Susan Barton loves hearing from parents about the impact Barton tutoring has had on their child, as this parent shared:
“We first noticed our daughter, Ella, was struggling in kindergarten. When her school closed because of COVID, her teacher sent home sight words to practice. No matter how many times we reviewed them, she could not remember them. The next morning, it was as if she had never seen them before. We became very concerned.
In first grade, Ella started receiving extra help at school from the Reading Specialist. It wasn’t long before we knew she needed more intense intervention. While sharing our concerns with other parents, two moms encouraged us to have Ella evaluated at the Dyslexia Reading Connection, and we will be forever grateful for their advice.
When Ella was diagnosed with dyslexia, our overwhelming feeling was relief. We finally understood why reading was so hard for her.
Ella talks openly about her dyslexia and embraces the unique way her brain works. We remind her often that she is “perfectly and wonderfully made,” and this journey has only strengthened that belief.
The Barton Reading & Spelling System has truly helped our daughter. The transformation has been remarkable. Today, Ella is reading at grade level! Barton tutoring has given her the confidence to do anything. We are so thankful to you, the staff at DRC, and Ms. Karrie — her incredible tutor.
Jackie Sharkey Parent Appleton, WI
Karrie Brass Certified Barton Tutor at the Masters Level Appleton, WI
Susan Barton loves hearing from graduates of the Barton Reading & Spelling System who are thriving as adults. Here’s Jordan’s story:
Throughout much of his childhood and adolescence, Jordan bore a silent burden that few around him noticed. Reading even simple three-letter words felt like climbing a mountain. As classmates zipped through homework and read aloud with ease, Jordan’s world was filled with anxiety, confusion, and a growing sense of inadequacy.
“Growing up, school was very difficult because I couldn’t read,” he remembers. “And everything you do in school is reading.”
Jordan was dyslexic, though no one had named it yet. His mother tried computer-based programs like Hooked on Phonics, and he was placed in special education classes. But nothing truly helped.
That changed when Jordan’s aunt recommended the Barton Reading & Spelling System. With the help of two dedicated tutors—Certified Barton Tutor Laurie Butler and Susan Barton herself—Jordan finally began to make progress. As his reading improved, his confidence blossomed. One day, he proudly read a paragraph aloud in class—a moment that once felt was impossible.
Then came another turning point. Jordan earned a perfect score on the reading portion of his GED exam.
“I was so excited and happy,” he shares, “because for the first time in my life, I got a 100% on something I could never do before.”
Today, Jordan enjoys reading books, spending time with his family, and caring for his Rottweiler, Geri. He has a successful career and a message of hope: With the right support, it’s never too late to learn.
Susan Barton truly appreciates hearing from graduates of the Barton Reading & Spelling System as they share their unique dyslexia journeys. Here’s Ruby’s story:
Ruby always knew that she “had something” because she felt like she learned differently from her classmates. She couldn’t read until third grade and constantly struggled with spelling. “For a long time, I felt stupid, like I couldn’t learn anything,” she recalls. “I just thought I was dumb.”
Everything changed when her mom discovered the Barton Reading & Spelling System. Ruby was nervous the first time she met with her Certified Barton Tutor, Laurie Frydenlund. But soon she realized that Laurie understood her in a way her teachers at school never had. Working through the Barton System gave Ruby confidence — something she says she never had before.
One memory that stands out for Ruby is riding in the car with her mom and suddenly realizing she could read the street signs. “I could never do that before, and that is probably why I want to be an educator,” Ruby shares. “Because of Barton, I found a love of learning, and I want to help kids learn too.”
Looking back, Ruby knows her journey would have been very different without the right type of tutoring. “The Barton Reading & Spelling System changes people’s lives 100%. I think about it all the time — what I would be without Barton. I would be a different person for sure.”
For much of her life, Yvette Jones carried the quiet weight of not knowing why reading was so difficult. It wasn’t until adulthood that she discovered she has dyslexia—and with that discovery came both relief and hope. Her story reminds us that it is never too late to understand your challenges and find the right tools to succeed.
When Yvette began Barton tutoring, she experienced what she calls her “aha moment.” For the first time, reading started to make sense. The barriers that once felt permanent began to break down, replaced by confidence and joy. Her journey shows the incredible power of structured literacy—not just for children, but for learners of any age.
Yvette’s testimony is proof that dyslexia doesn’t define your potential or put an expiration date on learning. Whether you are six or sixty, the Barton Reading & Spelling System can open new doors and offer the gift of reading. Now she shares that freedom with others. She tells parents who feel lost, “You are not alone. Dyslexia is not a weakness—it’s a gift.” Instead of hiding, Yvette speaks openly, serves at her church, and inspires others with her simple, powerful message:
“It’s never too late to learn. Dyslexia doesn’t define you—it can empower you.”
Watch this short 8-minute video to hear Yvette’s inspiring story in her own words.
Susan Barton loves hearing how Barton tutoring has changed a child’s life, as this Certified Barton Tutor shared:
Susan,
I’m thrilled to share an exciting update about one of my Barton students.
Benjamin struggled with reading and spelling from a very young age. Even when he was eight years old, he could not decode simple three-letter words and frequently wrote letters backwards. At first, his mother chalked it up to him being the youngest child. She tried many different reading programs, but none of them helped her son, and he continued to fall further behind.
Benjamin was formally diagnosed with dyslexia when he was 11. A year later, I began tutoring him using the Barton Reading & Spelling System. From the start, he showed tremendous dedication, worked incredibly hard, and ultimately, completed all ten levels.
Once Benjamin completed the Barton System, we started working on written expression using the IEW curriculum. Because of his creativity and intellect, I encouraged him to submit one of his stories to an international contest.
Today, Benjamin is a high school senior. He recently competed in his first speech competition and advanced to the regional level. He was also awarded a Karina Eide Young Writers Award for his exceptional short story, The Doppelgänger’s Dilemma.
It’s incredible to think that the same student who could not decode three-letter words is now delivering speeches and writing award-winning stories with confidence.
I am incredibly proud of the young man Benjamin has become and the inspiration he is to others who are walking a similar path.
Thank you, Susan. Your program truly changes lives.
Kristi Davis Certified Barton Tutor at the Masters Level IEW Accredited Writing Instructor
Susan Barton loves hearing about college-bound Barton students – like this one.
Dear Susan,
I love your newsletters! My 17-year-old daughter, Alyssa, is currently in Level 8 of the Barton Reading & Spelling System, and it has made such a difference in her life. Before starting Barton, she went through the Wilson program at a private school she attended from 1st to 6th grade. The Barton System has been a powerful resource for our daughter—not just in improving her reading, writing, and spelling, but also in helping with her anxiety and self-esteem.
Alyssa really struggled in elementary school. In kindergarten and first grade, we would spend one to two hours each night on homework that would take a typical child ten minutes to complete. Reading and spelling were extremely difficult for her, but she was always so determined to finish her assignments.
One day, I came across an Instagram post by someone I did not know personally. She shared that she was receiving dyslexia tutoring as an adult and mentioned that her father, a successful CEO, had also discovered his dyslexia later in life. She spoke about how transformative tutoring had been for both of them—not just academically, but emotionally.
That post led me to reach out to her and, eventually, to her mother, who is a Barton tutor. The rest is history! Alyssa’s tutor has helped her make tremendous progress with reading, writing, and spelling, and has also become a mentor and dear friend. Alyssa says the Barton System has boosted her confidence, helped her discover the joy of reading, improved her communications skills, and made completing schoolwork much easier.
Alyssa will head off to college this June, confident, happy, and beautiful. We are incredibly proud of how far she has come and can’t wait to see what her future holds.
Susan Barton loves hearing about college-bound Barton students – like this one.
Dear Susan,
I want to tell you about my incredible daughter. Signe loved being read to as a small child, and we would check out several books each week. But she was unable to read them on her own.
In 3rd grade, as the words got longer and more complex, she hit a wall in reading. No matter how many times we practiced sight words, they would not stick. And she became increasingly frustrated.
We spent the next four years working through your program. During this time,
we watched our daughter’s confidence soar as her reading and spelling skills improved.
Today, our daughter is a college freshman living two hours away on campus. She is balancing a full class schedule, including Speech, Math, 2D design, Global Fashion History, and Sewing. Her goal is to earn a degree in Fashion Design.
Before the school year began, Signe met with the accommodations department to make sure the necessary arrangements were in place to support her success as a student with dyslexia.
She receives extended time on tests, has access to audio textbooks, and uses a Smart Pen and tablet to help her take notes during lectures.
Watching our daughter become her own best advocate has been an incredible experience.
We are constantly in awe of her determination to succeed.
Susan Barton loves getting letters from graduates of the Barton Reading & Spelling System who then start sharing their story in an effort to change things for other students with dyslexia. Here’s Katherine’s story:
I can and I will. Just watch me.
For years this has been my go-to statement.
You see, in the third grade, I was diagnosed “twice exceptional” having both dyslexia and dysgraphia paired with a high IQ. Up until that point, I couldn’t read a three-letter word. My parents had meeting after meeting with my teachers and were told that I was an underachiever and that I would never be more than a mediocre student. Well, lucky for me, they knew better!
But for most children who suffer from hidden disabilities, there isn’t anyone there to advocate for them. This creates a huge crack for these kids to fall through and most of the time leads to these children becoming statistics. Over forty million Americans have dyslexia and only slightly more than two million are receiving services for their diagnosis.
So many children fall behind in school and ultimately drop out due to the lack of in-depth screening to be able to identify certain markers that could provide early intervention. Had my mother not known that something wasn’t adding up and decided to seek second and third opinions, I have no doubt that I would have been a statistic.
Today I am an all A student and have earned admission into the BETA Club, National Honor Society, and didn’t do too terrible on my first time taking the ACT! Because someone cared enough to advocate for me, I was able to return to school after my diagnosis and not only receive the proper training for my dyslexia, but I was also immediately entered into the gifted class! You cannot imagine what this did for my self-esteem! I was pulled twice a day, once for therapy and once for gifted!
Again, this was because someone believed I could do it! Someone had the insight to know that helping me advance what my brain was good at, as they helped me learn to overcome what my brain wasn’t good at, was going to be the key to my success!
My journey hasn’t always been an easy one and to this day I continue to fight the fight! I want to take this a step further and make sure that once students are diagnosed, they are not hindered by the label.
I have had to fight my way through class scheduling because they didn’t think I could handle certain classes. I had to beg to be put into chemistry in my 10th grade year and promise to give 100% effort. I finished that class with a high A. Had I not pushed for this, I would have never gotten the opportunity to learn in advanced classroom settings, simply because I have been labeled “learning disabled”.
I always have to prove that I can excel greatly if I’m not put into a box and labeled! I believe that once identified, dyslexia becomes a gift instead of a disability! With proper accommodations students can finally realize their potential and begin to focus on the many positive traits that come along with this diagnosis.
I once read a quote saying, “everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by his ability to climb a tree, he will live his whole life believing he’s stupid!” There are seven different types of learners in a classroom: auditory, visual, verbal, logical, physical, social and solitary. Since that’s the case, doesn’t it make sense that there are that many different types of testers? Standardized testing is merely taking a fish and asking him to climb that tree!
I am trying to help bring awareness to this issue by being a student liaison to the Mississippi Department of Education. I am currently a member of the Mississippi State Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, serving a two-year term. This role lets me tell my story and offer insight to what I believe will help to identify struggling students, hopefully helping to ultimately lower the dropout rate.
Statistics show that sixty-two percent of non-readers become high school dropouts. I think this is unacceptable and can certainly be helped. I cringe to think of where I might be today, had someone not seen my potential.
I hope my story can be eye opening!
What if you have a student who has the potential to be President of the United States, or a brain surgeon, or cure cancer, but never makes it out of high school because his or her potential was never realized. The accommodations not put into place to see that just because he can’t climb the tree doesn’t mean he can’t swim the ocean!
So many children are out there struggling daily who don’t know their own potential! So many educators and adults who don’t know what they are looking for write us off as underachievers. This has to stop!
I want to ultimately rebrand dyslexia and make the world see who we really are! We are the imaginers, the creators! We are driven and ambitious and persistent — IF we aren’t made to believe we are simply mediocre!
Most parents dread report card day, as this parent shared:
Yesterday, report cards came out.
In the early years of elementary school, I would dread this day. My heart would sink, and I would end up in floods of tears when I opened my son’s report card. We would not talk to him about his report card. If he asked, we’d say he was doing “fine.”
Yesterday was different. I was excited as I opened his report card because I knew he was doing well in middle school. Sure enough, my hard-working son had made the high honor roll.
I immediately Facetimed him from work to let him know how proud I was of the hard work he put into this achievement.
I am also proud of the hundreds of hours he and I have worked together on the Barton System to get him to this point. We look forward to the day when we’ll finish Level 10, but that is still a couple of years away.
Tutoring him has not been easy because his dyslexia is very severe.
I am sharing this to encourage those who are just starting out tutoring their own children and finding it difficult. Hard work, persistence and dedication pay off !!!
I dread to think what our lives would be like if I had not found the Barton Reading & Spelling System.
Bright Solutions for Dyslexia 