We Did It
Susan Barton loves hearing from homeschool parents who have completed the Barton System — and the difference that has made in their child’s skills.
We did it! My son has successfully completed the Barton Reading and Spelling System.
We began homeschooling shortly after I started Barton with him, which allowed us to really focus on it and do it at a time of day when he had the energy reserves to tackle the challenge the program presents.
We started Barton in June of 2018 and just over 3 years later, he can read just about anything. A boy who could barely get through two pages of a Percy Jackson book recently read five chapters in one sitting.
A boy who couldn’t spell basic vowel team words like “cool” or spell the word “magnet” the same way twice in 4th grade (in spite of the word “magnet” being provided in the title of a writing prompt and in spite of science being his favorite subject), can now successfully spell sentences like “My cousin Jim, a sophomore, is studying anthropology.” (That’s a Book 10, Lesson 10, sentence. He nailed it.)
He has discovered that he has a superior sense of narrative and creativity which he has applied to writing a couple short plays (one of which was chosen to represent the class in a talent show at our homeschool community) and short stories.
His confidence has improved so much.
Just wanted to share our success to encourage all of you still in the trenches to keep going, because it’s worth it!
Michelle Pollace, homeschool parent
Campbell, CA
A Perfect Dyslexic Brain
Susan Barton loves hearing from parents who have found their child’s gifted areas, as this parent has.
A year ago, my son Martin could not read a sentence . . . and he was in the 4th grade. We had gone through vision therapists and reading tutors. He worked so hard but got nowhere. He even had an IEP at school, but he never really got “better”.
We finally went to a psychologist who did many rounds of testing that showed Martin has a perfect dyslexic brain. It wasn’t a vision issue or a learning disability. He is literally wired this way, and I have come to learn how amazing his brain really is.
Martin has been tutored in the Barton System for about a year with Mrs. Tara Whitlow. His progress is amazing. My baby boy is finally seeing his hard work pay off.
I can’t thank you enough.
And I think the Barton System should be in every school district in this country.
Katie Daley, parent
Windsor, VA
She Did It !!!!!
Susan Barton loves hearing from parents who refuse to believe the predictions of teachers or school psychologists, like this parent.
She did it !!!!! My daughter successfully completed all 10 levels of the Barton Reading & Spelling System today.
When she was 8, we were told that her severe dyslexia would probably prevent her from ever reading, much less spelling, anything – and to prepare for making technology a huge part of her world.
But she can now read anything I put in front of her and spell most things correctly.
Also, a few weeks ago, she completed the first book she ever read completely on her own, The Hobbit. She read it, understood it, correctly answered questions about it, and was able to converse intelligently on it.
Thank you, Susan Barton. Thank you doesn’t even begin to touch my level of gratitude, but thank you for everything !!!
Katie Ballard, homeschool parent
Lucas, TX
Before And After Barton
Susan Barton loves hearing from parents about the impact Barton tutoring had on their child, as this parent recently shared:
Before Barton, my daughter Ella could not read, yet she loved books. She could not spell, yet she was creative and made up wonderful stories.
Her peers could read with ease. Ella really wanted to learn. But even in a private school with one-on-one reading classes, Ella could not read at all.
Then we found the Barton System and her life changed.
She applied to 10 colleges for Fall 2021 and was accepted to all of them. She was even offered the maximum amount of Merit Scholarship that the colleges award.
Best of all, for the last two years, Ella has been tutoring the Barton System for free to students whose families could not afford tutoring. The students absolutely love her.
The Barton System has been quite a gift to Ella.
Brook Euler
Parent and Certified Barton Tutor
Wellsville, PA
Congratulations
Stride Academy, a charter school, won Innovation Of The Month from the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools for their amazing success with students who have dyslexia and bilingual students.
Two Dyslexia Specialists, who are also Certified Barton Tutors, run the school’s intervention program using the Barton Reading & Spelling System.
They educate parents and teachers about dyslexia, screen students who have 3 or more of the classic warning signs, provide tutoring, and ensure teachers provide classroom accommodations.
Students who struggled and failed at traditional schools are thriving at Stride Academy – academically and socially.
To learn more, watch this 4-minute video.
Brian Has Been Completely Remediated
This is why Susan Barton warns parents that if their child needs testing to prove dyslexia, do not wait until they have finished the Barton System.
I wanted to share some exciting news about my son, Brian, who is now 16.
He was diagnosed with severe dyslexia when he was 10.
He needed an updated educational evaluation for accommodations on the college entrance exams. He was evaluated by Dr. Varia, Ph.D. from Mindwell Psychology. She has a strong specialty in dyslexia.
After Dr. Varia tested him, she told me that she would not have known Brian has dyslexia had I not told her prior to the exam. Her testing did not pick it up. She said Brian has been completely remediated. I was stunned!
I knew your program was the best, but I had no idea that it could improve Brian’s reading and spelling skills to the point that his dyslexia became undetectable.
So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so very much!
Amy Summers, parent
and Certified Barton Tutor at the Advanced Level
Oakton, VA
Parents and teachers call it a miracle
Susan Barton loves hearing from Barton tutors who monitor progress using normed standardized tests, as Karyl does:
I have been using the Barton Reading & Spelling System for 16 years. The growth in my students reading and spelling skills is amazing.
I use the Word Identification and Spelling Test (the WIST) to monitor progress.
Most of my students have scores in only the 1st to 5th percentile on their first day of tutoring.
I give the WIST again at the end of Level 4. Their reading and spelling scores then range from 45th to 55th percentile.
But I urge parents to continue the tutoring process because by the end of Level 8, their children’s reading and spelling scores jump to the 75th to 95th percentile — way above their peers.
Parents and teachers call it a miracle. But I know it is the Barton System that makes their success possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Karyl Rapport
Certified Barton Tutor at the Advanced Level
Los Angeles, CA
Diagnosed at 14
It is never too late to close the gap, as this homeschool parent shared:
We homeschooled our five children with ease — until we got to our fourth child. We knew Daniel was not learning like his siblings. By the time he was 8, his 6-year-old sister was reading circles around him.
When Daniel was 10, we sought professional help. But he was mistakenly identified as having an eye tracking disorder. The tracking exercises did nothing to improve his reading.
At 14, we finally had him tested by an educational psychologist who said Daniel was severely dyslexic, something we suspected, but did not comprehend. His reading score was at the 3rd grade level.
We immediately hired a tutor using the Barton System. Daniel made significant progress in a short time and grew in both his reading skills and his self-confidence.
At 16, he started his first college class and has since been dual enrolled, completing 30 college credits. With accommodations, including audio books and extended test time, he’s been very successful — averaging an A in the past 5 semesters of coursework!
At 17, he passed his written driver’s test at 85% without accommodations — a huge milestone for him!
We are so thankful for the Barton System, and we look forward to seeing his future accomplishments as he graduates high school and continues on to college.
Christine Torre
Homeschool Parent
Dawsonville, GA
Never in 30 years
I would like share how very impressed I am with the Barton System.
As a Special Education teacher with more than three decades of teaching experience, I have used many different reading programs over the years. But I have never before encountered anything as comprehensive as your system. Thank you for all the time and effort you put into developing a true quality product.
The difference it is making for my dyslexic students is really impressive. Their reading and spelling skills, plus general self-esteem, grow visibly with each tutoring session.
I love using your program!
Anne Parker
The Open Door Educational Services
Ottawa, Canada
It took until 5th grade . . .
It should not take this long but sadly, it often does, as this parent shared:
We started our journey in first grade, when our daughter’s teacher shared that she was not grasping reading concepts as fast as she should. I was shocked because I had read to her since she was a baby, and books were a big part of our home.
For the rest of that school year, we spent many long, tearful evenings trying to teach her the sight words. We would go over and over and over them, but she could not retain them.
We also spent at least two hours every night doing homework, and practicing her reading.
Despite that, at the beginning of third grade, she was only reading 27 words per minute – which was at the bottom of her class.
She also struggled with spelling. I got her list several days early, so we would have extra time to learn the words. It did not help.
Over the years, the teachers said, “It will click one of these days,” or “She is young for her grade,” and “You are doing all the right things at home.” Yet year after year, she spent many long, tearful nights doing homework.
When I asked if she might have a learning disability, the answer was always, “No.”
In fifth grade, we hit a wall. That year, she spent four to five hours a week studying her spelling words – just to get a D.
She also got a D in Social Studies, even though I read the textbook out loud to her, because her vocabulary was way behind.
She began to have problems with her peers, partly due to her very low self-esteem.
At the end of some of our homework battles, she began to say she should be dead because she was useless. She stayed up late every night due to anxiety, and she developed depression. We knew we had to do something, but we did not know the cause of her academic struggles.
Then a friend at a party suggested she might have dyslexia. Our life changed that very day.
We decided to homeschool, which our daughter had been begging us to do since first grade, and we began using the Barton System as our language arts curriculum.
I have watched her grow into an amazing person.
I will never forget the day she started reading road signs out loud.
When she finished Level 6, I shared she could now start reading textbooks on her own. For her social studies assignment, there was a five page story to read, then an outline to complete, and comprehension questions to answer. She proudly completed all of it by herself. That was a HUGE self-esteem boost, and it has shown up in all areas of her life.
She now reads books for fun, and she is finally understanding how to spell words.
Homeschool is getting less time consuming as her vocabulary grows because we don’t have to explain as many words before we move forward. She is also better able to recall terms and ideas.
Only a year and a half ago, she was labeled “functionally illiterate.”
I can not thank you enough, Susan Barton, for saving my daughter and bringing my family such peace and happiness!
Please feel free to share our story to bring hope to other families who are still struggling.
Teresa Danelski
Sturgeon Lake, MN
