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Literacy Solutions for English Learners

Jan 9, 2017
 
 

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Teachers of English Learners face a unique challenge—to quickly develop language and literacy skills in a differentiated manner. To address the needs of English Learners, teachers can add instruction that develops the imagery-language connection. English Learners can acquire the skills and knowledge they need, more quickly.

 

By addressing the skills that underlie reading and comprehension, teachers can boost language learning for all students, while providing specific instruction to address the needs of those students who have learning challenges—even in their first language.

 

Our programs support best practices in English Language development and have been shown to accelerate skill acquisition:

 

COMPREHENSION & VOCABULARY

Visualizing and Verbalizing and Talkies develop the underlying skills necessary for:

  • Oral Language Development
  • Acquiring Academic Vocabulary
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Critical Thinking

READING & SPELLING

Seeing Stars and Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing(LiPS) develop foundational decoding skills:

  • Phonological Awareness
  • Phonics and Word Recognition
  • Reading Fluency
  • Spelling

[CASE STUDY] Colorado School Implementing Lindamood-Bell Instruction Closes the Achievement Gap in Reading for English Learners

 

Background

Haskin Elementary School in Center, Colorado, serves a large percentage of English Learners who are at-risk of reading failure. From 2010-14, Haskin implemented Lindamood-Bell instruction to address the specific needs of this student population. The first three years of this project, 2010-11 through 2012-13, were funded through a federal School Improvement Grant (SIG). Haskin students received Seeing Stars and Visualizing and Verbalizing instruction to develop symbol imagery and concept imagery for reading and comprehension. Instruction was delivered by Haskin teachers who were trained in the Lindamood-Bell programs. Gains for English Learners were measured with the reading portion of the Transitional Colorado Assessment Program and the results were compared to gains made by non-English Learners.

 

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Results

English Learners at Haskin achieved a 50-point increase in reading proficiency from 2010 to 2014. This was the largest change of all elementary schools in the state. Additionally, the achievement gap between non-English Learners and English Learners was closed by 20 points. Statewide, the gap was closed by 4 points over this same period of time. The results of this study illustrate that providing Lindamood-Bell instruction in the Seeing Stars and Visualizing and Verbalizing programs leads to improved reading and comprehension in English Learners, which is essential to achieving success with school curricula.

 

Profile

School Years: 2010–14

Number of Schools: 1

Grade Levels: 3rd–5th

 

Lindamood-Bell Programs Implemented:

Focus of Lindamood-Bell Services:

 

Lindamood-Bell instruction integrates and strengthens  RtI and EL services. Explore our professional development workshops and contact us with any questions or to discuss how your school can get started: 800-233-1819.

 

For information on how to address core standards learning for all students, watch our recent webinar,  Beyond Expectations: Language Comprehension and Thinking for State Standards Curriculum.

Connect with us
🎉 40 Years of Changing Lives Through Learning

Our next milestone takes us to 1992!

📍 1992: First Learning Center outside of San Luis Obispo opens in Sacramento, California

Six years after Lindamood-Bell was founded, we expanded beyond our San Luis Obispo roots with the opening of a Learning Center in Sacramento.

It was an important step in our growth, bringing Lindamood-Bell’s one-to-one, individualized instruction to more students and families.

Follow @lindamoodbellofficial as we celebrate 40 years of changing lives through learning and revisit the milestones that shaped our story. ❤️

Learn more at the link in our bio.
🎥 Now Available On-Demand: Online Instruction That Actually Works

When you think of online learning, you might picture large virtual classrooms where it can be difficult for students to stay engaged. Lindamood-Bell online instruction is a different experience: live, one-to-one instruction with individualized support and active student engagement.

See what an online session actually looks like and learn about the research and results behind our reading instruction.

👉 Watch the recording at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎉 40 Years of Changing Lives Through Learning
As we continue looking back at the milestones that have shaped Lindamood-Bell, we’re returning to where it all began.

📖 1986: Nanci Bell publishes Visualizing and Verbalizing®

The same year Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes was founded, co-founder Nanci Bell published Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking®, introducing an approach designed to develop concept imagery, the ability to create an imaged gestalt from language.

The program grew from Nanci’s work with students who could read words but struggled to understand, remember, and think critically about what they read.
Today, Visualizing and Verbalizing® remains central to our approach to developing language comprehension and higher-order thinking skills.

Follow @lindamoodbellofficial as we celebrate 40 years of changing lives through learning. ❤️
Learn more at the link in our bio.
🎧 New Podcast Episode!

Lindamood-Bell for Schools Director of Development Dave Kiyvyra speaks with Winifred Winston and LeDerick Horne from the Black and Dyslexic podcast about the dyslexia identification and support gap.

They explore disparities in dyslexia identification, limited access to effective reading instruction in many communities, and the challenges families face in understanding and securing the support their children need.

Listen and subscribe at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
📚 When should kids start reading?

Our latest blog article explores typical reading milestones, signs of readiness, the foundational skills that support reading and comprehension, and when additional support may be helpful.

👉 Read “When Should Kids Start Reading? Age Guidelines, Readiness Signs, and How to Help.” Follow the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎉 40 Years of Changing Lives Through Learning

This year marks a very special milestone for Lindamood-Bell: 40 years!

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be looking back at some of the milestones that have shaped our story. From our beginnings in 1986 to the work we do today, there is so much to celebrate.

And where better to begin than at the beginning?

📷 1986: Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes is founded.

Pat Lindamood and Nanci Bell co-founded Lindamood-Bell with a shared belief that all students can be taught to read to their potential. From the beginning, our approach was grounded in the understanding that reading is a sensory-cognitive process and that the underlying skills can be developed.

What began 40 years ago has grown into a journey we’re excited to revisit and share with you.

Follow @lindamoodbellofficial as we celebrate 40 years of changing lives through learning and share more milestones from our story.

For more information about Lindamood-Bell, visit the link in our bio. ❤️
Considering online homeschooling for your child? There’s a lot to think about beyond curriculum and flexibility.

How will instruction be personalized? Will your child have live interaction with teachers? What kind of support and school community will they have? And will the program help strengthen the learning skills they need to succeed?

Our new guide explores what families should consider when comparing online homeschool programs and how Lindamood-Bell Academy approaches learning from home.

Read Online Homeschool Programs: A Guide for Families at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
New Podcast Episode!
Tom Mendoza, Co-Director of Lindamood-Bell for Schools, and Deci Douroux, Professional Development Mentor Presenter, explore how developing concept and numerical imagery can help close math achievement gaps.
They discuss a three-step instructional approach that moves students from hands-on experiences with manipulatives to imagery and language, then to computation and problem-solving. Learn how this approach can support stronger number sense, mathematical reasoning, and confidence.
Listen and subscribe at the link our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial
What’s the difference between Lindamood-Bell and Orton-Gillingham?

Our latest blog article explores the similarities and key differences between these approaches, including Lindamood-Bell’s emphasis on developing the sensory-cognitive processes that underlie reading, spelling, and comprehension.

Read the full article at the link in bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎧 New Podcast Episode: A Parent’s Perspective on Lindamood-Bell Live-Online Instruction for Dyslexia
In our latest podcast episode, a mother shares her son’s journey with dyslexia and the impact personalized instruction had on his reading skills and confidence.
Through a combination of live-online and in-person reading instruction at our Learning Center, he developed the skills he needed to make meaningful academic progress.
Hear his story and his mother’s perspective on their Lindamood-Bell experience.
👉 Listen to the full episode at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🍂 Fall workshops are here, educators!
Strengthen your teaching with live-online workshops grounded in the cognitive science of learning and aligned with the science of reading and structured literacy.
• Practical strategies for reading, comprehension, and math
• Support for students with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism
Save 10% with code 26READY2LEARN10.
Reserve your spot through the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
Dyslexia is complex, but understanding its causes can help parents and educators make informed decisions about support. Our latest article explores what research tells us about dyslexia, common misconceptions, and the evidence behind effective intervention. Read more at the link in bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
What is phoneme awareness, and why does it matter for learning to read?

Many people know phoneme awareness is important, but fewer understand how it fits into the bigger picture of reading development. Our latest blog explains what phoneme awareness is, how it differs from phonics, signs a student may need support, and why successful reading depends on more than phoneme awareness alone.
Whether you're a parent or educator, this guide offers practical insights into the sensory-cognitive functions that support reading.

Read the blog at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
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