

It Worked! A Student Finds Success at Lindamood-Bell Academy

Academy

 

Before Lindamood-Bell Academy, Maher said, “I used to be really not great at reading. Until now!”

 

Maher had been struggling in school when his lead therapist recommended Lindamood-Bell Academy. Lindamood-Bell Academy is a unique school that addresses a student’s underlying learning ability while offering a full curriculum. Students in K-12th grade enroll in a blend of Lindamood-Bell instruction and academics. Individualized instruction is customized to each student’s learning profile.

 

Maher’s mother had been very concerned. She says, “He was slipping in his learning. He didn’t understand a lot of things.” The therapist encouraged the family to look into the Academy, convinced that it would make a big difference for Maher. 

 

That was the turning point. Maher’s mom is certain that he’s understanding in ways he hadn’t previously. “The way he’s learning now he’s not going to forget.”

 

Now, thanks to instruction at the Academy, Maher’s excited about learning, he’s making progress, and his goal is to attend college!

 

Listen to Maher and his mom talk about academics, goals, and life.

 

 

To attend, find a Learning Center near you.

You may also contact us today at 800-300-1818 or fill out our get in touch form.

Lindamood-Bell Academy Offers a Unique Opportunity for Students to Thrive

Academy

 

Lindamood-Bell Academy is the only school that addresses a student’s underlying learning ability while offering a full curriculum, and we’re available in person and online. 

Students in K-12th grade enroll in a blend of Lindamood-Bell instruction and curriculum. Individualized instruction is customized to each student’s learning profile.

Gianna was experiencing difficulty with reading and her parents sought help from Lindamood-Bell. Hear her father talk about how they found the perfect school for her at Lindamood-Bell Academy.

 

 

Lindamood-Bell Academy can be the beginning of a new journey in learning, filled with opportunities to experience school as never before. 

To attend, find a Learning Center near you.

You may also contact us today at 800-300-1818 or fill out our admissions form.

Summer Instruction at Lindamood-Bell: It’s a Great Time to Catch Up or Get Ahead!

Learning Camps, Learning Centers

 

Those who are new to Lindamood-Bell may be more familiar with traditional tutoring that takes place over the course of semesters or years. Because of that, our daily instruction, which changes reading or comprehension in a short period of time, may be unfamiliar. An intensive, daily learning environment can be ideal for many types of students: those who are struggling, those who are not performing to their potential, and those who want to get ahead. Lindamood-Bell pioneered the concept of intensive instruction—four hours per day, five days per week with our evidence-based instruction.

 

Why is daily beneficial?

Nanci Bell, co-founder, explains daily intensive instruction in the following excerpt from Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking:

“The rate of learning gain can be improved with intensive intervention. Students with severe weakness in concept imagery may be years behind in language comprehension. For example, Johnny, a student in the fifth grade with reading comprehension at the second-grade level, has a three-year gap between his grade level and his reading comprehension. Even with adequate oral vocabulary and decoding skills, Johnny didn’t gain a year in reading comprehension for each year in school…intervention has to decrease the learning gap by increasing the rate of learning. To increase the rate of learning, you need to provide the right diagnosis and the right instruction, in the right environment. The last is often intensive intervention, four hours a day, five days a week, which results in years of gain in weeks of instruction.”

 

Will intensive instruction be “too much” for my child?

Parents may worry that their child will not be able to maintain focus for so many hours. We get it! Even the most disciplined student would have difficulty attending to a teacher for twenty hours per week of typical reading help.

Our continued success with students, including those with a previous diagnosis of a learning difficulty and/or attention issue, is due to our unique approach. We accurately assess individual needs and provide research-validated instruction in a safe, positive, focused environment.  Lindamood-Bell sessions feature a high level of interaction, movement, games, and motivational rewards. Students work with a different instructor every hour to keep attention rate and intensity high and the sessions interesting. Our instructors are energetic and passionate about maximizing learning throughout every session. As a result, our students see success quickly and realize they can learn given the right tools! 

 

Hear from Mary, a mom who enrolled 3 of her children in intensive instruction at Lindamood-Bell.

 

 

Learning at Lindamood-Bell

Summer is a great time to schedule intensive instruction, and catch up or get ahead for the next school year. Our instruction is based on the learning needs of each student. We can make a difference for students of all ages and abilities. 

Check with your local Learning Center about safe in-person and live, face-to-face online options.

Spots are filling fast—enroll now to receive a discount off the first week of instruction!

The Science of Reading | Getting Reading Right from the Start

For Schools, Professional Development

 

Currently, more than a third of the nation’s fourth graders are unable to read at a basic level, and they’re not likely to become proficient readers by the time they leave high school. And it’s not just a reading problem. Students who do not learn to read have difficulty with academic content throughout school and may never fulfill their potential. 

 

The good news is that educators can make a difference for their students in this pivotal skill. No matter the child’s background, research shows that given the right instruction in the early years, many reading deficits can be prevented. The majority of students at risk for reading failure can, in fact, learn to read if they are identified early and given systematic, intensive instruction.

 

The Science of Reading

Reading is an integration of processing skills: phonological processing, word attack, orthographic processing, word recognition, contextual fluency, oral vocabulary, and comprehension. Lindamood-Bell’s evidence-based approach addresses the imagery-language foundation that is a silent partner to cognition and literacy—often a missing piece in closing the achievement gap for students at-risk for reading failure.  The primary cause of a weakness in language and literacy skills is a weakness in one or more of the following:

✓ Phoneme awareness – The ability to auditorily perceive sounds within words.

✓ Symbol imagery – The ability to create mental imagery for sounds and letters within words.

✓ Concept imagery – The ability to create mental representations for the whole; the dynamic imagery of actions, scenes, movement, etc.

The right assessment battery can identify the areas of weakness and help determine what exactly to do for instruction. The right instruction can bring these abilities to consciousness and change an individual’s ability to read and comprehend.

 

Experience and Results

Since 1986, Lindamood-Bell has worked with schools, educators, and students to implement programs and organizational processes that develop or remediate literacy skills. We help educators provide evidence-based, sensory-cognitive instruction as a basis for developing phonemic awareness, phonics, orthographic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. 

Our partnerships with schools have succeeded in closing the achievement gap by providing explicit, cumulative, and systematic instruction in this methodology. We have substantial evidence of effectiveness with turning around low-performing schools and increasing reading proficiency with struggling readers, including students with dyslexia and in special education, and English Language Learners. 

Explore our results with schools here.

 

Case Study | Fort Smith Public Schools

Fort Smith Public Schools in Fort Smith, Arkansas, serves a large percentage of students who are at-risk of reading failure. Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, Fort Smith Public Schools implemented Lindamood-Bell® instruction to address the specific needs of dyslexic students and provide a solid foundation for all early learners. The partnership has been cost-effective for schools and life-changing for students. Read about their successful Summer Reading Program and download the results here.

 

 

These changes were reflected across subpopulations of Economically Disadvantaged, Special Education, and English Language Learners. The results of this study illustrate that implementing Lindamood-Bell instruction in the Seeing Stars® and Visualizing and Verbalizing® programs in whole classroom settings leads to improved reading, which is essential to achieving success with school curricula.

 

Peer-Review

Numerous peer-reviewed articles based on studies examining the effectiveness of Lindamood-Bell® instruction have been published in scholarly journals – Summary of Behavioral & Neurological Research

Recently, researchers from the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, published a paper on dyslexia that explores how intensive intervention drives the growth of reading skills in struggling readers. Dr. Jason Yeatman, one of the study’s researchers, says that although dyslexia is often thought of as permanent, the findings indicate that the targeted, intensive instruction leads to “substantial” improvements in reading skills and changes in the “underlying wiring of the brain’s reading circuitry.”

 “The process of educating a child is physically changing the brain,” said Jason Yeatman, an assistant professor in both the UW Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences and the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS). “We were able to detect changes in brain connections within just a few weeks of beginning the intervention program. It’s underappreciated that teachers are brain engineers who help kids build new brain circuits for important academic skills like reading.” Find out more about this research, including an article titled, Teachers are Brain Engineers.

 

A teacher’s perspective

Special Educator Sonya Bledsoe describes her experience using sensory-cognitive instruction.

 

 

 

The Science of Reading | Lindamood-Bell for Your Teachers and Students 

We are proud to support teachers as they implement explicit and systematic instruction in evidence-based practices.  Research-validated programs are key to our solutions for schools.

Lindamood-Bell® professional development services are 100% available online, including teacher workshops, help with online teaching, job-embedded coaching, and comprehensive school partnerships. We help schools build expertise in aligning assessments with instruction for students in all tiers of instruction. Our programs address the skills needed for students to access curriculum:

 

Reading and Spelling Programs

Seeing Stars

Symbol Imagery for Phonological and Orthographic Processing in Reading and Spelling

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS)

Phonemic Awareness for Reading, Spelling, and Speech

 

Comprehension Programs

Visualizing and Verbalizing (VV)

Concept Imagery for Language Comprehension, Thinking, and Memory

Talkies

Foundational Development in Concept Imagery, Oral Language Comprehension, and Expression

 

Schools partner with us for our expertise in aligning assessments with instruction for students in all tiers of instruction. Our programs address the skills needed for students to access any core curriculum. While district needs vary, we help apply best practices to diverse challenges. Explore our schedule of online professional development workshops. Contact us with questions and to discuss how your school can get started, including quotes for in-service events 800-233-1819.

We Can Help Stop Math Loss—Catch Up or Get Ahead This Summer

Learning Centers, Math

 

Parents and teachers are often concerned about the ‘summer slide’ in students’ learning, especially when it comes to math skills. This year due to school closures, experts estimate that math learning loss will be even more significant, with students returning in the fall with 50% less gain in math skills compared to a typical year.

 

Lindamood-Bell instruction for math can help your child catch up this summer and feel more confident and prepared for school. We teach students how to do math to their potential, no matter their age or previous struggle.

 

Our math instruction stimulates an individual’s ability to image and verbalize the concepts underlying math processes. Concept and numerical imagery are integrated with language and applied to math computation and problem-solving. There is an emphasis on both mathematical reasoning and mathematical computation. 

 

Explore our math instruction, including Learning Center results, here.

 

Hear from Nikki, whose son Bryson fell behind in math. “He started to get very low scores on his math tests.”  She says “After doing instruction at Lindamood-Bell, now he’s describing himself as a good math student again. He’s back on track in math!” Watch their story: 

 

 

Depending on the location, we’ll be open either live online or in person. 

Just like our in-center instruction, our virtual instruction is 100% live and face-to-face.

Get in touch or find a location near you to get started!

Turn Learning Loss into Learning Gain | 25% Savings!

Learning Centers, Specials

 

While your school may not yet know exactly what the fall will look like, one thing’s for sure—months away from the classroom can lead to measurable learning loss in skills like reading and math. This is especially true for students who struggle with learning.

 

What is the COVID slide?

Education researchers have long described the “summer slide.” Students come back to school out of practice, maybe forgetting some of what they learned. This year’s “COVID slide” is expected to be worse; experts estimate that students will return to school this fall having made 30% less gain in reading skills and 50% less gain in math skills. 

 

Reading and math help this summer

At Lindamood-Bell we have experience helping students go back to school with better skills and more confidence. Our evidence-based summer programs result in extraordinary academic gain in a matter of weeks. Now more than ever, it is important to shore up the literacy and math skills your student needs most.

You can count on Lindamood-Bell to help your child catch up this summer and feel more confident and prepared for school. Depending on the location, we’ll be open either live online or in person. Just like our in-center instruction, our virtual instruction is 100% live and face-to-face.

Imagine your child returning to school in the fall with better skills, ready to tackle the new year. Students can spend part of their summer turning what could have been a learning loss, into a learning gain. 

Summer learning at Lindamood-Bell is individualized to meet the learning needs of each student in a short amount of time. Because it’s one-to-one, we’ll only spend time on what your child needs. Learn about our summer programs here.

Some students come to us with a previous diagnosis of a learning challenge. Some need learning to be easier, while some can use summer learning to get ahead for next year. 

We start by identifying strengths and weaknesses that may be affecting performance in reading, comprehension, and math. And, we make recommendations for individualized instruction plans that create learning gains. Students go back to school with more confidence. 

 

 

Receive 25% off the first week of instruction when you enroll for a minimum of 120 hours between June 1 and September 4, 2020.

 

Get started today by contacting us to discuss how we can help make this summer everything your family has been waiting for! 800-300-1818

March is National Reading Month | Free Download

Events

For National Reading Month, we are sharing our belief that all individuals can be taught to read and comprehend to their potential—including those who have a previous diagnosis of a learning difficulty, such as dyslexia. 

We hope you’ll join the celebration. Read together as a family. Maybe explore new interests through books. Talk to your kids about the books they’re reading to check for understanding. Ask, “What did you picture for what happened in that story?”, “What do you think might happen next?”, or “How would you change the ending of the story?”

National Reading Month Kit – Free Download

Your child’s teacher may already require reading as part of daily homework. During National Reading Month, use our free materials to make it more fun.

The free download includes a reading log, activity ideas to help boost reading time, and a Read-O-Meter to track progress. Friends and classmates can cheer each other on. Teachers and parents can use these as a motivation tools for earning rewards.

Is reading difficult for your child?

If reading is difficult for your child, find out why and how to make it easier. Check out this infographic about the causes of some reading difficulties:

Getting Help at Lindamood-Bell

Lindamood-Bell has pioneered programs to develop the imagery-language foundation that underlies reading, spelling, language comprehension, math, memory, and critical thinking. We teach students how to learn to their potential at our Learning Centers around the world and online. Learn about our approach here. Families looking for a full school solution can explore Lindamood-Bell Academy.

Back to School 2020 | Tips for a Successful School Year

Australia, Helpful Tips

Back to school tips

 

For many students, back-to-school season comes with the promise of a fresh start and another fun and successful year of learning. They eagerly fill their backpacks with sharpened pencils and new notebooks for each subject. But, students who struggle in school may instead be preoccupied with waning self-confidence as another tough school year looms on the horizon.

 

Why Isn’t My Child Excited About School?

It can be frustrating for both parents and for students when conversations about school dissolve into tears. Discussions at the dinner table can end in arguments as your child insists “there’s no need for help practicing spelling words!” Or, maybe your son or daughter is able to talk about a favorite topic with ease but freezes up on written assignments. While these struggles may have been “buried under the sand” during the school holiday, they are likely to surface as you transition back into the school-year routine.

When searching for ways to help support your student, one of the best things you can do is be proactive about providing tools needed for success.

 

Help Make Homework Easier for Your Child 

Kids with learning issues can have a tough time with homework, no matter how hard they try. As parents, you know the importance of your students completing homework and developing strong study skills. But it can be hard to know how to be supportive without doing too much for them. Students should get the learning benefit from an assignment while feeling successful in the process. Start the school year strong with our guide, Help Your Child with Homework.

 

Increase Communication with School 

Take advantage of the lighter homework load in the beginning of the school year to gather information and get organized.

1) Empty your child’s backpack every day.

These slips and newsletters are sent home by your child’s teacher deliberately, to start the ball rolling on a structured, communicative relationship with you, as well as to keep you informed.

2) Get proactive about scheduling school communication. 

Most schools will provide parents with an idea of when planned parent/teacher evenings will be scheduled, where and how frequently newsletters will be sent, the school term dates, and more. Add these dates and details to your own schedule planner. Email may be the easiest way to reach out to your child’s teacher — set up a time (even before Back-to-School Night) to discuss expectations for the school year and to learn about recommendations she may have for supplemental materials or other educators. You can also share information about your student’s strengths and strategies that have previously worked well for him or her in the classroom.

 

Getting Help for a Struggling Student

As the school year continues, it may be that your student is struggling to keep up. 

A student with “choppy” paragraph reading or who has trouble recognizing sight words may have a weakness in symbol imagery (the ability to visualize letters and sounds within words). Weak symbol imagery will cause difficulty in establishing sight words, contextual fluency, and spelling. Read about symbol imagery weakness here.

A student who has trouble following directions, comprehending a text, or organizing his or her time may have challenges with concept imagery, or the ability to image a gestalt (whole). He or she may be able to read quickly and accurately but struggle to understand and describe what has been read or answer critical thinking questions about a given text. Read about concept imagery weakness here.

 

Hear from one of our students! He describes what it’s like to have dyslexia and tells all about his experience learning to read at Lindamood-Bell. His mother gives her perspective, too!

 

 

Learn more about how Lindamood-Bell instruction can help your student have a successful school year. An accurate Learning Ability Evaluation is the first step in teaching individuals to learn to their potential. Click here to find a Learning Center near you.