The Lexia Reading System
Headteachers face an awful dilemma when considering how to tackle their pupils’ reading difficulties.  On the one hand they are aware of the future personal and social cost if those difficulties are not resolved.  On the other, to provide one-to-one tuition by an experienced teacher for the minimum requirement of three fifteen minute sessions a week would cost, in staff time, around £800 per year per pupil.  Most schools find that prohibitive. There is an affordable alternative.

The Lexia Reading System was introduced into the United Kingdom at the beginning of 2001 and has attracted widespread acclaim. It has recently been reviewed by the British Dyslexia Association Computer Committee and is strongly recommended by them.  To quote from their reviewers:

“The Lexia Reading System (LexiaUK) is a series of graded activities to develop reading skills based on the Orton Gillingham system. The original CD was developed for US schools..... However, LexiaUK has been customised completely for UK use and there is a flexible pricing structure to cater for different purchasing needs.”

“It could be used in a computer room as an ILS, or on an individual computer in the classroom or SEN Dept for short daily activity by several students.”

“My students, from 5-16 loved LexiaUK and I am already STRONGLY recommending it to schools.... It... does not need constant specialist input; another added bonus. For skills and drills, this is very good and it is not derogatory to the user in any way.”

This software can be used in the classroom under the supervision of the classroom teacher, or outside the classroom by an auxiliary worker or parent volunteer.  The cost of the software, which is a one off cost not repeated in future years, ranges from £14 to £3 per pupil, depending upon the numbers of children requiring tuition.

The Norfolk psychological service ran a trial of the software and are now distributing it to their schools.

Ÿ         Pupils have made progress - some have made  as much as 10 months reading age in one term.

Ÿ         They have gained confidence and improvements in self-esteem.

Ÿ         They have demonstrated that they are able to manage their own learning by turning up for sessions at the appropriate time and working independently.

Ÿ         Pupils have monitored their own progress by printing off easily understood reports which they can then given to teachers and parents.

Ÿ         And more than anything, perhaps, this software can give some hope to those pupils for whom reading was becoming a fast receding possibility.

      Anna James, Norfolk Psychological Service

A free trial of the software is offered by LexiaUK.

LexiaUK was set up by Arthur Staples and Judith Kay after their retirement following a combined total of some 65 years of teaching children with learning and behavioural difficulties in and out of mainstream schools. They decided to market the Lexia Reading System in the UK because they felt it was the most effective teaching aid for reading they had ever encountered.

www.readingsoftware.com