Bannatyne Reading, Writing, Spelling and Language Program
|
|
|
Teacher Who Has a Learning Center in New Zealand and Who Has Used the Bannatyne Program for Seventeen Years
[Note that the Bannatyne Program is a US based program used in America--but it is also used in other countries as well.]
The Bannatyne Programme is the most comprehensive programme ever written for reading, spelling, writing and language. I started using the Programme in 1985 and continue using it with great enthusiasm. I have used the Programme very successfully with students aged from four to seventeen years. Since 1991 I have been the New Zealand agent for the Programme and continue to introduce the Programme to schools, classroom teachers, Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour, remedial tutors, Literacy Advisors, parents, teacher aides, grandparents, home schoolers and others. The Bannatyne Programme is being used with individuals and groups in many parts of New Zealand.
The Programme is very flexible and can be used with students of all ages. It is an excellent Programme for students with severe learning disabilities, a fantastic Programme for normal students and a brilliant Programme for extending young gifted children.
There is no need to be constantly testing students. When you use the Bannatyne Programme the improvement is obvious.
One exciting aspect of the Programme is that not only do the students learn to read, write, spell, improve their vocabulary and general knowledge, but they end up with a love and understanding of the language itself.
Over the years I have maintained an interest in all new programmes that have come on the market but I have never seen another programme that has anywhere near the depth, flexibility, or sheer practicability that the Bannatyne Programme has.
The use of color to represent sound is a remarkable feature of the Programme. Students add the color to the vowels [using specified color pencils] making the most difficult part of learning the English language simple with instant recognition of the vowel sound.
It is the only language Programme I know that keeps the students very actively involved at all times--they are listening, speaking, discussing, reading, writing, adding color, all the while working through a cycle of multi-sensory activities. The students love it. Teachers have even found that when the bell rings for the end of class the students groan and ask if they can continue working.
Dr. Alexander Bannatyne has researched every detail of the Programme but what makes his work so special is the fact that he has also had the hands-on practical experience of teaching students who have severe learning disabilities as well as other regular school students.
The Programme, both soundly researched and absolutely practical, is based on success. Start by teaching just one thing and then add on the next element.
As a creative teacher I love the Programme because it is a hands-on teaching programme. The content has all been written for me. I know exactly what I am going to be teaching next. I am able to use my creativity to constantly get the message across in the most interesting way I know how. It is essential to have a globe or world map to refer to, and dictionaries, encyclopedias, books, or the Internet to help the children further research words as they are introduced in the Workbooks. We travel the world and go on an exciting ride through history visiting Tutankhamen and Ancient Egypt, the Vikings, the Romans, the Greeks, Eskimos, outer space, pirates of the Caribbean. We find out about Pacific Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Antarctica, Turkey, alps, plains and much more. Not only do the students develop a thirst for knowledge [but] teachers also find their own vocabulary, general knowledge and love of the language grows.
Some of my students who came with learning disabilities have gone on to become teachers themselves, or moved on to study further English and even found they have a gift for other languages.
Teaching of motivation is a big part of the Programme. Once motivated students out-do goals they have set for themselves. Students are motivated to improve their speed reading times, spelling accuracy, comprehension and other skills. The motivation skills learned flow on to all areas of their life.
Dr. Bannatyne is a genius and the publishing of the new Third Edition [2003] will allow thousands more students the benefit of learning in a no-fail, fun way. With a Programme like this you are never too young, too old or too learning disabled to start.
Research shows that the best way for students to learn to read, write and spell is to use a programme that begins with the students manipulating phonemes, builds vocabulary and continues to improve comprehension and speed reading--exactly what we do when using the Bannatyne Programme.
Students with learning problems learn best when they are relaxed and having fun. When students are being taught with the Bannatyne Programme they relax as they know they are being taught in a systematic way that won't let them fail.
At first the Programme may seem rather different, but follow through the Teacher Guides, teach with enthusiasm and fun, and enjoy watching your students succeed.
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending the Bannatyne Programme.
Mrs. G. Hoare
High School--in the State of New York
[The following is an excerpt from a letter of a Special Education teacher to her Superintendent.]
I teach 14-17 year old students at the local High School. As you are probably aware, the main obstacles to learning during these years are lack of motivation, truancy, and at times severe hatred of school. The majority of students are so unmotivated that picking up a pencil is often an effort.
The Bannatyne Program has, for the first time, been an appealing program to students who one would have previously considered to be "hard core." Without exception, I have every student participating and learning. It is very unusual that a program will appeal to older students and at the same time not frustrate them. In the past, I have tried new programs that are advertised as "high-interest low vocabulary." Never has the vocabulary been low enough or the interest high enough as these programs were all passive in nature. Bannatyne is a very active program, fast moving, and it assumes the student knows nothing.
It is very exciting to be partaking in such an innovative and successful program.
Elementary School--Louisiana
[The following is a letter from a Special Education teacher]
The papers you see are from one of my students named Sam. He was referred to my class after the start of the school year.
Sam displayed many of the characteristics of a learning disabled child. He had reversal and omission tendencies along with memory lapses and a short attention span. His auditory discrimination skills were extremely poor as evidenced by the first spelling test given to him after two days in my class. I immediately placed him in the [beginning] Pearl workbook and began working with him. Almost immediately by using the techniques incorporated in the Bannatyne Program, I began to see results. He was learning to associate phoneme-grapheme relationships within three weeks! He is now doing the Sapphire workbook on the /n/ phoneme. He has just done the Speed Reading [activity] for this phoneme in 36 seconds. For a child who seven weeks earlier could not discriminate between /o/ and /a/, I consider this a miracle. As of this date, he can read simple sentences, and write simple sentences when dictated, and he can make his own [sentences] from a word list.
I can honestly say that I have not seen or used a better program than this. The articulation, blending, kinesthetic decoding, tracking and countless other techniques are invaluable as the child learns the phonemes. And after a short time, the students just naturally know how to decode any word using these skills. And these skills all carry over into other phases of classwork. I had eight non-readers and now I have eight readers!
We thank you.
[Signed by Sam's teacher]
Teacher/Tutor of a Variety of Learning Disability and Intellectually Handicapped Students with ages from 6 years to 48 years
I have been using the Bannatyne Program for over 5 years with students ages 6 to 48 who have a range of reading and language learning problems as a result of dyslexia, low intelligence, ADD and ESL.
The students enjoy progressing through the Workbooks. For many, this is the first time they have completed a book. They appreciate that there is nothing difficult to do because every page has been reviewed so there are no surprises. This does not mean the work is easy but just presented in a way so that success is assured. Successful and independent homework completion [homework is optional] is often a new experience and relieves stress for the whole family. This improves all round confidence and self esteem.
The students like the structure of the Program and relax as they feel confident about what to expect. They start to look forward, anticipating when a particular vowel sound [there are 17] will be introduced. This structure also improves their organizational skills and encourages realistic goal setting.
The parents too, respond positively to the Program, often commenting on the interesting and diverse vocabulary the students are introduced to.
The Program also provides many opportunities for reinforcement and overlearning in a fun and varied way. Finally, I use the Program because my students have had success and so I can be really positive about the Bannatyne Program.
Teacher in Elementary School, Florida
Dear Dr. Bannatyne,
I want to take the opportunity to tell you what an exciting Program you have developed. My elementary specific learning disabilities students are so very motivated and are making tremendous gains! It's so rewarding to see these children not only improve their reading, spelling, language and writing but their self concept too.
As a teacher, I feel your program has met my needs, too. I was very frustrated moving from program to program trying to find something that would meet my students' needs and would motivate them. As I'm sure you are aware, there just aren't any available. I was so miserable last year. I was ready to change professions. Your Program has managed to make me feel like I am finally doing something beneficial with and for my students. We are all so much happier now!
My students and I are very enthused. Thank you for being so interested that you developed a program that WORKS !
Special School, California
[This is a transcript of a taped conversation between a former non-reading 17-year-old emotionally disturbed student (Dave) and his counselor]
C: Dave, what I want to talk to you about is Wednesday, at the end of the first break, when you came out [spontaneously] with some news that led us to shake hands and [for me to] give you congratulations, do you remember what that was all about?
D: I finished my book. [Bannatyne Program, Pearl Workbook 1]
C: You finished your book--exactly. And how did you feel about that?
D: I felt just fine.
C: Great! Tell me how you felt about working in, and finishing that book.
D: I kept going over everything there until I could flip the pages, until I could do my [Pink] "i"s and my [Copper] "o"s, and I could do a different thing every day. And every day I thought, "Wow, when am I ever going to finish this dang book," and finally I finished it, and I got me another one.
C: You have another book now?
D: I got me another book now. They keep going--she [the teacher] says they got 13 books--and when I finish them all I'll know how to read everything that I want to.
C: Pretty neat. It is kind of frustrating, Dave, isn't it, that you can't read things sometimes. Can you tell me what it was like?
D: Well, I [would] look at a word and I can't sound it out and I can't read it, and it was so frustrating, and when you go to work for somebody and they say, "Here, read this," and you can't read it, and then they say, "Well, I'm sorry, you can't work for me because you can't read," and that kind of frustrates me. You go and ask for a job and you don't know how to read.
C: Can I tell you something about what I picked up from you on Wednesday? You looked very proud of yourself.
D: I was.
C: Yeah, and I've seen you in a lot of ways and a lot of moods, but I've never seen you look real proud of yourself before. Were there times before, when you were reading, when you felt like it wasn't worthwhile?
D: Yeah, a lot of times . . . I felt like, well I'm doing third grade work, but this [Bannatyne Program] book here is not a third grade book, it's a book to teach me how to read and write, and I can sound out my alphabet. And when I get a tough word I can sound out my letters and learn to read it, and that's what the book's all about.
C: Is there anything else you'd like to say?
D: This book, I really like; I'd like to work in it all year around. I'm just so glad right now I've got something to do like this, this is better than going off or doing math or something. I can read and write in this kind of book cause it don't have frustrating words and I can sound them out; I can do things in this book here, I can try to read everything. See, it says "Reading, Writing, Spelling and Learning Program" and of course that's why you come to this class, it's because you read bad, but now I came here and I can read everything. I want to now. And I'm still trying to read the bigger words.
C: You're feeling pretty motivated about hanging in there with this?
D: Yeah. It feels great!
NEXT DAY
C: Dave, how are you feeling about reading today?
D: I feel just fine, feel kind of spaced out about it. I'd like to take the [Bannatyne Program] book home and show my Mom and take it down to P--- High and show some of my old teachers, show them, yeah, this is what I'm doing in my class at [my new school], and maybe they'd come over [to University of California at Riverside] and meet the Bannatyne people and get some books for themselves. If I ever made it back to P--- High, I'd be able to work in the same kinds of books that I'm doing here. And that'd be great, because if I were working in Bannatyne books over there I'd do better in school; I could get a lot of things done with a book like this. In any kind of classroom--math, reading, spelling--you could get a lot done with a book like this.
C: One of the things I'm hearing from you is that this book makes you feel like you can do it.
D: Yeah, it does. When I open this book, it feels like, "Wow! I'm going to get something done today because I'm doing this book." It's got things in it that amazes me. It has words in it that I've never heard before. I could look at it and say, what's that word right there, and I can finally pronounce it now, and I look at it and say that's "ah" and that's "ee" and that's "uh" and "oh" and "u," I can finally pronounce a fine word and say it. I don't have to go up to somebody and say, "What's that sound?" "C" /k/ and I'd say "Koo or cuh?" and they'd say, "No, cuh." But with the Bannatyne book I can finally get right into reading. I can look on a book or a piece of paper and sound it out before I try reading it.
C: You know, having finished that [Pearl] book and now that you're into the second book, the Sapphire Book, how's that make you feel about you?
D: It feels great. It feels like I wanna finish this book and keep going until I got them all done. What I'd like to do is meet the author myself.
C: Well, the second best thing is that here's your chance right now to say something to them--go ahead!
D: I'd like to get to meet you and tell you, you got a great book going; you should put it out on the market and sell them things! To schools, man!
C: All right there, Dave, and thank you very much!
The Bannatyne Reading Program is a comprehensive, integrated reading program, writing program, spelling program, language program, and comprehension training program. The Bannatyne Reading Program is unlike any other reading programs currently available. This means you will find many features which are only in the Bannatyne Reading Program. In some Commonwealth countries the program may be referred to as: Bannatyne Programme, or Bannatyne Reading Programme.
Bannatyne Reading, Writing, Spelling and Language Program -- Copyright © 2003 Alexander Bannatyne, PhD
|
|
|