Colorado Schools Implementing Lindamood-Bell Outperform the State in Reading

Colorado, Colorado Student Assessment Program, Elementary School Results, Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing, Seeing Stars, Visualizing and Verbalizing

Pueblo City Schools in Pueblo, Colorado, serves a large percentage of students who are at-risk of reading failure. From 1999-00 to 2006-07, five Title 1 elementary schools implemented Lindamood-Bell® instruction to address the specific needs of this student population. Students received Seeing Stars, Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing, and Visualizing and Verbalizing instruction to develop symbol imagery, phonemic awareness, and concept imagery for reading and comprehension. Instruction was delivered by Pueblo teachers who received professional development in the Lindamood-Bell programs. Student gains were measured with the 3rd grade state reading test and compared to gains made by the state. In 1999, more than half of Pueblo’s 3rd graders at these schools were not proficient in reading.

Results
In 1999, 3rd graders at these five Pueblo schools were 18 points below the state, but in 2007, eight years after implementing Lindamood-Bell, they were 11 points above the state. Pueblo improved 33 points from 1996 to 2007 compared to a four-point improvement for the state. The results of this study illustrate that Lindamood-Bell instruction in the Seeing Stars. Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing, and Visualizing and Verbalizing programs lead to improved reading and comprehension, which is essential to achieving success with school curricula.

Profile
Number of Schools: 5
Grade Levels: 3rd
Lindamood-Bell Programs Implemented:
·  Seeing Stars®
·  Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing®
·  Visualizing and Verbalizing®
Outcome Measures: Colorado Student Assessment Program (reading)