Lions Crane Reading Program

Overview of

Reading Problems Resolved

TV, the best baby sitter ever invented, compounds vision and allergy problems slowing the learning process for many students. ^[1] While watching TV the eyes do not have to aim, move or focus. These skills are necessary for academic success. While watching TV the brain is "hibernating."

Research shows part of education's problem is the use of the Snellen Chart. ^{[2] [3] [4]} The Snellen Chart is the only vision screening test required in most states. The Snellen Chart is not a good enough test to identify vision skills necessary for academic success. The Snellen Chart misses all farsighted students and many with astigmatism. Far sighted students can see fine at 20 feet, but the print in the book held in their hand is blurry. Parts of letters are missing for a child with astigmatism. Hispanics and Native Americans have five times the astigmatism Anglos have. ^{[5] [6]} This alone could explain the high dropout rate for Hispanics and is a big factor in New Mexico's poor reading scores.

Regardless of the notes sent home, parents think the Snellen Chart is a complete eye exam so they do not take their child in for an annual eye exam. Parents do not take their child to an eye doctor unless they are referred. Research says when a child is referred, 40 to 67 percent of the time it takes 4 years for parents to get an appointment. ^[7] Schools and children cannot wait. Schools need school optometrists to be doing complete eye exams at school.

Allergies can cause intermittent hearing (auditory processing) difficulties and confusion. ^{[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]} Students with allergies often have good days and bad days reversing letters (b-d), leaving out obvious sounds and difficulties recalling information (spelling, math).

Desk height is critical for good eye teaming. A child should never look at letters or numbers closer than the distance from his knuckles to his elbow (Harmon Distance.) ^[14] Looking closer than the Harmon Distance, often causes myopia (near-sightedness) and poor readers.

There are many ways to solve these problems. The authors prefer to solve problems while working with academic activities, if at all possible. Most problems can be well on their way to being "fixed" in one semester. ^[15] Schools need to use Performance Based Vision Screening to help decide who needs an eye exam. If a child cannot read 200 words per minute after adequate reading instruction, the optometrist should be able to tell you why not and how to "fix" the problem. ^{[16] [17] [18] [19]} Learning to read should be well on its way in one semester.

We are not expecting enough out of our students. We should keep fine tuning the system and raising the educational bar every year. Reading and writing should not be stressful for students. School should be fun.

Fixing vision and eye teaming problems

Vision screenings are only effective when a retinoscopy test is used to find astigmatism and far sighted problems. ^[20] A retinoscopy test must be done by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Retinoscopy is the major part of any eye exam. If a doctor does a retinoscopy, she can easily do a complete eye exam. Lions help by furnishing schools a mobile optometrist office. Either the Lions Van or the stand the doctor puts his phoropter testing equipment on in a room in the school can be provided. Medicaid will help by furnishing an optometrist to test students who qualify. Half the students in New Mexico qualify.

Twenty five years of research show the Lions Templates ^[21] are one of the best tools to wean kids' eyes off TV and get them ready to read and write. Templates must be used at the right desk height. Bal-A-Vis-X ^[22] ball bouncing and bean bag juggling get the eyes, ears, hand, and brain all working as a team. Bal-A-Vis-X, which stands for balance, auditory, vision and exercise, gets all areas of the brain organized and ready to accept information. After doing gross motor exercises and templates for six weeks in first grade, student's handwriting will look like it came off a printing press.

The Visagraph, four infrared sensors in a pair of goggles, has documeneted that good eye teaming skills usually develop while using Orton-Gillingham phonics computer programs. Students sit 18 to 28 inches from the screen looking at a few large targets while completing highly structured academic activities. Each activity is timed. The small percentage of students who do not make significant gains in reading may require additional vision skill development.

Fixing Allergies

Allergies can best be fixed by avoiding whatever is causing the allergy. Parents have lots of options. The book The ADD, ADHD Diet ^[23] lists options for parents and explains the problems. Doris Rapp's book Is This Your Child's World ^[24] has 30 pages of examples showing what effect allergies have on handwriting and behavior. One helpful strategy for parents to identify a problem is an elimination diet which of course is free.

From Doris Rapp's book Is This Your Child's World

Schools can best work around allergies by using gross motor programs ^{[25] [26]} and Orton Gillingham multisensory computer programs (earphones) and by providing a library for parents. The best examples of gross motor programs working are New Vision School in Minneapolis, Minnesota ^[27] and Hadley Middle school in Wichita, Kansas. New Vision School contracts with the school district to do a gross motor exercise program with any kindergarten child scheduled to be retained. By the time these formerly struggling students reach third grade they are in the 83^rd to 89^th percentile. ^[28] The bottom group becomes part of the top group! New Vision School has been doing this for over ten years. Body movement programs the brain. At Hadley Middle School Bal-A-Vis-X ball bouncing and bean bag juggling gets eyes (eye teaming,) ears (auditory processing,) body, and all parts of the brain organized and ready to work as a team while having fun. Again body movement programs the brain. At Hadley Middle School too, the bottom group becomes part of the top group through body movement!

Wearing earphones with volume controls while students do an Orton-Gillingham, multisensory computerized program blocks noise from the classroom, often allowing them to hear phonics for the first time. Students work at their own rate and often go through these proven programs in two to three months able too read all words.

Fluency

Everyone,including the National Reading Panel, is concerned with reading fluency. When taking a required state achievement test, how fast the student reads and comprehends is the only thing that really counts. Many programs teach phonics, and phonics skills are necessary so that the student can read any word, but phonics skills are not tested on state achievement tests. Fluency and comprehension are the essential skills for passing state achievement tests yet fluency is not taught.

The standard method of teaching fluency currently is to have students reread a story many times, reading it faster and faster. This method seldom has students reading more than 150 words per minute.

The most effective way to teach fluency is a moving slot on a computer forcing the student to read faster and faster. Students must break the voicing habit or they will never read faster than they can talk. When you realize that most fourth graders trained in this way can learn to read more than 500 words per minute with good comprehension, and that many first graders can read 200 words per minute, you begin to understand what a difference these computer programs can make in student achievement and academic progress. We can and should expect much more from our students.

One goal for the Lions Crane Reading Program (LCRP) has been to have all second graders reading 200 words per minute with good comprehension and writing well. The goal of 200 words per minute has been reached by many first graders. The LCRP is supplemental to any existing reading program. There is no need to label students. Labeling wastes valuable time. Start where the student is and go. The LCRP is beneficial for gifted students as well as those students with learning problems. The program has been shown to work well with adults. There will always be a Bell Curve, but the whole curve can rise along with our expectations. We will always be able to improve the system.

Research shows that sustained silent reading programs do not work with the bottom 25 percent of students. These students need reading instruction. The two groups that have the hardest time making Average Yearly Progress are the bottom students and the top group. With the Lions Crane Reading Program all students can make Average Yearly Progress.

Lions adopted Valley View Elementary School in Las Cruces, New Mexico. At Valley View 85% of students are classified as economically disadvantaged and 12% are English learners. Valley View had 75 first grade students including 14 who were classified as 'not ready for first grade' based on the Dibels test. After one semester using the LCRP, 73 of the 75 students were reading fluently.

Lions also adopted Alamogordo High School. During the fall semester of 2004, great gains were made by the 52 special education students using the recommended computer programs.

LCRP works well for kindergarten through college. Instead of having to reread a story three or four times at a rate of 80 words per minute, students can read at 300 words per minute, one time with understanding and write a good summary using correct capitals, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Costs

Lexia and My Reading Coach are Orton-Gillingham based multisensory phonics programs that get fast gains. Every response is graded. Miss two on any activity and the programs provide more drill so the student masters that skill before continuing the program. My Reading Coach guarantees success. Reading Plus is one of the top fluency programs. Lexia and Reading Plus cost about $10 per student. My Reading Coach cost about $40. per student. My Reading Coach may look expensive but just think one computer loaded with My Reading Coach can have 20 students reading at their vocabulary level or at a 10.5 grade level - - -

every year.

For more information contact:

Allen and Virginia Crane
(888) 373-0561
aReadingPro@aol.com
P.O. Box 2846,
Las Cruces, NM 88004

References

1 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Why Children Fail. Research from NICHD's program in learning disabilities. 1998

2 Zaba, JN, Mozlin, R, Reynolds, WT, Insights on the Efficacy of Vision Examinations and Vision Screenings For Children First Entering School, J Behav Optom 2003, Vol 14, Number 5

3 Johnson, RA, Blair, RJ, Zaba, JN, The Visual Screening of Title I Reading students, J Behav Otom, 2000, Volume 11, Number 1

4 Mozlin, R, A Perfect World, J Behav Otom, 2005, Volume 16, Number 1

5 Maples, WC, A Comparison of Visual Abilities, Race Socio-Economic Factors as Predictors of Academic Achievement, J Behav Optom 2001, Vol 12

6 Wick, B, Crane, S, A Vision Profile of American Indian Children. Am J Optom Physiol Opt 1976, 53

7 Orfield, A, Basa F, Vision Problems in Children in Poverty in an Urban School Clinic: Impact on Learning, and Approaches to Remediation, J Optom Vis Dev, Vol 32/ 2001

8 Crane, A, Crane V, Buzzards To Bluebirds, Wolf Creek Endeavors, 1997

9 Rapp D, Is This Your Child's World, New York, Bantam Books, 1996

10 Crook, WG, Solving The Puzzle of Your Hard To Raise Child, Random House, NY,NY,

11 Levinson, LN, Smart But Feeling Dumb, NY, NY, Warner Books, Inc, 1984

12 SMART Curriculum Guide, Minnesota Learning Resource Center, 1800 Second St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418

13 Bell, R, Peiper, H, The ADD and ADHD Diet, East Canaan, CT, Safe Goods/New Century Publishing 2000

14 Harmon, DB, Notes on a Dynamc Theory of Vision, 1958 Austin Texas, Nalle Bldg.

15 Lions Crane Reading Program Video 2004

16 Zaba, JN, Mozlin, R, Reynolds, WT, Insights on the Efficacy of Vision Examinations and Vision Screenings For Children First Entering School, J Behav Optom 2003, Vol 14, Number

17 Harris, P, Learning-Related Vision Problems in Baltimore City: A Long Term Program, J Opto Vis Dev, 2001, Vol 32

18 Bowan, MD, Learning Disabilities, dyslexia, and Vision: a Subject Review, 2002, Optom, Vol 73, Number 9.

19 Zaba,JN, Social, Emotional, and Educational Consequences of Undetected Children's Vision Problems, J Behav Optom,2001, Volume 12, Number 3

20 Mozlin, R, A Perfect World, J Behav Otom, 2005, Volume 16, Number 1

21 Curry, GI, Winter Haven's Perceptual Testing and Training Handbook, Winter Haven, FL:Winter Haven Lions Research Foundation, Inc. 1969

22 Hubert, Bill, Bal-A-Vis-X, Bal-A-Vis-X Inc., 7412 West Tenth Street N., Wichita, KS 67212-3002

23 Bell, R, Peiper, H, The ADD and ADHD Diet, East Canaan, CT, Safe Goods/New Century Publishing 2000

24 Rapp, D, Is This Your Child's World, New York, Bantam Books, 1996

25 SMART Curriculum Guide, Minnesota Learning Resource Center, 1800 Second St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418

26 Kephart, NC, The Slow Learner In The Classroom, Columbus, Ohio, 1960,

27 SMART Curriculum Guide, Minnesota Learning Resource Center, 1800 Second St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418

28 SMART Curriculum Guide, Minnesota Learning Resource Center, 1800 Second St. NE, Minneapolis,

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