Reading Problems Resolved - Ruidoso Valley Noon … Problems...Winter Haven Lions Club Foundation in...

Lions Crane Reading Program

Helping Today’s Children Read

Proficiently For A Better Tomorrow

Reading Problems Resolved

By Allen and Virginia Crane

. . . . . .. . . .

. . . . . . .

Lions Crane Reading Program Foundation


Helping Today’s Children Read Proficiently For A Better Tomorrow

“WE SERVE”

. . .

By Allen and Virginia Crane

L I O N S C R A N E R E A D I N G P R O G R A M F O U N D A T I O N


Lions Crane Reading Program FoundationPO Box 2846 Las Cruces, NM 88004

Phone 505.373.0561

ISBN 0-9769882-0-8

1st Printing September 20052nd Printing December 2005

3rd Printing January 2006

NOTE: The origin of the picture of the lions on the front cover is unknown.If it can be determined that there has been some copyright infringement by theuse of this picture, please contact the Lions Crane Reading Program Foundation.

Table of ContentsAcknowledgements i

Introduction ii

CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND 1

Factors That Can Adversely Impact Reading Proficiency 1 Vision Problems 1 Allergies 2 Environmental 3Overview of LCRP 3

CHAPTER 2 VISION 5

Identifying Vision Problems 5 Lions Photo Eye Screening 6 School Optometrists 8 Lions Functional Vision Checklist 9The Visagraph 11 Remediation 12 Visagraph Results 12 Visagraph Procedures 13 Improving Visagraph Results 13

CHAPTER 3 ALLERGIES 17

Allergy Symptoms Seen in Schools 17Identifying Allergy Problems 18Effects of Allergies 19Addressing Allergies 20

Elimination & Rotation Diets 21 Allergy Testing 22 Air Filters 23

CHAPTER 4 VISION DEVELOPMENT 25

Convergence 26Accommodation (Focusing) 28Eye Movement 29Desk Height 30Modifying Vision Habits 30 Lions Copy Forms 31 Lions Templates 32 Teaching Distance 35

CHAPTER 5 LCRP: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 37Identifying Students Who Need Immediate Help 37 Lions Functional Checklist 37 Lions Copy Forms 38

Lions Spelling Words List 38 Distance Copying 38 Lions Rhythm Tape 38 Quick List Identification 39

Helping Students Succeed 39

Desk Height 39 Gross Motor Skills Training 39 Computer Phonics Programs 40Computer Technology and Reading 40

Computer Utilization 42 Computer Software 42 Reading Fluency 43Writing 45The Teacher’s Role 46Service Club Sponsorship & Support 47Program Costs 51Summary 51

CHAPTER 6 GUIDELINES FOR PARENTS 53

Vision 53Auditory Processing & Allergies 53Body Movement 56Lions Templates 56Throwback 56Impress Reading 57Orton-Gillingham Computer Programs 57Fluency 58School Orientation Program 58

CHAPTER 7 SYMPTOM BASED PRESCRIBING 61

Refractive Correction 62Symptom Based Prescribing 63Prescription of Added Lenses 64Added Lenses 64Prism 65Symptoms Based Prescription Guidelines 66Conclusion 67

CHAPTER 8 FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS 69

Receptive IQ 69Neurological Feedback 70Prescription Glasses 70Gross Motor Trampoline 70School Lunches 70

Acoustic Enhancing 69

REFERENCES R-1

GLOSSARY G-1

INDEX

APPENDIX I LCRP Recommended Programs I-1

APPENDIX II LCRP Development II-1

APPENDIX III Resources III-1

APPENDIX IV Forms IV-1

APPENDIX V Constructing A Brock String V-1

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

Acknowledgements

T here are so many we owe so much. Dr. Bruce Wick for writing the section on how to prescribe glasses. Dr. Doris Rapp’s help with allergies. Bill Hubert’s assistance with the gross motor program. Stan Taylor loaned us a Visagraph to

do research. Bryson McCool for editing and publishing the “book.” The LCRP “team” gave suggestions, helped with research, edited, and helped with any problem that came up. The LCRP team consisted of Jim Jones, Bill Davis, Dr. George Mulholland, John and Marilyn Miller, Dr. Eldon and Billye Steelman, Dr. Anna Perez, Phil and Anna Marvel, Brenda Dunn, Debra Young, and Bob and Kitty Callender.

Others who helped were: Jamie Jones, Tiffany Gomez, Amelia Pilcher, Angie Sullivan, Cherri Love, Rexann Jones, Connie Kallman, Joan Dickens, Dr. Rhonda Seidenwurm, Mike Montoya, Joyce Barela, Sharon Miller, Iris Wilson, Jose Carrillo, George Peru, Dr. Candelario Jauregui, Alan Ramirez, Scott Pearson, Jenny Crane, Ellen Virden, Lynn Burks, and Dr. Doug Householder. Others who made significant contributions were: Ray Pavia; Dr. Pam Padilla; Arlene Sonday; Dr. Rhonda Van Dran OD; Dr. John A. Thomas, OD; Dr. Mel Morgan; Dr. Roger Trudell, OD; Dr. Merissa Kruger, OD; Dr. Richard Canestrini, OD; Dr. Roger Dowis, OD; Dr. Renee Jacobs, OD; Dr. Mike English, OD; Michelle Boudreau; Dr. Michael Swickard; and Janet Jones.

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Introduction

While the Cranes were working as elementary school counselors in Farmington, NM, first grade teacher Mrs. Winters would meet Allen Crane at the door every day demanding to know why Sheila could not learn to

read. Allen kept telling her the child had failed the Bender Gestalt Perception test. Mrs. Winters would ask, “What do we do about it?”

“I don’t know,” was his reply. While reading everything he could get his hands on concerning the subject, Allen Crane learned that Dr. Howard Walton, an optometrist in Culver City, California, could correct vision perception problems. After flying to Culver City and talking with Dr. Walton one weekend, Allen Crane had an answer for Mrs. Winters the next Monday. Dr. Walton had told him about the importance of proper desk height and the perception and gross motor program developed by the Winter Haven Lions Club Foundation in Winter Haven, FL. Sheila’s problems were corrected in six weeks, and she did learn to read. For 25 years, the Cranes continued to seek ways to help students become more efficient readers.

In 1997 Allen Crane and his wife, Virginia, wrote Buzzards To Bluebirds because they thought they could help at least 70% of students in any classroom learn to read more proficiently. Since 1997, Allen and Virginia have fine-tuned the system and they now believe up to 100 percent of children can be helped to read, write, and think more proficiently, usually in one semester. They have given their program to the Lions Clubs of New Mexico, in the hope it will live forever under the Lions’ motto “We Serve.”

Lions Clubs in New Mexico have adopted the Lions Crane Reading Program (LCRP) and established the Lions Crane Reading Program Foundation (LCRPF), a 501c3 organization, to conduct the business affairs of the program. In 2004, New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson, issued an executive proclamation that designated September 5-11 as LIONS VISION AWARENESS WEEK in the state of New Mexico with emphasis on LCRP.

In July 2005, the Cranes were nominated for an award at the Lions International Convention in Hong Kong for the Lions Crane Reading Program being chosen as one of the top three Lions’ service projects in the world. With over 45,000 Lions

Clubs in 193 countries throughout the world, that is quite an honor. The Cranes, together with the Lions Clubs of New Mexico, envision the Lions Crane Reading Program to be a signature project that Lions Clubs all over the world can adopt in an effort to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, global illiteracy.

B A C K G R O U N D

1

Backgroundccording to a recent report published by the National Assessment of EducationalProgress, students in the United States rank 16th out of the 19 major industrializednations in the world in reading proficiency (i.e., the ability to understand, apply, and

analyze challenging subject matter in a timely manner). Furthermore, New Mexico studentsrank near the bottom of those in the United States in reading proficiency. EvenMassachusetts, the highest-ranking state, has less than half of its fourth graders scoring asproficient readers.

Children exhibiting reading and learning difficulties in school are often labeled as learningdisabled (LD), dyslexic, attention-deficit disordered (ADD), attention-deficit hyperactivedisordered (ADHD), emotionally disturbed, etc. In addition, many times teachers and parentsfeel that most of these students, for whatever reason, simply are not working up to theirpotential. Since all children naturally want to learn, there are several questions that come tomind: First, are there some basic reasons why a child may have reading and learningproblems? Second, if there are factors that adversely impact learning and reading, do we knowwhat they are and what needs to be done to eliminate them? Third, once the basic readingand learning impediments have been addressed and removed, are there methods andprocedures by which reading proficiency can be further improved?

Factors That Can Adversely Impact Reading ProficiencyThere are several factors that can degrade a person’s ability to read proficiently. Pastexperience has revealed it is better to address these problems while the students are involvedwith academic activities, if at all possible. Ironically, most problems can be well on their wayto being “fixed” in one semester.1

Vision ProblemsEye problems should be taken seriously. Astigmatism distorts letters and can make readingdifficult. Astigmatism may even affect individual and group mortality rates. While teaching in

Chapter

1A

B A C K G R O U N D

2

Pine Ridge, South Dakota, the authors compared two graduating classes 250 miles apart. Thefirst group contained 51 Anglo students; the second group consisted of 37 Native Americanstudents. Thirteen years after graduation, over 50 percent of group two were dead, none ofnatural causes. However, no members of group one had died. Could astigmatism and pooreye-teaming figure prominently in this picture? The rate of astigmatism in Native Americansand Hispanics is five times that of the Anglo population.2 In addition to the cultural issuesthat plague disadvantaged Native American and Hispanic communities, this struggle toovercome undiagnosed vision problems can create enormous psychological barriers. Couldthe high Hispanic dropout rate be related to high amounts of astigmatism that wentundiagnosed in school vision screenings? This alone could explain the high dropout rate forHispanics and is a big factor in New Mexico’s poor reading scores. A third of all adults never read a book for pleasure after completing their formal education,whether it is high school or getting their Ph.D. These people are called “aliterates.” Theycan read but rarely do. Why don’t they read? Visagraph documentation shows that manypersons’ eyes are not working together, thus causing them to expend undue effort and energyjust looking from word to word. These adults progressed as far in school as they did byputting in longer hours than their classmates with good vision skills. Their vision problemscould have been remedied in kindergarten in a few weeks. However, it is never too late.

It has become apparent to educators and other professionals working with adults that manyof them have not developed good eye-teaming skills and efficient eye movements. Makingthe eyes focus on a single set of words is a very tiring process, causing the individual to workharder to comprehend. All their energy goes into keeping their eyes lined up to send just oneset of words to the brain. Comprehension is poor, and it is often necessary for information tobe reread many times. In addition, over half of the college graduates surveyed by the authorsreport they sub-vocalize or say every word they read in their minds. Most of them also reporthaving to reread technical information many times to comprehend it. This leads to very slow,inefficient reading, as documented by the Visagraph. These adults are not experiencingdecoding problems, but rather are having eye-teaming problems. Most of these same adultsreport not liking to drive at night. Although they are unaware of it, could it be their eye-alignment problem causes them to expend considerable energy to see a single set ofheadlights? In high-traffic situations, this can be especially tiring and possibly dangerous.Desk height is critical for good eye teaming and coordination. A child should never look atletters or numbers closer than the distance from his/her knuckles to his/her elbow (HarmonDistance).3 Looking closer than the Harmon Distance often causes myopia (near-sightedness)and poor readers.

AllergiesAllergies can cause intermittent hearing or auditory processing difficulties and confusion.3, 4, 5, 6,

7, 8 Students with allergies will often have good days and bad days. Reversing letters (b for d),

B A C K G R O U N D

3

leaving out obvious sounds in words, and difficulties recalling information (spelling, math) areexamples of what a student may do on a bad day. Dr. Doris Rapp’s book, Is This Your Child’sWorld,6 provides an extensive discussion of what effect allergies have on handwriting andbehavior.

EnvironmentalTV, the best baby sitter ever invented, compounds vision problems and retards brain activityby slowing the learning process for many students.4 While watching TV, the staring eyes donot have to aim, move, or change focus, which are the necessary vision skills for academicsuccess. In addition, while watching TV, not only is the child in a dormant state with nomovement for long periods of time, but the child’s brain is “hibernating,” preventing thechild from going through the normal developmental stages. By the time students graduatefrom high school, many have watched on the average of 15,000 hours of television, ascompared to having been in school for only 12,000 hours.

Overview of the Lions Crane Reading ProgramThe Lions Crane Reading Program (LCRP) is an integrated program that combines bothhighly successful programs and the latest computer technology to improve reading andwriting proficiency. LCRP addresses the alarming trend that so many students in the UnitedStates, and especially in New Mexico, cannot read proficiently.

LCRP starts where the child or adult is with respect to current reading skills and proceedsfrom there. While labeling is not necessary, LCRP has proven to work equally well withdyslexics, learning disabled, and other students with learning and reading problems as well asgifted students. LCRP is 95% to 98% successful at any grade level when fully implemented.

If an individual child is having reading problems, the first step is to provide a detailed andcomprehensive eye examination using LCRP standards. Once it has been determined that theindividual’s eyes are functioning optimally, either with or without glasses, the individual’sreading proficiency is enhanced through the use of Lions Templates, gross motor training,computer assisted phonics, and computer reading fluency enhancement programs. TheProgram also addresses other more subtle factors contributing to poor reading proficiency,such as the height of the individual’s school desk. The success of the LCRP is based on thirty(30) years of effort and documented research by Allen and Virginia Crane.

LCRP incorporates numerous programs which are referred to (but not described) throughoutthis publication, namely: Lexia Learning Systems; My Reading Coach; Step Up To Writing; 6+1 Trait;Fluent Reading Trainer or Reading Plus; Bal-A-Vis-X; Boost-Up; and Brain Gym. Appendix Iprovides a brief description of each of these programs.

B A C K G R O U N D

4

In summary, there are basically six steps to the LCRP and schools can integrate each as timeand money allow:

1. Eye examinations at the school.2. Desk height as low as possible.3. Lions Templates used to get the child’s eyes ready to read and write.4. Gross-motor training (body movement) to program the brain.5. Computer programs to teach reading skills.6. Programs to teach writing skills (we learn to talk first, read next, and then write).

V I S I O N

5

Vision ith 80 percent of learning processed through the eyes, the eyes must be functioningproperly before putting a student under academic stress. This is especially trueconsidering most children spend hours and hours watching television from an early

age and necessary vision skills do not develop.

Observers going into any classroom in any school will see several students reading too closeto their work, using a finger as a guide, or tilting their head. These are all symptoms of visionstress. Each of these students should be referred to an optometrist or ophthalmologist,according to the 1991 Colorado Guidelines for Vision Screening, as approved in 1991 by theColorado School Nurses Association, the Colorado Optometric Association, the ColoradoOphthalmology Association, and the Colorado State Department of Education.4

Identifying Vision Problems School nurses try to do an excellent job of visual screening of large numbers of students.However, the tools they use are not refined enough to identify the vision problems thatinterfere with learning.9,10 Even when the Snellen test is given by optometrists and pediatricophthalmologists, a third of the students with severe problems are missed.11 Unfortunately,when the school nurse or vision specialist says a child has 20/20 or 20/30 acuity, parentsassume the child has all the vision skills needed for success in school. Using the Snellen Chart,“20/20 eyesight” simply means that from a distance of 20 feet a child can see letters that are3/8 of an inch high.12

Most parents take their children to an optometrist or ophthalmologist only when the schoolnurse makes a referral. Regardless of what schools say or write in the notes to parents, parentsbelieve schools are doing a complete eye exam. Students who are not referred to an eyedoctor are inadvertently led to believe they have all the vision skills necessary for schoolsuccess.9 School eye screenings are not complete vision exams and they miss about 34

Chapter

2W

V I S I O N

percent of students in dire need of glasses and about 60 percent of students needing visionskill development. 11, 13, 14

Optometrists and many ophthalmologists recommend that every child have a yearly eyeexam. Recent research shows that when vision screenings include retinoscopy given by anoptometrist or ophthalmologist and an examination of eye movement and eye-teaming skills,about 85 percent of students fail some part of the screening. 12, 15, 16, 17, 18 If 85 percent failsome part of the screening, why do schools screen? Research shows that when the nurserefers students, 40 to 67 percent of the time it takes years to get an appointment even whenthe exam and glasses are free. 9, 11 Ironically, many school dropouts have never had an eyeexam.

With the No Child Left Behind initiative and legislators demanding that every student readproficiently by the third grade, schools cannot afford to waste time. Schools need anoptometrist to do eye exams and fit glasses at school. Every child should have a yearly eyeexam.13 Note that Medicaid usually pays for a yearly eye exam and glasses for those whoqualify.

Lions Children’s Photo Eye ScreeningAnother of the signature projects of Lions Clubs throughout New Mexico is the Photo EyeScreening of young children. The Photo Eye Screening Camera (illustrated on Page 7) uses aspecial type of Polaroid instant film and the Medical Technology, Inc., patented technology toidentify six childhood eye disorders (shown below), which can lead to amblyopia, the #1cause of monocular blindness in children.

l

Hyperopia – FarsightednessNormal

Norma

Anisometropia – One eye sees a larger image
Strabismus – Eye Misalignment
6

V I S I O N

s

Astigmatism – An irregular eye shapecausing a distortion in vision.

Media Opacity - Cataract

Myopia – Near Sightedness

7

Photo Eye Screening Camera

V I S I O N

8

Since most children do not get their first vision test until after they enter elementary school, avision screening at an early age can help head off the potentially devastating effects of thesesix eye disorders. More specifically, it is estimated that currently one in twenty youngsters willhave one of these eye disorders but only one in four will be checked in time to do somethingabout it. Once the picture of a child's eyes has been taken, the resulting photo is sent to theOphthalmic Imaging Center at Vanderbilt University where it is evaluated. The evaluationresults are then sent back to the respective Lions Club. If the results show there are problems,the parents of the child are notified that they should take him/her to an eye doctor fortesting. Parents are told during the screening that if they hear nothing back, they are toassume the results of their child's eye screening showed there were no problems. Thescreening process costs the Lions Clubs $5-$6 per child which includes the price of the film,equipment, photo evaluation, and handling/postage. Initial price of the camera isapproximately $6000.

The Photo Eye Screening is ideal for children from a few months old to age four because inthis screening, they are passive and are not required to respond to any questions. States arenow beginning to require an eye exam before a child enters kindergarten.

School OptometristsSchools hire a speech therapist for students with articulation problems. They hireoccupational therapists for students with motor problems. Since 80% of learning is throughthe eyes, schools need to hire school optometrists for students whose acuity and eye teamingproblems interfere with learning. When a student does not make significant gains in his/herreading rate each week while working on fluency, the school optometrist should be able to tellif there is a vision problem and recommend solutions. Approximately eighty-five percent ofall students report symptoms such as double vision, headaches, and words seeming to wiggle.Severe symptoms needing immediate attention are reported by 20 to 30 percent of allstudents. About the same percentage of students wearing glasses as those without glassesreport these symptoms. The school optometrist can advise and direct programs to eliminatevision symptoms and develop students’ visual efficiency.13 In addition, when students fail tomake significant gains, especially in reading, the school optometrist can help teachers modifystudents’ programs.

Another advantage of having a school optometrist is schools can require LCRP standards beused for prescribing glasses to students. Prescribing glasses for acuity and performance helpschildren learn. Recent research shows that proper prescriptions allow for easier eye-teamingand focusing, resulting in better readers.19

V I S I O N

9

In New Mexico, the NM Lions Eye Foundation loans their mobile eye screening unit toLions Clubs which in turn can be used by school optometrists. Lion Clubs have alsobeen loaning stands to schools for optometrists’ phoropters as they often prefer to usetheir own equipment. A stand costs less than $2000 and can be purchased fromUSAscopes (210 E. Park Ave., Pharr, TX 78577 PH: 958-783-2148). Medicaid can helpby furnishing an optometrist to test students who qualify. Half the students in New Mexicoqualify.

When large quantities of glasses are purchased by a school district, opticians will often cometo the school, let students select their frames, and come back to fit the glasses at a bargainprice. Glasses purchased in quantity should cost between $20 and $40 per pair. These glassesshould be kept at school so they are always available and do not get lost or broken. If parentswant glasses for home use, they can purchase an extra set.

Lions Functional Vision ChecklistThe Lions Functional Vision Checklist (LFVC) has proven extremely useful in helpingstudents, parents, teachers, and vision specialists communicate about how a child’s eyes areworking together. Many students think seeing double, seeing words wiggle or float, andgetting a headache every time they read is normal. After all, the school nurse has probablytold the student he/she has 20/20 acuity. Among several thousand students who havecompleted the LFVC, percentages of students reporting problems remains nearly constantfrom school to school and from classroom to classroom.20, 21, 22 A copy of the LFVC suitablefor reproduction can be found in Appendix IV on page IV-4.

NM Lions Eye Foundation Mobile Eye Screening Unit

A Phoropter Stand

V I S I O N

10

If the Symptom Severity score is greater than 20, the student is at high risk for not beingsuccessful academically, not reading for pleasure, not passing state required achievement tests,dropping out of school, not going to college, and not being able to perform at true potential.

Vision development activities can help all students, as well as adults.11, 13, 23, 24, 25 Any studentwho has severe symptoms noted on his/her LFVC such as headaches, seeing double, getting

Lion’s Functional Vision ChecklistDeveloped by Allen and Virginia Crane

The Lion’s Functional Vision Checklist should be filled out by the student with parent or teacher assistance as needed. The Lion’s Functional Vision Checklist is designed to get schools, students, parents, and vision specialists talking the same language. Everyone sees differently. All vision is learned.

Name___________________________________________ Grade____ Date_________

Teacher______________________ School__________________ Glasses ___yes ___no

Please assign a value between 0 and 4 for each symptom.0=never or non-existent, 1=seldom, 2=occasionally, 3=frequently, 4=always

1. I get a headache when I do close work. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

2. I use a finger or marker to keep my place when I read. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

3. I can comfortably read for 2 hours or more___ 1 hour___ 30 minutes___ 15 minutes___

4. I see double, or cover or close an eye while I read. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

5. Words move, wiggle, float or jump when I read. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

6. I get dizzy or sick when I do near work. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

7. I tilt my head when I read or when I am talking to people. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

8. I get close to the page when I read or write. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

9. I lose my place while reading. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

10. I am slow in copying from the chalkboard. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

11. I skip words or lines while reading. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

12. I have trouble understanding what I read. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

13. I read small words backwards (was-saw). 0_____1______2______3______4_____

14. I get tired or sleepy while reading. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

15. My eyes get tired, itchy, watery or burn when I read. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

16. Print in a book looks blurry. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

17. I guess at words. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

18. Read for pleasure? Always____ Frequently___ Occasionally____ Never___

19. Spelling when writing is? Excellent____ Good_____ Fair____ Poor____

#Symptoms____ Severity of Symptoms____

The Symptom Severity score is arrived at by adding each column(1=seldom, 2=occasionally, 3=frequently, 4=always) and totaling them.

Lion’s Functional Vision ChecklistDeveloped by Allen and Virginia Crane

The Lion’s Functional Vision Checklist should be filled out by the student with parent or teacher assistance as needed. The Lion’s Functional Vision Checklist is designed to get schools, students, parents, and vision specialists talking the same language. Everyone sees differently. All vision is learned.

Name___________________________________________ Grade____ Date_________

Teacher______________________ School__________________ Glasses ___yes ___no

Please assign a value between 0 and 4 for each symptom.0=never or non-existent, 1=seldom, 2=occasionally, 3=frequently, 4=always

1. I get a headache when I do close work. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

2. I use a finger or marker to keep my place when I read. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

3. I can comfortably read for 2 hours or more___ 1 hour___ 30 minutes___ 15 minutes___

4. I see double, or cover or close an eye while I read. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

5. Words move, wiggle, float or jump when I read. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

6. I get dizzy or sick when I do near work. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

7. I tilt my head when I read or when I am talking to people. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

8. I get close to the page when I read or write. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

9. I lose my place while reading. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

10. I am slow in copying from the chalkboard. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

11. I skip words or lines while reading. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

12. I have trouble understanding what I read. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

13. I read small words backwards (was-saw). 0_____1______2______3______4_____

14. I get tired or sleepy while reading. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

15. My eyes get tired, itchy, watery or burn when I read. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

16. Print in a book looks blurry. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

17. I guess at words. 0_____1______2______3______4_____

18. Read for pleasure? Always____ Frequently___ Occasionally____ Never___


#Symptoms____ Severity of Symptoms____


V I S I O N

11

dizzy, etc., should be the first to have an eye exam. If glasses do not correct the problem, theonly alternative is vision skill development. The eyes are interfering with each other and arenot working as a team. A description of vision skill development activities that can be donein the classroom during lunch count and roll call or while waiting to go to another class canbe found in Chapter 4. The school optometrist should direct the students’ visual developmentprogram.

The VisagraphThe Visagraph consists of four infrared sensors in a pair of goggles connected to a PC. Itrecords eye movement as a student reads, documenting the student’s visual efficiency. TheVisagraph is extremely useful when a school is considering retention or labeling a child forspecial education. It works to motivate older students to use computer programs or to weartheir glasses. The Visagraph is also quite helpful in evaluating the effectiveness of programsused to teach reading.

When the authors wrote Buzzards to Bluebirds, they stated they could help improve the readingskills of 70 percent of the students in any classroom with in-school training methods. Usingthe Visagraph to diagnose visual efficiency problems, they have continued to improve theirsystem. As a result, the Lions Crane Reading Program now helps between 95 and 98 percentof all students.

Volunteers, aides, or teachers can operate the Visagraph. In three minutes, a teacher knows ifa student is ready for kindergarten, middle school, high school or college. Nearly any ageperson can be tested using the Visagraph.

The Visagraph norms were established based on the scores of more than 12,000 students. Itis known how many fixations, regressions, and words per minute reflect appropriate

A child using the Visagraph.

V I S I O N

12

performance at every grade level. As a child’s visual system improves, his reading shows fewerfixations and fewer regressions. Reading speed (words per minute) goes up.

A Visagraph is not a required part of a good reading program or special education program.Students can be placed in programs and make great gains in reading without a Visagraph.While the Visagraph does not do any remediation, it is extremely useful in documenting,motivating, and evaluating individual student performance or the effectiveness of a program.

RemediationPre-and post-Visagraph testing after an intervention documents what is helping the student.Students should have fewer Fixations, Regressions and Anomalies (eyes moving in differentdirections). Their Words per Minute and Cross Correlation (eye-teaming) should be better.Important components of successful programs the Cranes have evaluated include good visualtargets at an appropriate distance (18 to 28 inches), vision skill development, moving target,glasses, and gross motor activities. Computer programs based on the multi-sensory Orton-Gillingham philosophy with a fewlarge letters or words on a colored background allow children to practice good eye-teamingskills while learning academics. Children usually sit 18 to 28 inches from the screen, thusrelieving the demand to converge their eyes at 10 to 12 inches. The Orton-Gillingham basedprograms used by the Cranes teach students to read most words. When students can do this,their next step is learning to read fluently with comprehension. Fluency training using amoving slot on a computer forces students to read and comprehend at an ever increasingrate. The goal is to break the voicing habit so the students can read faster than they talk.

Most students’ Visagraph results improve. Improvement sometimes occurs on achievementtests before it shows up on the Visagraph test. If an individual’s reading does not improve,different approaches are continually tried until the “the right button (eye exam, gross motor,My Reading Coach, etc.) is punched” for that student to succeed. A student who does notreach 200 words per minute by the end of second grade should have an eye exam usingstandards described by Dr. Bruce Wick (Chapter 7).

Visagraph ResultsAn example of Visagraph results is presented on Page 15. Following are definitions of thevarious measurements.

Fixations refer to the number of eye stops while the eyes are moving to the right to read astory. There are between 70 and 100 words per Visagraph story.

Regressions refer to the number of eye stops when the eyes are moving to the left whilereading a story. Usually, the older the child, the fewer the Regressions. When stories areselected in which students know all the words (as the authors recommend), the number ofRegressions shows how many times the child tried to get his eyes to aim at the same word.

V I S I O N

13

For example, 48 regressions means the student shifted his/her eyes 48 times trying to aim atthe same words. When there are a lot of Regressions, comprehension is almost always poor.

Directional Attack refers to the percentage of the time the student’s eyes went to the leftinstead of continuing across the line to the right. Because stories are selected in which thechild knows all the words, Directional Attack may indicate the percentage of time spent tryingto aim both eyes at the same word.

Simulation displays a ball bouncing under the words at which the student looked as he readthe story. If the ball goes back and stops at a name, date, or fact, that is probably a reread. Itwill be obvious if the student is shifting his/her eyes back and forth trying to get them aimedat the same word. These students also regress a lot when reading numbers or drawing linesthrough Xs (Page 14). In these activities, students are not rereading for facts. They are gettingtheir eyes aimed at the same number or X.

Cross Correlation refers to how well the eyes are working together. A 1.0 is perfect. Orton-Gillingham phonics based computer programs and computer based fluency training togetheroften improve Cross Correlation to a score better than 0.96 after thirty 30-minute sessions.

As revealed on the Visagraph reading profile, if every sentence begins with a long fixation, itoften means one eye is aiming lower than the other. The return sweep is the eye movementfrom the end of one line to the beginning of the next line. During this movement, there is notarget to keep the eyes lined up and the student has to readjust his eyes to start the new line.If one eye is aiming lower, it takes a while for the eyes to make the adjustment.

Visagraph ProceduresA reading selection should be found that is appropriate for the student’s reading level. Thestudent reads the first two lines of the story aloud. If the student misses two or more words,a story one grade level lower is tried. The story is scanned for words the student may finddifficult and the student is asked to say these words. When a selection has been found inwhich the student knows all the words, proceed to Visagraph. Place the goggles on the child,adjusting for comfort and alignment. Have the student read the story silently. At the end ofthe story, read the questions to the student, allowing him/her to look at the screen. If thecomprehension level is below 70 percent, start again with a story at an easier grade level.

Improving Visagraph ResultsOne-on-one and small-group instruction, unless done at a reading distance of 18 inches orfarther, does not improve Visagraph scores very quickly. Good, large targets at a distance,such as those provided by Lexia Learning Systems, Fluent Reading Trainer or Reading Plus, and MyReading Coach allow the eyes to aim easily and improve Visagraph scores.

V I S I O N

14

The Impress Reading process (which has the child and adult both reading words on thescreen aloud) and a computer fluency program with a moving slot at 80 words per minutealso help improve Visagraph scores. The specific scores which usually improve most areCross Correlation, Anomalies, Reading Efficiency, Fixations, Regressions, and Words perMinute.

When an excellent Visagraph score occurs from a child who has not used the computerprogram, it is very likely that the family does not have a TV or the child spends little timewatching TV. In addition, the child probably has had the benefit of playing chess and otherboard games, marbles, and/or jacks, which help train the eyes to work together as a team atreading distance.

O

X--------X----------------X-----------------X---------X----------X

X------------X------------X---------X-----------X--------X------X

X------------X----------X---------------X-------------X----X----X

X-------X-----------X------------X------------X----------X------X

X---------X----------X------------X-----------X-----------X-----X

X---------X--------------X------------X-------X-------------X---X

X-------------X---------------X---------X---------X--------X----X

X---------------X------------X-----------X-----X----------X-----X

X-----------X-------------X------------X---------------X---------XThis target was developed by the authors and it can be used for children who do not know theirnumbers. Children are asked to draw a continuous line through the Xs. Show them how todo it and let them practice several times. If a whole class is to be tested, let the class practicetogether several times.

V I S I O N

15

Example of Visagraph testing profile of a 4th grade student after 22 forty-five minutesessions of vision skill development, Lexia, PAVE, and Guided Reading. The first readingselection (top graph) is second grade level while the second reading selection (bottom graph) is third gradelevel. The student went from 97 words per minute to 276 Words per Minute. Anomalies dropped from28 to 0. Cross Correlation went from .917 to .977. Grade Level Efficiency went from 1.4 to 13.6.

The Visagraph indicates problems when the profile shows: Significant differences between the right and lefteyes for Fixations, Regressions, Average Span of Recognition, and Average Duration of Fixation;Directional Attack Difficulty is greater than 5%; Comprehension Questions Correct is less than 70%;Grade Level Efficiency is less than actual school grade level; Cross Correlation is less than 0.96; totalAnomalies (Fix/Regr/Both) score is greater than 6. The graph shows problems when there are more thanthree blinks (dotted lines) or when the right eye and left eye merge several times.

Identified problems may be remedied by one or more of the following: computer reading programs such asLexia Learning Systems, Fluent Reading Trainer or Reading Plus, and My Reading Coach; vision skilldevelopment activities; and glasses.

V I S I O N

16

Example of Visagraph testing results where the student’s eyes are performing efficiently.

Example of Visagraph testing results where the student’s eyes are performing inefficiently.

A L L E R G I E S

17

Chapter

3 Allergies

C onditions other than vision acuity and eye teaming can impede learning. A major factor is allergies.6, 7 Students with the most severe learning problems often have both vision problems and allergies. Academically, spelling tests, rhythm activities, and

classroom achievement can reveal students whose performance may be impacted by allergies. Allergies plug the Eustachian tubes diminishing balance, rhythm, auditory processing (phonics), and also make it difficult to recall previously learned information.

Allergy Symptoms Seen in Schools Allergies can affect any area of the body, especially the brain.41 Allergies should be suspected if the student:

1. Reverses letters and/or leaves out obvious sounds in words;5

2. Cannot do balance and coordination exercises such as Jumping Jacks and Rocking Chair;

3. Has pronounced good days and bad days. Performance in spelling, writing, math facts, history, and completion of assignments is inconsistent; and/or

4. Has trouble getting along with siblings and classmates.

Active allergies seem to block the firing across synapses so the child cannot consistently retrieve information stored in the brain. Often, educators label students with allergies as attention-deficit hyperactive disordered, dyslexic, or learning disabled.

A L L E R G I E S

Identifying Allergy Problems In The Classroom Lions Rhythm Tape Play the five minute Lions Rhythm Tape and note those students who have difficulty with the exercises. Do not chalk difficulties up as simply misbehavior. Children want to do well, but often cover up problems by clowning.

Lions Spelling Words Test your class all at one time using the word list from the Lions Spelling Words at their actual grade level (e.g. 3rd grade list for 3rd graders). Sixth grade words can be used for high school students. Children do not practice the words ahead of time. Pronounce the twenty words in the manner of a spelling test using the words in sentences. A full-page copy of the Lions Spelling Words for reproducing can be found in Appendix IV.

Examine the students’ spelling. Stspelling the list (e.g. afer for afteprobably have problems due to alle

Lions Spelling Words

udents who leave out three or more obvious sounds while r, “uner” for under, “chid” for child, “dap” for damp) rgies or a hearing loss.

18

A L L E R G I E S

Look for letter reversals (e.g., b for d, use of capital B or D, b for p, y for h). Reversals are a common sign of allergies. Students who spell everything phonetically but incorrectly tend to have a poor visual memory.

Effects of Allergies The most extreme example of the effects of allergies on a child can be found in Fighting For Tony.26 Tony’s constant screaming was very stressful for his parents, one of whom was a nurse. Tony’s team of experts examining his case consisted of a child development specialist, a speech and language therapist, a physical therapist, and a pediatrician. These experts diagnosed him for three years in a row as autistic and severely mentally retarded and reported it was doubtful Tony would ever talk. They asked the parents to consider placing Tony in an institution because someone would always have to take care of him. Tony turned out to have an IQ of 150. An undetected, severe allergy to milk had so affected his brain that he had been totally unable to progress through normal early-childhood development. Tony’s problems were solved when his mother took him off all dairy products. His little sister then helped him to experience the developmental stages with her.

Dr. Doris Rapp’s book, Is This Your Child’s World?, shows thirty pages of handwriting and drawing examples (see below). After Dr. Rapp gives the child an allergen, the pulse rate goes up, behavior and handwriting deteriorate, and reversals begin if the child is allergic to the substance. She gives the child an antidote, and the child returns to normal after treatment.

In her book Our Toxic Worldsensitivities in his/her own wYou can sometimes find ans

Example of the reaction to a mold allergen.

, Dr. Rapp says, “Each person responds to allergies or chemical ay though each follows an individualized, characteristic pattern.

wers that everyone else has missed for years by paying attention

19

A L L E R G I E S

to when and why, you or someone you love, suddenly changes.”27 Dr. Rapp presents fast, inexpensive ways to identify and treat the source of a child’s allergies or chemical sensitivities.

Effects from a true food allergy typically show up in 15 minutes to an hour after the food is consumed. Some food reactions such as bed wetting, ear infections, and abdominal complaints may occur six to eighteen hours later.

Addressing AllergAntihistamines frequentlyallergies to do well in schstill help the child by pprograms, air filters in thecan have on the learninreprogram and organize phonics programs allow sdistracting outside noise, individual needs. Air filter

Schools and parents needWhen and where does theeating? After eating whatouched? Something breato solve the mystery.

Parents of a child with allentry. The journal mak

Example of the reaction to a food coloring allergen.

ies help solve allergy problems, making it possible for a child with ool.5, 28 Although schools cannot pass out antihistamines, they can roviding good gross-motor programs, phonics-based computer classroom, and by helping parents understand the impact allergies g process. Gross-motor activities (i.e., body movement) help to the brain and may change the chemistry of the brain. Computer tudents to hear phonics for the first time. Earphones help eliminate and volume control allows students to adjust the volume to fit their s improve the health of students.

to form a partnership in helping children who may have allergies. child start having problems? Outside? Inside? Which room? After

t? After smelling perfume? After sitting on carpet? Something thed? Good day? Bad day? Schools and parents can work together

ergies should have the child write in a journal each day and date the es it obvious when allergies are interfering with learning -- for

20

A L L E R G I E S

example, when the child has very poor handwriting, reverses letters and/or leaves out obvious sounds. Seeing this, the parent can take steps to remedy the problem before schoolwork suffers. Without this record, the child who has seemingly improved can slip back into an allergic reaction without anyone becoming aware of it. Often the first hint the parent has of a recurrence of problems is a poor report card and a lost semester.

A good reference library for parents will help provide insights into allergy causes and treatments and should include: Dr. Rapp’s books, Is This Your Child’s World? and Our Toxic World; Bell’s The ADD and ADHD Diet; Oski’s Don’t Drink Your Milk; Crook’s Solving The Puzzle Of Your Hard To Raise Child; and the Crane’s Reading Problems Resolved.

Elimination and Rotation Diets Dr. Doris Rapp and Dr. William G. Crook have devised excellent elimination diets. Parents cut out a number of foods for a couple of weeks and then add them back one at a time. Dr. Crook reports that, when his patients diagnosed with ADHD use the elimination diet before the first appointment, three-fourths of families can determine what is causing a child’s hyperactivity. Foods and substances identified by Dr. Crook that may need to be eliminated are: milk, eggs, sugar, tea, peas, wheat, coffee, beans, peanuts, Kool-aid, corn, chocolate, soft drinks, processed foods, and food coloring and dyes.

According to Dr. Rapp,

“It really is possible for you (the parent), alone, to turn your (child’s) health around and find answers everyone else has missed, but always discuss everything with your doctor. The best and easiest form of treatment is usually avoidance.

The Multiple Food Elimination Diet enables you to easily detect multiple food problems. It is in two parts. During Part I you eliminate several major allergenic foods for about one week. During Part II you add each of these foods back into your diet providing it is normally or routinely eaten.

If you suspect a single food causes your own or your child’s problem, the Single Food Elimination Diet can be tried. Merely stop eating that one frequently eaten or favorite single food in every form, for five to seven days. Don’t be alarmed if your symptoms (such as headaches, fatigue, or muscle aches) become worse during the first few days on the diet. This is common; and these “withdrawal” symptoms mean that your body craves a food to which you are sensitive. When you do not eat it, you feel ill…. After five to seven days (or sooner, if the symptoms have disappeared before that) eat one single food that has been avoided so you can see exactly what that food does to you. If a true food sensitivity exists, your symptoms should recur within 15 minutes to an

21

A L L E R G I E S

hour after eating a normal-sized portion of a single food that has not been ingested in any form for about five days. Do this on an empty stomach. This means nothing has been eaten for the previous four or more hours.

There is one other helpful diet called The Rotation Diet. This is also diagnostic but it is mainly used as a treatment diet for those who have multiple food allergies and cannot afford or simply do not want food allergy extract treatment. The diet enables you to eat different groups of foods (fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, etc.) every day for four days and then you repeat this cycle over and over again. It enables you to spot a food sensitivity very quickly so you know when you must stop eating a certain food. This is the diagnostic part. In time, many mild and moderate food reactions will stop because food allergies can unquestionably diminish or disappear if certain problem foods are not ingested more often than every four days. This is the treatment part. Initially, for some foods, it might not be possible to eat them more often than every eight or 12 days, sometimes even longer.” 27

Often a child is allergic to the foods they crave most. Make a list of the child’s five favorite foods. If they all contain milk or if they all contain wheat, you have a clue. Eliminate all five foods for one week and then add them back one at a time. Watch for a reaction. The child may have withdrawal symptoms and actually be worse the first two or three days without those foods before showing improvement. With this method it may take as little as one week to identify the child’s allergy.27

With a doctor’s referral, parents can get personal advice on how best to do the rotation diet for their child by calling Sally Rockwell, PhD, phone 206-547-1814. Website: www.sallyrockwell.com. Dr. Rapp says it is well worth doing.

Allergy Testing Many things besides food can cause allergies, including molds, dust, pets, and odors such as perfume. An interesting article by Dr. P. Brock Williams about ImmunoCap Laboratory appeared in the September 2001 issue of Readers Digest. From one blood draw, ImmunoCap can tell you what your child is allergic to and to what degree. To evaluate the accuracy of these labs, Dr. Williams sent known blood samples to six diagnostic blood labs. ImmunoCap came back right each time.

The authors advise if a child has severe learning problems, depression, or autism (or other “labeled” conditions), the child should undergo an allergy test by ImmunoCap.

22

http://www.sallyrockwell.com/

A L L E R G I E S

Air Filters The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns that air inside a house or school is often two to five times as polluted as the air outside. In addition, portable buildings (which many schools use) are purported to have significantly more pollutants than regular buildings. Studies show that indoor air pollution can cause or contribute to a variety of health problems including asthma, allergies, nausea, influenza, and chronic respiratory diseases. Some of the educational problems these pollutants can cause include letter reversals, poor auditory processing, good days and bad days in spelling or math, and chronic absenteeism. Air filters in the classroom should raise academic performance and attendance while decreasing illness, behavior problems, and hyperactivity. The air filter might be placed in a room at home or at school (or both) in which the child spends a lot of time or experiences the most symptoms. Air filters often clean up the air in a classroom in thirty minutes. Studies have shown that over half of students have food allergies, air (breathing) allergies, or both.

The authors have recently begun investigating air filters and found that Navy submarines use an air filtering system with three different types of filters: a pre-filter, an HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, and a carbon filter. The pre-filter removes large particles before the air enters the primary filtering system. Pollen, mold, and some bacteria particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger are captured during this stage. The carbon filter effectively reduces noxious chemicals, gases, and odors such as those from cooking and pets. Note that activated carbon is the material used in US Army gas masks.

Three of the companies recommended by experts are Allerair, Atmosphere, and IQ Air. Allerair has a website, www.cleanerairbrightminds.com, on which they describe their program for schools to earn air filters.

23

A L L E R G I E S

24

V I S I O N D E V E L O P M E N T

25

.Chapter

4 Vision Development

E very student should have a complete eye exam using LCRP Standards before being expected to read and write. If the student requires glasses for performance, glasses will help the student’s eyes work together as a team which will often prevent the need

to do vision skill development -- especially if reading is taught at a distance first and then on a computer. Teaching reading on a computer places less stress on the student’s vision system. Sitting at a distance of 18 to 28 inches from a monitor is much easier on the visual system than holding a book at 10 to 14 inches.

Students cope with vision stress symptoms in various ways. Some, even when wearing glasses, may find that they always get headaches or can only read for a short time without resting their eyes. These students may become average or good students by rereading their assignments several times and studying hard, long hours to get good grades. Some students become distracted by other things going on in the classroom as they look away to rest their eyes. These children may end up in trouble and are often labeled. When a minimum of vision-development activities was carried out and desk height was adjusted, one school showed a tremendous improvement in behavior, with 90 percent fewer referrals to the principal’s office and fair gains in reading ability.29 Training to develop the vision skills necessary for academic success and to eliminate symptoms can usually be achieved easily and inexpensively.2 When students receive this training, many more may pass achievement tests mandated at state and federal levels, stay in school, be symptom-free, and start reading for pleasure.20, 21

Most students need to do vision-development activities for only four or five weeks.22 These activities can be done while attendance is being taken or while waiting to go to the next class. The activities are designed for schools and will suffice for the majority of students. Behavioral optometrists have thousands of vision-development activities and can fine-tune the vision system to a much higher degree. For help in finding an optometrist in your area for students needing in depth remediation, contact the Optometric Extension Program (a non profit organization that trains behavioral optometrists) at 949-250-8070.


Convergence

To read efficiently, a student must aim his/her eyes inward (converge them) to see the same letters with both eyes and must be able to hold this position for a prolonged period of time. A student must practice this skill frequently until success is achieved. To test for convergence, have the student look at a pencil eraser three feet from his/her nose on eye level. Say, “How many erasers do you see?” If the answer is two, move the eraser farther from the student’s nose. If only one eraser is seen, move the eraser slowly toward the nose. When the child reports seeing double, or when one eye stops following the eraser, record the distance of the eraser from his/her nose. This distance is the student’s “near point of convergence.” Repeat this activity four times in a session. The student should be able to follow the pencil eraser to within about three inches of his/her nose all four times without his/her eyes watering or needing to be rubbed. If the student reports seeing double at 15 inches and holds a book at 10 inches, he/she will always see double while reading unless he/she learns to shut off the vision in one eye. Such students are often labeled as having amblyopia or “lazy eye.”

The teacher tests the student’s near point of convergence.

To help a student develop convergence, show the student how to hold a pencil at arm’s length and bring it slowly toward his/her nose while looking at the eraser. When the eraser appears to double, he/she should push the pencil back out until only one eraser is seen. Continue for three minutes trying to keep the eraser single while bringing it closer and closer to the nose. When a single eraser can be easily seen three inches from the nose, the student should count slowly to 10 while keeping a single image. When students can do this, they should be able to read much longer with better comprehension and have fewer vision stress symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, or seeing double. The activity should be timed and progress charted.

The Brock String is also used to train the eyes to converge and diverge accurately. The Brock String is a string about three feet long with two beads on it. A popsicle stick is tied on the

26


ends of the string to make it easy to hold properly and to keep the strings untangled when stored. The Brock String can be used one-on-one or as a group activity. This activity must be done with both eyes open. The student holds the end of a Brock String on the bridge of his/her nose with the teacher holding the other end. Students begin with their closest bead slightly past their near point of convergence, as found in the pencil eraser exercise previously discussed. The student looks from the near bead to the far bead several times. If any student cannot see two strings, that student should receive individual attention. The string is wiggled and the student covers and uncovers one eye and then the other eye several times quickly until two strings are observed. If, after several attempts, the student does not see two strings, the training should be stopped. Either the student is suppressing the vision in one eye or the eyes are already aimed too far inward. The school optometrist can help these students.

Pairs of students can also use the Brock String. Each student holds a stick and operates the bead closest to him/her. The stick is held on the nose, right between the eyes. The student looks back and forth from one bead to the other. He/she should always see two continuous strings. Wherever he/she looks, a single image should be seen. On both sides of that point, the two strings should be seen. Each student moves the near bead progressively closer to his/her nose. When the student looks at a bead, he/she should see two strings crossing or meeting at that bead. The goal is to see the two strings cross at the near bead for a count of 10 when the near bead is three inches away and, at the same time, to see a double image of the far bead. The student should see two strings forming a long V with two close beads.

A teacher oEach studeaide holds t-close beadout.) The desired answ

Result of looking at the far bead.

r aide can help two to six students do the Brnt holds the end of a Brock String on the bridhe other end of each string. The teacher says,---far bead--"and so on. Watch as they converchild is requested to look at the far bead an

er is two strings meeting in a "V" at the far

27

Result of looking at the near bead.

ock String activity at the same time. ge of his/her nose. The teacher or

"Look at the close bead---far bead--ge and diverge their eyes (aim in and d asked, “What do you see?” The bead. They should see one far bead


and two closer beads. The strings should look continuous with no gaps. Each student moves his/her close bead toward his/her nose as convergence becomes easier. The activity should be timed and progress charted.

Students using the Brock String in different configurations.

The Brock String exercise tells you if the students are using both eyes and if they can converge their eyes at a point three inches away. If they cannot, they are at a high risk of developing headaches, seeing double, seeing words move, or only being able to read for 15 minutes or less at a time. They are also at risk of being labeled ADHD, emotionally disturbed, dyslexic, and/or learning disabled. The school optometrist can help these students through special programming. Directions to make a Brock String can be found in Appendix V.

Accommodation (Focusing) When the eyes focus at a distance, the lenses inside the eyes become flat. When the eyes focus close up, the lenses assume an oval shape. Focusing can easily be tested using the Distance Copy Test. Have students copy spelling words or math problems from a chalkboard or overhead projector. Have them put their papers on the teacher’s desk as they finish. The last students to finish probably have a focusing problem.

Focusing can be easily trained while students are waiting in line to go to lunch or another class. The students are asked to first look at something close (like a letter on a pencil or a spot on their thumb) and then look at something across the room about 10 to 20 feet away (e.g., number 1 on a clock). This process should be repeated several times a day with each target being seen clearly.

To work on academics and focusing at the same time, arrange the Dolch Words (or some other word list used by the school) in groups of three on a transparency and on a handout. The students are asked to read three words from the hard copy in their hands and then three words at a distance. The exercise is continued for 30 words. Using the students’ names works

28


well with kindergarten students as these are often the first words they learn to recognize. The activity should be timed and progress charted.

Eye Movement Students with eye-movement problems tend to be very slow, choppy readers. They have to look at and process each word before going to the next. This cognitive demand creates a comprehension problem. The computer programs discussed in this book develop good eye movement for reading. When a student is using the recommended computer programs, the following activity should not be necessary.

Students are tested individually. The teacher uses the training techniques described below with individual students and records the performance as good, fair or poor.

The teacher demonstrates to the students how to make a Lazy Eight in the air with their pencil eraser at the speed of five seconds for each Lazy Eight and a pattern 16 inches wide. The students are asked to stand and practice. The teacher should ensure they do not make Lazy Eights too small or go too fast.

The students work in pairs standing about three feet apart. They take turns making the Lazy Eight about 16 inches from a partner’s nose while the partner follows the pencil eraser with his eyes. When a student can follow the target smoothly, have him answer questions (e.g., count, say the alphabet, practice spelling words, or 2+2, 9x7+5=) while he watches the moving target. The student learns to move his/her eyes and think at the same time, a necessary skill for comprehension and academic success. Students can prepare study cards with the information the teacher wishes them to ask each other.

Another variation of the Lazy Eight activity is for each student to hold his/her own thumb out at arm’s length and move it in a lazy eight pattern while watching a spot on the thumb. The thumb should be at arm’s length and the pattern 12 to 16 inches wide. Moving his/her own thumb gives more sensory input so the student knows where to look. When a student can follow his/her thumb smoothly, the student is asked to answer questions as above. If the student has difficulty with this activity, have him/her cover his/her left eye with the left hand and watch the right thumb do figure eights. The eyes and thumbs are then switched. When this is easy, the exercise is tried with both eyes. When eye movement while answering questions is always smooth, the activity can be discontinued. The activity should be timed and progress charted.

29


Desk Height Desks and tables should be as low as possible, or about waist high--not chest high--in order for children’s eyes to develop good eye-teaming skills of aiming, moving and focusing. The proper distance from the eye to the book or writing paper is the distance from knuckles to elbow.3 This is called the Harmon distance. To measure proper desk height, have the student place his/her thumbs under his chin. Elbows should just clear the top of the desk. Waist high desks promote good eye skills.

To test this theory, hold this book about five inches below your chin and parallel to the floor, then try to read for 20 minutes. Now slant the book and hold it 14 to 16 inches from your eyes. Which one can you read with ease? It is easy to see what we are doing to more than 50 percent of elementary and middle school students as well as to short high school students.

The proper distance from the eye to the book or writing paper is the distance from knuckles to elbow.

Proper desk height throughout a whole school could conscores significantly by reducing visual stress and promvision.30 The Kansas Optometric Association, in testing Learn program, found only 5 percent to be myopic (i.e.,17 percent of this group were myopic. Improper desk hproper desk height and reading instruction at a distancechildren from becoming myopic.

Modifying Vision Habits Young children watch an enormous amount of televisionfeet away, children do not have to move, change focus,

30

What a child sees when the desk is too high.

ceivably raise a school’s achievement oting good eye health and efficient 10,000 three-year-olds in their See To near-sighted). By the second grade, eight is thought to be a factor. Thus, could prevent up to 12 percent of

. While watching television six to ten or converge their eyes. When they


begin school, they have to converge their eyes for prolonged periods of time. Since children haven’t needed to converge their eyes to look at small details such as letters or numbers before, they may be lacking in these skills.

Lions Copy Forms can be used to identify elementary school students needing help. Lions Templates are one of the best tools for getting children’s eyes ready to read. In the meantime, reading can be taught at TV viewing distance by using flip charts, chalkboard, and overhead projectors. Research shows that reading and maturity alone will usually make slow improvements in eye skills over time. The process can be speeded up with the use of Lions Templates and performing other hand-eye coordination actions such as Bal-A-Vis-X activities and knitting.

Lions Copy Forms Lions Copy Forms identify visual perception problems, which can interfere with academic success in school, in third grade and younger children. If problems are identified, these children may need template training. The Lions Copy Forms are shown in Appendix IV (pages IV-5 through IV-9) and may be reproduced. A child of three should be able to perceive and reproduce a circle accurately. A child of four should be able to perceive and reproduce a square. A child of seven should reproduce a diamond without difficulty. The reason for developing this skill is simple: Letters and numbers are made of various combinations of shapes in a variety of positions.

It takes five minutes to test a whole class for visual perception problems and about 18 fifteen-minute training sessions to remedy these problems using the template program developed by the Lions Club in Winter Haven, Florida, which conducted a 25-year research program with five PhDs developing and documenting this program. 31

Lions Copy Forms

31


The forms illustrated on Page 31 are quickly shown to the students, explaining that they are going to copy these four pictures. The students are asked to fold a piece of 8 ½ inches by 11 inches white paper first in half and then in half again. Next they are to unfold the paper and write their names and date at the top of the paper. Each one of the pictures is to be drawn in one of the four sections of the folded paper. The teacher then holds up each picture, one at a time, while the children copy each shape into one of the sections. The teacher collects the papers. The papers are reviewed to identify which students had problems and thus need help. Problems that may appear are distortion of shape, rotation, and/or integration.

Lions Templates Lions Templates can be used with all students in pre-school to third grade and selectively after that. Students who have problems with the Lions Copy Forms, Lions Spelling Words, penmanship, and/or Lions Rhythm Tape should receive Lions Template training. The Lions Template activity is an excellent exercise to help students overcome adverse visual habits developed while watching television. The Templates help students learn to use their eyes at reading distance and develop eye-hand coordination and can be a major factor in improving a student’s handwriting. Templates are especially effective because students do not have to worry about letters and numbers. Desk height must be correct, and children must sit up straight to gain maximum benefit from template activities.

A small group or a whole class can be guided through this activity at one time. The template is placed on a sheet of paper with the circle in the upper left corner. Slant the template appropriately for

left-handed or right-handed students. For very young children, tape the paper to the template and the template to the desk. With a pencil, students go around the inside of each figure, counter-clockwise 10 times. For kindergarten and younger children, five times around each shape is sufficient.

Template Activity One

Rhythm is an important part of this activity. Have the students count out loud with you. Start at the top of the circle. Say, “Top, left, bottom, right, top, left, bottom, right, top,” etc. For the remainder of the shapes, start in the upper left-hand corner and go counter-clockwise counting at each corner, “1,1,1,1, 2,2,2,2” and so on to “10, 10, 10, 10.” When you say each number, pencils should be at a corner. Students must sit up straight and watch the end of their pencils.

Next, students take the template off the paper. Count as before while children trace each shape five times counter clockwise using a light-colored crayon (anything except black). After completing this activity, students may color the figures or make faces in them. Date and save the first sample they complete to be compared with later efforts.

32


Students turn thow to make stemplates. Stud

Once they can do these designs, you crotation and integration problems.

Template Activity Two

Examples of des

Lions Templates

heir paper over. The teacher or aide shows students tars, snowmen, rockets, robots, boxes, etc., using the ents who need templates need guidance in this activity. an let their imaginations run wild. This activity corrects

igns made using Lions Templates

33


The video on Lions Copy Forms and Templates provides more information on these important tools. The LCRP Teacher Training CD and Lions Templates can be ordered from: LCRP, Box 2846, Las Cruces, NM 88004.

Example of writing by a 1st grader after seven months of LCRP training.

34


Teaching Distance Ideally, reading should initially be taught at a distance of six feet while eliciting 30 to 40 responses per minute. This reduces the stress on the visual system, allowing students to learn to aim, move, and focus their eyes correctly while they are learning to read. Many children are slightly farsighted but outgrow it by about the third grade. This means they can see fine at 10 feet, but the print appears blurry in the book held in their hands. Use of overhead projectors, Power Point presentations, Big Books (a series of books about two feet tall with one inch print), wall charts, flip charts, computers, and large print books prove useful in teaching reading at a distance. Teachers should write a list of words or sounds or a combination to be learned that day from the reading series used by the school. The teacher points to the word with a yardstick and asks what word or what sound. The teacher raises the yardstick, then touches the word again and all the students in the group or class say the word or sound. When everyone seems to know the words, the teacher can call on individual students. Group response requires everyone to pay attention. When a child does not know a sound, he can learn from the multi-sensory input of hearing and seeing the word without embarrassment. As the responses per minute increase (30 to 40 responses per minute is an ideal goal), so will learning.

35


36

L C R P : P U T T I N G I T A L L T O G E T H E R

37

LCRP: Putting It All Togethers parents and teachers, we are not expecting enough from students. By using provenresearch based programs and technology, anyone who can skip, hop, or catch a ballcan be well on the way to reading and writing proficiently in one semester. LCRP’s

goal is for all children to read and write proficiently. All this can be done for a fraction of thecost of small group or one-on-one instruction.

Identifying Students Who Need Immediate Help The screening process is primarily a thirty-minute class evaluation using:

• Lions Functional Vision Checklist

• Lions Copy Forms

• Lions Spelling Words List

• Distance Copying

• Lions Rhythm Tape

• Quick List Identification

Lions Functional Vision ChecklistMany students report symptoms of headaches, seeing double, getting dizzy, eyes burning,and/or blurry vision during and after reading. Research has shown that these symptoms arereally a sign of some underlying problem, which if not remedied, will adversely impact thestudent’s reading and hence, academic and vocational success. The Lions Crane ReadingProgram has shown that, if the problem is identified, most symptoms can be remedied at theschool by the teacher assisted by a vision specialist. Many times, glasses and/or computerprograms will correct the problem. If they do not, then vision skill development may beneeded.

Chapter

5A


38

The Lions Functional Vision Checklist (Pages 9-11) helps identify functional visual problemsas well as their severity. Ideally the checklist should be filled out at home and at school withthe parents involved. Glasses, vision skill development, and/or computer programs willremedy many symptoms.

Lions Copy FormsThe Lions Copy Forms (Page 31) reveal those students who need visual perception training,which applies primarily to students in the early grades. Lions Template training usuallyrequires 18 fifteen-minute sessions to remedy most visual perception problems found on theLions Copy Forms test or the Visual Motor Integration (VMI) test given by many schools.Also use the Lions Templates with those students who do poorly on the Lions Words, have ahard time learning the alphabet, guess at words, have poor penmanship, and have troubleperforming activities on the Lions Rhythm Tape.

Lions Spelling Words ListThe Lions Spelling Words (Page 18) help identify students with not only possible visualmemory problems, but also auditory processing problems caused by allergies. Proper use ofthe Lions Templates, gross motor activities, and Orton-Gillingham computer based programswill address these problems.

Distance CopyingCopying math problems or spelling words from the chalkboard and putting their papers onthe teacher’s desk as they finish identifies students with a focusing problem. The last studentsthrough probably have a focusing problem (Pages 28-29). Glasses and/or vision skilldevelopment will relieve focusing problems.

Lions Rhythm TapeThe Lions Rhythm Tape identifies students with balance, coordination, and auditoryprocessing problems probably due to allergies and watching TV, which prevent children fromgoing through the normal developmental stages. All students in grades K-5 can benefit fromthe Lions Rhythm Tape with special attention given to those students who need help.Students who can do the exercises well can take turns leading the activity. Participatingstudents will benefit from the physical activity, which results in more oxygen to the brain.The Lions Rhythm Tape should be done for five minutes a day for about six weeks. This tapeand Bal-A-Vis-X should improve balance, coordination, auditory processing, and incombination with Lions Templates, improve handwriting and remediate dyslexia.


39

Quick List IdentificationAnother quick way of identifying students who need special help is to make three lists:students with the poorest grades in a class; students who leave out obvious sounds or reverseletters on the 20 Lions Spelling Words; and clumsy students and those who cannot hop, skipor do jumping jacks. About 90 percent of the time, the same students will be on all three ofthe lists.

The students on these lists probably have allergies. Most problems can be remedied or atleast helped by using gross-motor programs (Lions Rhythm Tape and Bal-A-Vis-X) and acomputer multi-sensory program such as My Reading Coach or Lexia Learning Systems.Many students really hear sounds for the first time when they put on headsets to cutoutside noise and turn up the volume. Parents can help by eliminating the allergy, butschools cannot depend on parents. It is a plus to have a library section on allergies (Page21) to educate parents and help them as much as possible.

Helping Students SucceedSeveral items that can enhance the chances a student will succeed are:

• Desk Height

• Gross Motor Skills Training

• Computer Phonics Programs

Desk HeightThe Kansas Optometric Association performed a test with 10,000 children, which revealedthat 5% of three-year olds in the See To Learn Program suffered from near-sightedness(myopia). By the time the students reached second grade, 17% had developed myopia, muchof which was caused by incorrect desk height. Children spend many hours in front of atelevision, which is normally six to ten feet away. During this time, their eyes do not move orchange focus. However, when they start school, they are expected to look at small details atarm’s length for prolonged periods of time and this is when many sight and resulting readingproblems may occur (Page 30).

Gross Motor Skills TrainingGross motor-skill or brain training development correlates with reading and math skills. Bodymovement programs organize the brain by getting the whole brain working together andready to receive information.


40

Many students enter school with underdeveloped gross motor skills required for learning.Why? Today, TV and allergies play a big role in how much a child moves his body. Allergiescan plug the Eustachian tube causing poor coordination and auditory processing problems.Children spend excessive hours watching TV and playing video games during which timelittle if any body movement occurs. Before TV and video games, much of a child’s time wasdevoted to active play where all parts of the body and brain functioned as a team. Childrenmay acquire a lot of information from television, but what they are not getting is sensorymotor integration. This skill must be developed before they can achieve academic success.Getting rid of TV altogether is not an option, so schools must intervene to help studentsintegrate their senses, their brains, and their bodies. Instead of dropping Physical Educationas many schools are doing, schools must take on the purposeful task of developing gross-motor integration. Gross motor development programs do work and should be used forstudents of all ages.

The Lions Crane Reading Program begins by helping students develop and improve grossmotor skills. Schools use the Kephart Gross Motor Program,32 Brain Gym, Boost Up, and Bal-A-Vis-X33, which is the “Cadillac” of all sensory motor integration programs. As describedearlier, the Lions Rhythm Tape is also an effective tool to improve gross motor skills. Whenthe class looks like a chorus line and students’ movements are synchronized, the studentsshould have improved their sensory motor integration and be ready to learn.

Computer Phonics and Fluency ProgramsAutomated multi-sensory phonics programs will require students to work 20 to 60 hours oncomputers. Teachers will notice a marked classroom improvement before the studentcompletes the phonics program. Students should finish Level 3 of Lexia Primary Reading orLesson 30 of My Reading Coach before attempting to read for fluency. Having a group of poorreaders read aloud with a moving slot at the rate of 80 words per minute with an adult helpsthem get started. Students should see weekly gains on computer fluency programs, whichshould be used as long as words per minute and comprehension are improving. In someinstances, second graders have been able to read 750 words per minute. Teachers should besure to follow the guidelines for setting reading speed based on comprehension with studentsgetting certificates at 150, 200, 250, 300…words per minute.

Computer Technology and ReadingComputer technology significantly increases the effectiveness of LCRP. Specific advantagesthat have been proven are discussed below.


41

The Visagraph does an excellent job of diagnosing reading problems. A bouncing ball showsexactly where the student looked to read a story. It can identify if the student is sounding outwords or stopping on big words (revealing reading problems) or bouncing all over the page(revealing eye teaming problems).

Computer reading programs can diagnose problems based on spelling and give lessons onjust what is needed, thus allowing students to learn at a faster rate than with conventional,non-computerized methods. Computers always provide a consistent presentation, assuringtests taken are always the same while teacher administered tests can vary. While one on oneor small group teaching is very expensive, computer drills are more efficient for a fraction ofthe cost.

Computers furnish a larger target for eye aiming and focusing at a distance of 18 to 28 inches.Students don’t have to converge (aim in) their eyes as far, making it easier on the student’svisual system. After using computer programs, students have fewer fixations (eye stops),fewer regressions, shorter fixations, better cross correlations, and fewer anomalies. Computerprograms improve eye-teaming skills while at the same time teaching academics.

Computers don’t get tired of giving the same instructions over and over and can evaluateevery response from each student. Computer programs are teacher friendly as lesson plansare built into the program resulting in every student receiving exactly what they need.

Computers are accountable. Educators know how much time students are using a programand how well they are succeeding on each activity. Administrators can see exactly how aschool, class, or an individual student is doing on each program. With one on one or smallgroup and whole class instruction, accountability is difficult.

Earphones plugged into computers block outside noise and allow students to adjust volume.Students may realistically hear phonics for the first time, which may be especially true ofstudents with allergies.

Computers get more responses per minute from every student in the class than is possible fora teacher. If a student misses two or more parts on any activity, the computer can change theprogram automatically with the student repeating the activity until it is mastered beforeproceeding.

Computer programs can alert the teacher when a student needs off-line instruction for aparticular activity. Computers can tell a student (especially an older student or an adult),“That’s not quite right” without shattering their ego.


42

Computer UtilizationThe most efficient and effective use of computers is in a lab setting. Schools need a minimumof 25 computers for every 300 students, or the same number of computers as they havestudents in the largest class. If there is no space for a lab, each teacher needs enoughcomputers to have at least one third (preferably one half) of the students on computers at onetime to be effective.

Most kindergarten students start with ten-minute computer sessions, three to five times aweek. However, in two weeks they often can increase the session to 20 minutes. Studentsshould be on computers 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Special education and Title Istudents benefit from an additional thirty minutes a day. Teachers must be thoroughly trainedand must go into the lab daily with their students to assure coordination and carryoverbetween lab and class. In addition to the teacher in the lab with her students, a full time labspecialist is needed who knows the programs and can also deal with any computer orearphone problems, schedule extra makeup sessions, etc. Teachers and aids can be trained intwo to three days.

Computer SoftwareThe Lions Crane Reading Program does not endorse any particular computer program butdoes strongly encourage using computer programs to help teach reading.

An ideal computer lab design is one that meets the needs of all students (dyslexic, learningdisabled, autistic, ADHD, etc., as well as gifted students). In a lab with 25 computers, twentyshould be loaded with the appropriate levels of Fluent Reading Trainer or Reading Plus and LexiaLearning Systems and the other five computers, My Reading Coach. Ideally, all programs can benetworked.

Kindergarten students start with level 2 of Lexia Early Reading and can complete both levels intwo to three months. After Lexia Early Reading, most children will be able to pass the Dibels(or any other) phonics test and will be ready for Lexia Primary Reading or My Reading Coach.After completing Lexia Primary Reading, they will be reading.

First grade through third grade students are started on Lexia Primary Reading beginning withLevel 1 and continuing through all levels. Fourth grade through high school students arestarted on Lexia Strategies for Older Students. Students begin with Level 1 to benefit from theeye movement training before the material becomes difficult. The Visagraph documents thatLexia does as much for eye teaming skills as for academics. Good students see only about athird of the program and complete Lexia in about three months. This is not much of an


43

investment of time out of twelve years to ensure both academic and vision skills. Studentswho struggle with any of the Lexia programs should be referred to the school optometrist.

All students spend a few minutes daily on PAVE, a fluency program with a moving windowshowing three letters or numbers per line for twenty lines. Students watch for a letter ornumber and report how many times they saw it. Speeds start at 20 lines a minute and progressto 120 lines a minute. Students discontinue this activity when they are proficient. Studentswho cannot make progress should see the school optometrist.

Students are directed to begin My Reading Coach when they are one of the lowest five readersin the class and/or if they leave out obvious sounds in words when spelling, have speechproblems along with reading problems, reverse b-d, and cannot do jumping jacks. The schooloptometrist should check these students for vision problems. My Reading Coach begins with aplacement test, which places the student in only the lessons needed. Students take fourreview tests, which cover all the skills from the beginning of the program to the point thestudent has reached. The student must have the skills in their long-term memory to pass.Most students completing My Reading Coach will be reading at a 10.5 grade level or theirvocabulary level after 40 to 60 hours on the program. When one student finishes theprogram, another student is selected to take that student’s place. The student who finishesthen begins work on fluency. An alternative to this plan is for all students to be on My ReadingCoach.

LCRP does not endorse any particular computer software program but strongly encouragesusing computer programs to help teach reading. The Lions Crane Reading ProgramFoundation envisions new and more effective computer software will become available in thefuture and will be included in the program.

Reading FluencyEveryone, including the National Reading Panel, is concerned with reading fluency. Whentaking a required state achievement test, the speed with which the student reads andcomprehends is the only thing that really counts. Many programs teach phonics and phonicsskills are necessary so that students can read any word. However, phonics skills are not testedon state achievement tests. Fluency and comprehension are the essential skills for passingstate achievement tests yet fluency is not taught. The standard method of teaching fluency isfor students to read a story many times, reading it faster and faster. This method seldom hasstudents reading more than 150 words per minute.

The most effective way to teach fluency is a moving slot on a computer forcing the student toread faster and faster. Students must break the voicing habit or they will never read faster


44

than they can talk. When you realize that most fourth graders trained in this way can learn toread 300 to 500 words per minute with good comprehension and that many first graders canread 200 words per minute, you begin to understand what a difference these computerprograms can make in student achievement and academic progress. We can and shouldexpect much more from our students.

One goal for the Lions Crane Reading Program is to have all second graders reading 200words per minute with good comprehension and writing well. The goal of 200 words perminute goal has been reached by many first graders. The LCRP is supplemental to anyexisting reading program. There is no need to label students as labeling wastes valuable time.Start where the student is and go. The LCRP is beneficial for gifted students as well as thosestudents with learning problems. In addition, the program has been shown to work well withadults. While there will always be a Bell Curve, the whole curve can rise along with ourexpectations. We will always be able to improve the system.

Research shows that sustained silent reading programs do not work with the bottom 25percent of students. These students need reading instruction. The two groups that have thehardest 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.

Valley View Elementary School in Las Cruces, New Mexico, was adopted by NM Lions. AtValley View, 94% of students are classified as economically disadvantaged and 12% areEnglish 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, 73of the 75 students were reading fluently.

NM Lions also adopted Alamogordo High School. During the fall semester of 2004, greatgains were made by the 53 special education students using the recommended computerprograms. While three students did not make a year’s growth in a semester, 13 showed oneyear gain, 18 gained two years, 14 gained three years, four gained four years, and one gainedfive years.

In 2003, Central Elementary School in Santa Clara, NM, was on academic probation withonly 28% of its fourth grade students reading proficiently. Central has a 93% Hispanicpopulation and 100% of the students qualify as economically disadvantaged. Theschool made some adjustments in the delivery of reading instruction and integrated the LionsCrane Reading Program. In 2004, the fourth grade students improved to 46% proficientreaders. This year, that score increased with the fourth grade students improving to 84%proficient readers. The third and fifth grade students were also assessed using the NMSBAand the school as a whole in grades three through fifth is at 76% reading proficient. Central


45

Elementary is now ranking 37th out of approximately 447 elementary schools in NM inreading proficiency.

LCRP works well for kindergarten through college. Instead of having to reread a story threeor 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 grammar,capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

WritingWe learn to talk first, then to read, then to write. Writing is essential. It is not enough forstudents to just fill in the blanks. Students must be able to write sentences, paragraphs, andeventually other forms of writing such as stories or reports. By the end of first grade,students should be able to write two or three pages using correct grammar, capitalization,punctuation, and spelling.

Students can compete successfully in the regular classroom only when they can write well.Reading well and answering multiple-choice questions no longer are enough to pass statetesting. New Mexico, for instance, requires students to write essays and explain in writingsuch things as how a story they read relates to something in their own lives or to explain howthey got the answer to a math problem.

Where should schools start? Six weeks of Lions Template and gross motor training will havemost students ready to write. The principal should look at a sample of each student’s writingevery week. The principal responds every week. Teachers will want help. School staffs atthis point should agree on a school-wide writing process to be practiced 30 minutes per day.It may include one of the following: Step Up To Writing, Six + 1 Trait, or the Bing, Bang,Bongo approach of essay writing.

There are many excellent strategies for writing. “Word Walls,” long used by elementaryteachers, is an excellent tool to help students write and also to help teach reading at a distancein kindergarten and the first three grades. Individual spelling dictionaries work well in theelementary grades and for students in special classes. These dictionaries can be teacher-madeor purchased. Words that students use most often when writing are listed alphabetically, andspaces are provided for additional words. When the student needs a word that is not in thedictionary, the teacher adds it alphabetically.


46

The Teacher’s RoleThe teacher training should include going through My Reading Coach as a student, which willmodel how to teach reading. There is no way to get through My Reading Coach and not learnto read or how to teach reading. It teaches all the rules. My Reading Coach tests each skill fivetimes to be sure you can apply all the rules. The Cranes had a high school student go throughMy Reading Coach in thirteen hours and eleven minutes. In summer school, the student wentfrom a disruptive student reading fourth grade level 125 words per minute to a quiet, polite“A” student reading 10.5-grade level at over 400 words per minute with good comprehensionin sixteen days. She was on a computer three hours a day for 16 days.

The desk height and computer height should be checked and adjusted the first day of schooland several times during the year. Computers should be as low as possible. Monitors shouldnever be placed on top of a computer. Taller students should be placed in the tall desks,shorter students in smaller desks.

LCRP’s thirty-minute screening informs teachers in what modality each student is working.Lions Templates can be done with all students in K – 2 and selectively after that. It usuallytakes 18 fifteen-minute sessions to correct problems found on the Lions Copy Forms test. Allstudents who do poorly on the Lions Spelling Words, Lions Rhythm Tape, and computerphonics programs should do the Lions Templates, which normally takes fifteen minutes a dayfor about six weeks to remedy most visual perception problems. Students not showingimprovement need an eye exam at school.

All students in grades K – 5 will benefit from the Lions Rhythm Tape and/or Bal-A-Vis-X.Teachers should give special attention to those students who need help. Students who canalready do the exercises well can take turns leading the activity and will benefit from thephysical activity and oxygen to the brain. The Lions Rhythm Tape should be performed forfive minutes a day for about six weeks resulting in the class looking like a chorus line.

The computer phonics programs will require 20 to 60 hours on computers to complete.Students should continue the fluency program as long as words per minute andcomprehension are improving. The teacher should follow the guidelines for setting readingspeed based on comprehension.

Working one-on-one or in small groups is very expensive, but is necessary at times. Teachingby using computer software is more efficient and cost effective than one-on-one or smallgroup instruction. An effective plan is to let computers do what they can before applying oneon one or small group instruction. The LCRP Foundation does not endorse any particularcomputer program, but does strongly encourage using Orton-Gillingham based phonics


47

computer programs to help teach reading. This type of instruction meets the NationalReading Panel’s recommendations. Teachers can teach the skill and computers furnish thedrill. Computers can obtain and evaluate more responses per minute than a teacher, thusmaking computer programs more efficient. LCRP recommends a computer fluency programgetting most students reading 200 to 300 words per minute with good comprehension by theend of second grade. Students should have a minimum of 90 minutes a week on computers.Thirty to forty-five minutes a day, five days a week, is preferred. Special Education and Title 1students will benefit from an additional thirty minutes a day.

We learn to talk first, read next, then to write. Writing is essential. All students must be ableto legibly write sentences, paragraphs and stories or reports. By the end of first grade,students should be able to write and produce two to three written pages using capitals,punctuation, grammar, and correct spelling. Students can compete successfully in the regularclassroom only when they can write well. There are many excellent strategies for writing.“Word Walls,” long used by elementary teachers, are excellent tools to help students writeand also to help teach reading at a distance in kindergarten and the first three grades.Individual spelling dictionaries work well in the elementary grades and for students in specialeducation classes. These dictionaries can be teacher-made or purchased. Words students mostoften use when writing are listed alphabetically and spaces are provided for additional words.When the student needs a word that is not in the dictionary, the teacher adds it alphabetically.

Service Club Sponsorship and SupportThe Lions Crane Reading Program Foundation (LCRPF) is owned by the Lions Clubs ofNew Mexico. It is intended that every Lions Club in New Mexico will adopt the Lions CraneReading Program as one of their signature Club community service projects. As the Programbecomes extensively integrated into New Mexico schools and the state begins to improve itsnational reading proficiency rating, it is envisioned that Lions in other states will wish to adoptit. There is no reason why other service organizations should not become involved. There aresix levels of involvement currently used by NM Lions Clubs.

Level ILions who wish to support the program are trained by the LCRP Foundation. Once trained,Lions initially interface with the school district administrative staff, principals, and PTA’s andpresent an overview of the Program and its benefits. Copies of the Crane’s book, ReadingProblems Resolved, Program brochures, and the Lions Crane Reading Program IntroductoryVideo should be provided.


48

Level II Lions show schools the introductory video plus the training CD on desk height, templates,and gross motor activities. Lions should volunteer to help integrate any of the trainingactivities. Gross motor activities may take place in the regular classroom or in a physicaleducation class, or they may be as simple as an after school jump rope program. As anexample, Lions could organize and support a citywide or statewide jump rope contest, givingawards to the top teams in the state. Remember body movement programs the brain.

Level III Lions help the school arrange for an optometrist to do eye exams at the school. A phoroptorstand should be furnished by the LCRP Foundation for the optometrist’s use. Lions shouldarrange for an optician to come to the school to provide and fit glasses. Lions Clubs cansponsor children whose parents cannot afford the glasses. Lions can purchase glasses inquantity for approximately $20 a pair (2005 price) from Sunland Optical, 1156 Barranca Dr.,El Paso, TX 79924 (915-591-9483). Local opticians should be hired to fit and measure theglasses. They should also be contracted to come into the school regularly to straighten andfix broken glasses. Remember, every Medicaid student is entitled to a free eye exam everyyear or every two years depending on the state.

Level IV For those Lions wishing to become closely involved with integrating the Lions Crane ReadingProgram into their local schools, the LCRP Foundation will provide training in theapplication of the Lions Templates, gross motor program activities, checking and adjustingthe height of student’s desks, and computer programs. Lions, acting as liaisons, will makeweekly visits or calls to the schools to check on how the program is working and to determineif there are any problems. This program evaluation should take less than an hour a week perschool.

A Weekly/Monthly Report (shown on page 49) will be filled out and filed (can be made viathe LCRP Foundation Chat Room or email), which provides a checklist that solicitsinformation to determine if everything is being done properly. If there are problems withtemplates, gross motor, software, earphones, etc., the Lion contacts the LCRP Foundation toaddress the problems. After a month or so, the Lion checks to see if all children areimproving. If some children are not improving, the LCRP Foundation uses various methodsto find the cause(s) of why the student is not improving. First, an eye exam is performed atschool to determine if there are vision problems.


49

Notes: 1) Lions Templates should be used for 18 fifteen minute sessions over six weeks; 2) TheGross Motor exercises should be performed a minimum of 25 minutes per week for six weeks inthe spring and fall; 3) Monitors should be placed at the eye level of the student – students shouldnever have to look up at the monitor.

Weekly-monthly reportDate: ___________

School: ______________________ Grades: ____________ # in School: _______

School Contact: ___________________ Ph. #: __________ E-mail: ___________

Lion Club Contact: ________________ Ph. #: ___________ E-Mail: ___________

Who Served: At Risk _____Spec. Ed. ____ Title I ____ All ____ Grade(s) ____

Chair correct height? _________ Feet on floor, thighs parallel to floor? _________

For K-5: Desk height as low as possible? _____ Knees under desk? _____Need help to adjust height of desks? _________

For K-12: Computer tables as low (i.e., 25” –26”) as possible? _________Need help to adjust height of computer tables? _________

# of Computers? _____ Number Working? ____ Monitors Off Computers? _____ Need Help to Repair or Set Up Computers? ___

Lexia working properly? _______ Lexia use per week (Min.)? _______Need help with Lexia? ________

Reading Plus working properly? _____ Reading Plus use per week (Min.)? _____Need help with Reading Plus? ________

My Reading Coach working properly? ____ My Reading Coach use per week (Min.)? ____Need help with My Reading Coach? ________

# Earphones needed? __________

Lions Templates available? _____ Lions Templates use per week (Minutes)? _____Need help with Lions Templates? ________

Gross Motor being done? _______ Gross Motor per week (Minutes)? _______Need help with Gross Motor? ________

Writing exercises (Min./week): Kindergarten (Minimum of 100 min./week)? ______Grades 1-12 (Minimum of 150 min/week)? ______


















50

Level V After-school and evening programs are a good place for Lions to get involved. No Child LeftBehind requires schools not making adequate yearly progress to use some of their federalmoney to pay for tutoring fees for students not reading proficiently. In addition, there areseveral sources for grants for after-school programs. Lions helping schools run a computerlab after school will save schools money, let many parents get jobs (they will not have to paybaby sitters), and help more students read proficiently. Lions can conduct fundraisers to helppay for a teacher or aide to run the lab or to pay for glasses not covered by Medicaid. In thecomputer lab, very little computer knowledge is necessary. Rather, the Lion’s job is to be acheerleader for the students. “Great job!” needs to be a frequently used phrase in the Lion’svocabulary.

Northern New Mexico Community College at Espanola had a very successful eveningprogram where parents brought their children to the lab. Both parents and children workedon their own computer programs. This program was designed to get people off welfare.Most grant proposals written now include a parent involvement section.

Level VI The Lions Club can sponsor a Health Fair that is geared towards children. Visagraphs can beused to test eye teaming, and Tympanograms and blood tests can be used to detect allergies.

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine states that about 70 percent of studentshave some allergies. There are a lot of children Lions could be helping. ImmunoCap mightbe a good lab to contact for allergen testing.

LCRP Expansion Strategies Lions who are involved with expanding the LCRP can organize an area workshop to beconducted by LCRP Board members or certified Lions for educators from local schools andother interested individuals. The LCRP Introductory Video and the Training CD on deskheight, Lions Templates, gross motor activities, vision screening, computer programs, andwriting can be presented. Educators who appear to be seriously interested can be provided acopy of the Crane’s book, Reading Problems Resolved.

How do Lions choose whom to invite to a workshop? Lions are a diversified lot and odds arethey know a lot of folks. The school district superintendent and/or administrators, schoolprincipals, teachers, parents, or other individuals involved with education are importantattendees for obvious reasons. The city mayor, city council members, newspaper reporters,local business people, etc., can be useful attendees if the word about LCRP is to get out in thecommunity and financial support obtained.


51

Individual schools should decide which LCRP activities to start with depending on theircurrent situation, needs, and budget. Every activity raises the school’s potential for higheracademic status. Schools add activities as they can.

Program CostsFinancially, Lions can be involved to whatever extent they wish. The Lions Crane ReadingProgram is a very economical program to integrate. Title I and Special Education funds areoften used to fund the computer programs. Computers can do a better job of providing thedrill for students than teachers or aides for a fraction of the money. Medicaid covers thosewho qualify for eye exams. The Lions Crane Reading Program Foundation has a team ofgrant writers to help secure funding.

There may be local businesses or organizations willing to donate computers (or donatemoney to buy computers) to Lions for school use. The LCRP Foundation is currently settingup computer-refurbishing centers. Local Lions can assist in purchasing Lion Templates,videos, and gross motor equipment. Adjustment of desk heights can be done by Lions at nocost to the school.

Lexia Learning Systems and fluency training software currently cost about $10 per student.These programs can be used with every student. My Reading Coach, amortized over threeyears, costs about $40 per student after which it is free. After completing My Reading Coach,second-grade students through adults will be reading at their vocabulary level or 10.5-gradelevel in forty to sixty hours. At $3000 for the first computer and $2000 for each subsequentcomputer, My Reading Coach is a real bargain. It is truly another teacher in the classroom.When used to capacity, it can get 20 students a year reading at their vocabulary level or 10.5grade level. Most middle school and high school special education classroom programsexperience a much lower success rate, somewhere around 15 to 20 percent even with one-on-one or small group instruction, which is very expensive. My Reading Coach publisherMINDPLAY guarantees to improve students’ reading comprehension scores from 10 to 30percentile points with 50 hours of My Reading Coach instruction or your money back through aspecial agreement.

SummaryThe Lions Crane Reading Program (LCRP) is based on more than 30 years of research onprograms and activities that work and are economical. These approaches, which aresupplemental to any reading program, move students at the bottom into the top group.


52

Using these techniques in combination helps all students achieve their full potential and makeAverage Yearly Progress. These programs start with the skills the child has and help studentsdevelop to their true potential without labeling. Every student works at his or her own paceand level. All the activities adhere to the guidelines of the National Reading Panel and thelatest brain research, as reported by Sally Shaywitz in her book, Overcoming Dyslexia. Ms.Shaywitz is also a member of the National Reading Panel, an advisory body that makesrecommendations to Congress on best reading practices.

Schools often begin with a few elements of the LCRP and continue adding components asthey can. The Lions Crane Reading Program, when used in its entirety including thecomputer phonics and fluency programs, will have most K-12 students writing beautifullyand reading at grade level and between 200 and 500 words per minute with goodcomprehension.

G U I D E L I N E S F O R P A R E N T S

53

Guidelines For Parentsour child will be competing against children in other countries who startedkindergarten at age 2½. In kindergarten, these students will have mastered additionand subtraction. They have had three years of kindergarten and forty-five minutes of

homework every day. Homework increases as they get older. Their school year is longer.English is taught in nearly every country. With the mobile society of today’s world, thesestudents will be completing for scholarships in our universities and for CEO positions in ourcompanies. We must improve our education and LCRP is one way to do it.

Vision If a child does not read for pleasure, does not like to draw or color with crayons, has a hardtime learning the alphabet, and/or can’t catch a ball, get his/her eyes checked using the LCRPstandards. Take a copy of Dr. Wick’s section of this book (Chapter 7) to your doctor beforethe appointment and ask him/her to test and prescribe glasses to these standards.

Ask the vision specialist about your child’s near point of convergence. (It should be 3 to 4inches.) If it is 10 to 15 inches, Pencil Push Ups (Page 26) and Brock String (Pages 26-27) willusually fix the problem in two to three weeks working ten minutes a day. This must be fixedbefore trying to have child read or write. Children with this problem see double when lookingat a book and are three times more likely to be labeled ADHD than other children.

Auditory Processing and AllergiesA child can have allergies and not have a single medical sign. Academic signs of allergies are(may have one or all):

• Good days and bad days• Reverses letters (b-d, writes B-D, h-y, m-w, n-u, etc.)• Knows something (math or spelling) one day and not the next

Chapter

6Y


54

• Clumsy • Louder than other children-may hurt your ears • Hard to get along with-often in trouble• Does not turn in assignments

What Parents Can Do About AllergiesBecome informed by reading:

• Dr. Rapp’s Is This Your Child’s World? and Our Toxic World.

• Bell’s The ADD and ADHD Diet

• Oski’s Don’t Drink Your Milk

• Crook’s Solving The Puzzle Of Your Hard To Raise Child.

Medical Solutions to AllergiesIdentifying Problem:

• Lions Performance-based Vision and Medical Checklist (Page IV-11)

• Elimination diet

• Blood testing (ImmunoCap)

Medical Treatment:

• Avoidance (don’t eat it, don’t touch it, don’t smell it.)

• Antihistamines

• Allergy treatment

Academic Solutions to Allergies

Gross motor program

• Bal-A-Vis-X

• Lions Rhythm Tape

Orton-Gillingham multisensory computer program.

• Lexia (www.lexialearning.com)


55

• My Reading Coach (www.myreadingcoach.com)

Reading Fluency

• Fluent Reading Trainer or Reading Plus with a moving slot

Air filters at home and school.

Eliminating Allergy Problems The best way to stop allergies is to avoid the allergen. Don’t eat it. Don’t touch it. Don’t smellit. First you need to identify what is causing the problem. When and where is it happening?At home or at school? Which room? Inside or outside? Is it something inhaled, eaten, ortouched? Everything? Elimination diets are great tools for parents (Pages 21-22). The authorsprefer the Five Favorite Foods Diet (Page 22). Make a list of the child’s five favorite foodsand eliminate them for a week. Then add them back one at a time and keep notes aboutbehavior.

Dairy products are the most common cause of allergy problems. Humans are the onlymammals who do not wean their babies off of milk once the babies’ birth weight has tripled.Interestingly enough, many five year olds are lactose intolerant.

Another favorite is cutting out all dairy products and wheat (gluten) for two weeks. Have thechild take half a tablet of Benadryl morning and night for the same two weeks. Have him/herwrite in a journal each morning. Note behavior, handwriting, and grades. This usuallyprovides you an indication of how well you can expect your child to function. Many studentsimprove from D and F students to A and B students in a week’s time. Information they havelearned is stored in their brain but the filing system is not working.

Giving antihistamines is another possibility. Antihistamines should be given under thedirections of your doctor. Our experience shows antihistamines solve the problem about60% of the time. Handwriting improves and there are no letter reversals. The child gets alongbetter with everyone. Try it for two weeks to see if it helps. If antihistamines work but makethe child sleepy, give a half or a fourth of a pill. If you choose to use antihistamines have thechild write in a journal each day. Give antihistamines only when needed but have the childcontinue to write in the journal daily. This way you will know when your child needs to takethe antihistamine once again and he/she will not slip back into old problems without youbeing aware of it. There are several chemical families of antihistamines. If one stops working,try one from another group. Few children have to take antihistamines full time.


56

Air filters emplaced at home and school can purify the air in a room in thirty minutes.Healthier air in classrooms should raise student attendance and academic performance bydecreasing illness, behavioral problems, and hyperactivity.

Body MovementBody movement gets the whole brain working together and eliminates most learningproblems. Gross motor activities may develop additional synapses between brain cells orpossibly change the chemistry in the brain. By crossing the mid-line (middle of the body)many times, you are forcing both sides of the brain to work together. Body movement getsthe brain organized and ready to receive information. Bal-A-Vis-X and Lions Rhythm Tapeare two easy, fun programs you can do at home. In Bal-A-Vis-X, keeping track of your threeballs and your partner’s three balls gets eyes, ears and body all working together as a team.Bal-A-Vis-X will remediate most auditory and visual dyslexia. Bal-A-Vis-X can be orderedfrom www.bal-a-vis-x.com. There are three Bal-A-Vis-X videos and a book showing how toteach juggling and ball bouncing. Be sure to do the activities with your child in a relaxed, fun,non-pressure way choosing appropriate activities and letting the child master each activitybefore going further, the child will gain self-confidence and most dyslexia and learningproblems should be remediated. Bal-A-Vis-X gets the eyes and ears working together as ateam and should raise IQ 20 to 40 points. Soccer, T ball, skating, swimming, gymnastics,dance, karate, fancy jump rope are all good gross motor activities.

Lions Templates Lions Templates (Pages 32-33) are the best tools to wean children off TV and get their eyesready to read and write at reading distance. Lions Templates get the eyes working togetherwithout requiring the child to look at letters and numbers. Lions Templates and gross motorprograms help develop beautiful handwriting. Lions Templates require about 18 fifteen-minute sessions at a desk or table about waist high to get excellent results.

Lions Templates will help your child become aware of details. Use Lions Templates with yourchild if he/she spells poorly, guesses at words, writes illegibly, and/or has problems learningthe alphabet.

Throwback Difficulty catching a ball is an indication that the eyes are not working together. TheThrowback (which can be purchased from WalMart or K-Mart for about $10) activity is goodinitial training for eye tracking and eye-hand coordination. Have your child sit two feet awayfrom the net and throw a beanbag at a square. The beanbag will come back and hit the child.


57

Before long, the child will be catching it. Continue making the activity more difficult as yourchild improves (e.g., throw right-catch left, throw left-catch right, etc.). Then have the childdo the activity while standing, first on both feet and then on one. Note that a beanbag can bemade by putting beans in a sock and tying a knot in the open end and cutting off the surplus.

For students who have a hard time learning the alphabet or learning to read, start with theLions Templates and Throwback.

Impress Reading In the first three grades, students usually read two to three stories a week. If your child isstruggling, get copies of these stories and read them aloud together with your child before theclass reads them. Sit with your arm around your child and both you and your child hold acorner of the book. Have your child point to each word while you both read aloud. Thechild’s finger pointing to the words tells his/her eyes where to look. Do not sound outwords. When the child does not know a word just keep reading, the child will hear you saythe word, giving him/her both visual and auditory feedback. After reading the story you cantalk about it. Uninterrupted reading helps your child understand what he/she is reading. ThisImpress Reading is a warm fuzzy time, which builds self-confidence as well as reading skills.

Orton-Gillingham Multisensory Computer ProgramsThe advantages of using computers for Orton-Gillingham multisensory instruction overhiring a tutor for one-on-one or small group instruction are:

• Works better, faster, and is less expensive.• Training eyes while teaching academics.• Volume control. Child may really hear phonics for the first time. • Earphones cut out much of the outside noise. • Excellent targets to train the eyes to work together. • Child or adult doesn’t mind computer saying, “That’s not quite right.”• Repetition of skills until they are mastered. • Quality presentation each time.

Schedule a consistent time for working on computer daily just as though it were a sportsactivity. Only then can computer programs succeed. Be sure your child does not have tolook up to see the computer screen.


58

The computer program for home use costs between $120 to $200. The two computerphonics programs mentioned in this book are available from www.lexialearning.com and fromwww.mindplay.com.

FluencyAfter completion of the Orton-Gillingham multisensory programs, your child should be ableto read nearly any word he/she encounters. A child who has gone through My Reading Coach’s61 lessons should be reading and writing at grade level, even possibly at a 10.5 grade level, ifshe/he has a good vocabulary.

Now is the time for your child to learn to read faster than he/she can talk. The best way tobreak the habit of voicing every word is with a moving slot on a computer. Words areexposed in the slot forcing the child to read faster and faster. Comprehension questions areasked at the end of the story, so you know if the story was read. If a parent will do thisactivity with the child, both will break the voicing habit. Parents, don’t get behind. Yourchild will leave you in the dust! This program is available from www.Readingplus.com.

School Orientation Program For New StudentsStudents transfer from one school to another during the year often arriving weeks beforetheir records. Schools must place the students in classes immediately without any idea oftheir knowledge or abilities. The solution lies in “thinking outside the box” creativity.

The first day a new student comes to school, the RAPS test (the placements test for MyReading Coach) should be given in the computer lab. It takes anywhere from five to fortyminutes depending on the student’s skills and requires no supervision once the studenthas begun. Results are based on how well the student spells and are immediatelyavailable on screen and in a printout. The high scoring students should be placed inregular classes. Students who evidence problems should be scheduled for an OrientationClass for three to four weeks. Also, eye exams for these students should be scheduled.

The Orientation Class consists of 40 to 50 hours on My Reading Coach computer programand physical development. My Reading Coach guarantees two to seven years gain inreading in 50 computer hours. Gains must be achieved as quickly as possible, thus theblock of time for two to four weeks is ideal. At the conclusion of the program, moststudents will read at grade level or their vocabulary level. Working on computers isenjoyable for most students and students rarely display disruptive behavior. For the rare


59

student who has trouble working on a computer, an eye exam should be conducted aswell as talking to the parent about a hearing test and allergy work up.

Students should alternate between My Reading Coach (for only the lessons needed asindicated by the RAPS test) and the Bal-A-Vis-X program (which stresses balance,auditory, vision, and exercise) that forces both sides of the brain to work together. Bodymovement programs the brain to get ready to receive information. My Reading Coach willalert the teacher when the student needs offline help.

The student can be placed in the regular class when reading at grade level occurs. Duringcomputer lab time, the student should continue using My Reading Coach and work onsilent reading fluency. The student is also ready to work on writing.


60

S Y M P T O M B A S E D P R E S C R I B I N G

61

Symptom Based Prescribing By Bruce Wick, OD PhD College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas

Abstract for Parents and Teachers: A survey of optometrists and ophthalmologists was conducted in1968 to find out the vision correction prescribing habits, which had been developed over the years.These standards (from untested wisdom) for putting glasses on patients were used in a study calledthe Orinda Study and are used by most eye doctors to prescribe glasses today. Recent researchfurther refines the art of refraction for glasses. A combination or a varying level of several of thefollowing can lead to major educational problems: nearsightedness; farsightedness; astigmatism(shape of the eye ball); focusing; and alignment error. To complicate matters, some students will benearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other and could have a different type of astigmatism ineach eye. By correcting these minor problems, education is made easier. Note that this technicalpaper was written specifically for optometrists and ophthalmologists. Allen Crane

Patients commonly present with uncorrected ametropia (refractive error or need for glasses).It is also frequent for these same patients to have a vergence (eye misalignment) oraccommodative (focusing) disorder. For example Dwyer1, who assessed the refraction,vergence, and accommodative status of nearly 150 consecutive patients, found that 39%presented with ametropia and nearly 80% of them also exhibited a vergence and/oraccommodative disorder. These facts suggest that correction of a refractive error may be animportant step in management of patients with vergence and/or accommodative anomalieswho have a significant refractive error. Unfortunately, determination of what constitutes a“significant” refractive error is sometimes problematic.

In clinical care the eye doctor anticipates that the patient with an esophoria (eye crossing) willachieve resolution of symptoms with refractive correction of hyperopia (farsightedness).Similarly, it is hoped that a myopic (nearsighted) correction will improve an exophoria(outward or “wall-eyed” turn), or at least not aggravate the vergence or accommodative statusat near. Unfortunately, this may not occur. As a result, a common recommendation is forprescription of an "optimal correction" to restore clear retinal images.2,3 Such

Chapter

7


62

recommendations suggest slight under plus of patients with exophoria and maximum plus forpatients with incompletely compensated esophoria, even including added plus lenses at near(bifocals).

Refractive CorrectionThe Orinda Study4 is considered the “gold standard” for vision screening techniques. In thislandmark study optometrists and ophthalmologists were surveyed to determine visioncorrection prescribing habits. The recommendations of the two vision care professions werethen combined to determine the screening criteria used in the Orinda Study (Table 1).Because of the consensus achieved, the guidelines presented there are used by most cliniciansfor lens prescription as well. As a result, virtually all practitioners will agree with prescriptionof refractive correction when a person has ametropia greater than the Orinda Studystandards.

The Orinda Study advice listed above concerning prescription of distance refractivecorrection arose on the basis of untested clinical wisdom developed over many decades ofpractice. Dwyer and Wick5 tested these hypotheses and reported improvement of binocularfunction that resulted one or more months after prescription of an initial spectacle correctionfor 143 non-strabismic patients who had a refractive error and either a vergence anomaly(28%), an accommodative anomaly (8%), or both (64%). Refractive correction was estimatedobjectively with an autorefractor and subjectively refined without cycloplegia. Mostcorrections were low to moderate in power, essentially following Orinda Study guidelines.Recovery of normal vergence and accommodative function varied according to refractiveerror type and vergence anomaly. The results of Dwyer and Wick suggest that improvementin acuity is not the only reason for prescription of a refractive correction. Prescription of evensmall corrections should be considered as these can dramatically improve vergence andaccommodative function for many patients.

TABLE 1. Orinda Study Prescription GuidelinesHyperopia >1.00DAstigmatism >0.75DMyopia >0.50DAnisometropia >0.75D

Extending the Orinda Study guidelines to incorporate those of Dwyer and Wick yields therefractive correction recommendations listed in Table 2. This compilation takes into accountthe type of refractive error and the axis of the astigmatism. Combination of these two factors


63

improves the likelihood that the refractive correction will improve the patient’s clinicalfindings.

Symptoms Based PrescribingThe Modified Refractive Prescription Guidelines listed above are based on a developedconsensus of optometrists and ophthalmologists (Orinda Study) and the clinical research ofDwyer and Wick concerning improvement of clinical findings after prescriptions have beenworn. Not accounted for in these guidelines is the fact that a large number of students aresymptomatic. McKeon et al6 and Crane7 have independently developed questionnaires thatattempt to quantify visual symptoms.

TABLE 2.Modified Refractive Prescription Guidelines

Spherical Hyperopia >1.00DHyperopic Astigmatism >0.50D Hyperopia;

>0.50D ATR astigmatismAstigmatism (WTR) >0.75DAstigmatism (ATR) >0.50DAnisometropia >0.50DSpherical Myopia >0.50DMyopic Astigmatism >0.50D Myopia;

>0.50D ATR astigmatism

The questionnaire of McKeon et al, known as the Vision Quality Scale (VQS), determinespresence of symptoms by a 9-item quality of vision questionnaire. This questionnaire wasdeveloped as part of an NEI grant to analyze symptoms of patients with intermittentexotropia and validated by comparison to an established quality of life questionnaire. Thevision symptoms addressed include headaches, eye strain, dry eyes, blurred vision, difficultiesreading, and asthenopia. These symptoms are clinically associated with many accommodativeand vergence dysfunctions such as convergence insufficiency or excess, divergenceinsufficiency or excess, and accommodative insufficiency, excess, or infacility. It is a criterionreferenced test that has been used on several thousand subjects in research studies. Based onvalidation study results, patients scoring more than 84 are considered asymptomatic and thosescoring less than 71 are considered symptomatic.

Utilizing symptoms based questionnaires, it is reasonable to modify correction ModifiedPrescription Guidelines whenever a person is symptomatic based on the questionnaire results.In this view, the Guidelines would be followed in prescribing lenses in all cases. However,whenever there were symptoms at an appropriate level (e.g., <71 on the VQS) a smaller


64

power distance correction would be prescribed. The logic of this untested suggestion is thatevery attempt to relieve symptoms should be made, even when it might not be successful.Such a philosophy is consistent with the attempt in clinical practice to relieve a patient’ssymptoms with any correction that will not cause them harm. This philosophy leads to therecommendations in Table 3.

TABLE 3.Symptom Based Refractive Prescription Guidelines

Refractive Finding Asymptomatic(VQS >71)

Symptomatic(VQS<71)

Spherical Hyperopia >1.00D >0.75DHyperopic Astigmatism >0.50D Hyperopia;

>0.50D ATR astigmatism>0.50D Hyperopia;

>0.50D ATR astigmatismAstigmatism (WTR) >0.75D >0.50DAstigmatism (ATR) >0.50D >0.50DAnisometropia >0.50D >0.50DSpherical Myopia >0.50D >0.50DMyopic Astigmatism >0.50D Myopia;

>0.50D ATR astigmatism>0.25D Myopia;

>0.50D ATR astigmatism

Prescription of Added Lenses (Bifocals) and PrismAfter considering prescription of a distance correction it is often obvious that additionalforms of optical correction might be required. For example, the eye doctor anticipates thatthe patient with a esophoria (eye crossing) that only occurs at near will achieve resolution ofsymptoms with prescription of a bifocal so that less focusing is required when the patientlooks at near. Similarly, it is hoped that an accommodative (focusing difficulty) will also berelieved with a near bifocal. Additional correction in the form of prism is often importantwhen the eyes misalign horizontally or vertically.

Added LensesAdded lenses are often prescribed when the person has a near esophoria (eye crossing a near)and normal distance eye alignment. In this instance, a near addition of +1.25 can beconsidered in almost all cases with confidence that it will give some or total relief of thesymptoms. The logic behind this correction is based on the link between focusing and eyealignment known as the accommodative convergence to accommodation (AC/A) ratio.Table 4 lists possible ocular alignments at distance and near which lead to increasingmagnitudes of AC/A ratios. The effect of a near bifocal addition of +1.25 is then shown for


65

each AC/A ratio. As can be seen, an “arbitrary” bifocal power of +1.25 has a significanteffect in each case. This suggests that, for most persons who need a near correction,prescription of +1.25D at near will assist ocular alignment significantly. In most cases it isimportant to prescribe these lenses in bifocal form. This is especially true for school childrenas they are otherwise forced to remove their glasses each time they want to look fromdistance to near. This is typically not productive for most students.

TABLE 4.High AC/A Prescription Guidelines

DistancePhoria

Near Phoria AC/A Near Phoria withBifocal of +1.25D

0rtho 5 eso 8/1 5 exo0rtho 10 eso 10/1 2.5 exo0rtho 15 eso 12/1 Ortho

Added lenses are also prescribed when the person has a near accommodative (focusing)problem and normal eye alignment at distance and near. This often occurs when a persondoes not focus accurately at near which can happen in spite of an otherwise normal appearingocular system. Using an objective measure of focus at near (MEM near retinoscopy) Rouse etal8 demonstrated that normal focusing at near is about 0.33D behind the target. Theirfindings also suggest that a person who focuses 1.00D behind the target is significantlydifferent from normal. Findings by Rouse and others have lead to the clinical suggestion thata near addition of +1.00 to +1.25 can be considered in almost all cases when a person focusesinaccurately. The clinically observed, but untested, result is some (or total) relief of thesymptoms. Again, in most cases it is important to prescribe these lenses in bifocal form,especially for school children.

PrismPrism is often considered when a person has a hyperphoria (one eye tends to go up) or adistance esophoria (eye crossing a distance). Wick and Surdacki9 suggested that 10-20% ofyoung adults have a clinically significant hyperphoria and Tait10 found that distance esophoriaoccurs in about 1-2% of people. Unfortunately, prism prescriptions are avoided by manypractitioners – these doctors are concerned about prism adaptation which occurs when thepatient adapts to the prism and then requires additional prism of the same amount as theoriginal. Schor11 and Henson et al12 demonstrated that prism adaptation occurs for patientswith normal binocular systems but not for patients who have abnormal binocularity. Thissuggests that symptom based prescribing is ideal for determining which persons might benefitfrom prism prescription. Recall that, when tested with the Vision Quality Scale (VQS),


66

patients scoring more than 84 are considered asymptomatic and those scoring less than 71 areconsidered symptomatic. Using symptoms as a guideline, prism would be prescribed withoutconcern for prism adaptation whenever a patient scored less than 71 on the VQS.

The amount of vertical prism to prescribe in hyperphoria can be easily determined by verticalassociated phoria measures (prism to reduce vertical misalignment to zero on a vectographicor other test – zero vertical fixation disparity [FD]). Morgan13, Rutstein et al14, and Wick15have each demonstrated that such a prescription is helpful in reducing symptoms ofsymptomatic patients. The amount of base out prism prescribe in distance esophoria can beeasily calculated by dividing the distance esophoria which remains after best distancecorrection has been prescribed by three. Thus, if the distance esophoria with best refractivecorrection is 3eso the prescription would contain 1 base out.

Symptoms Based Prescription GuidelinesTaken together, the prism and added lens guidelines can be combined with symptoms basedrefractive correction prescribing. These lead to suggestions for determining the optimumoptical correction for a given patient. Such a prescription is grounded in sound science andbased on the patient’s symptoms. As a result, the recommendations in Table 5 should providethe most likely optical prescription for symptom relief.

TABLE 5.Symptom Based Prescription Guidelines

Refractive Finding Asymptomatic(VQS >71)

Symptomatic(VQS<71)

Spherical Hyperopia >1.00D >0.75DHyperopic Astigmatism >0.50D Hyperopia;

>0.50D ATR astigmatism>0.50D Hyperopia;

>0.50D ATR astigmatismAstigmatism (WTR) >0.75D >0.50DAstigmatism (ATR) >0.50D >0.50DAnisometropia >0.50D >0.50DSpherical Myopia >0.50D >0.50DMyopic Astigmatism >0.50D Myopia;

>0.50D ATR astigmatism>0.25D Myopia;

>0.50D ATR astigmatismAccommodative Problem No near addition OR

Distance correction with nearaddition of +0.75

Distance correction withnear addition of +1.25D

High AC/A (eso at near only)

Distance correction with nearaddition of +1.25D

Distance correction withnear addition of +1.25D

Distance Esophoria Base out prism =1/3 phoriaHyperphoria Prism to reduce FD to zero


67

Conclusion Vergence and accommodative problems are among the most common visual disorders ofprepresbyopic patients. Results of Dwyer and Wick suggest that a substantial proportion ofthe population undergoes a passive change in vergence or accommodative status withprescription of spectacles of optimum power. All practitioners need to assess vergence andaccommodative function as routine procedure, whether or not a refractive correction is to beprescribed. Patients who require a refractive correction and have concurrent vergence oraccommodative anomalies can be prescribed lenses based on the standards above. Thesepatients then need to be reviewed after one to three months to determine the need for furthercare.


68

References1 Dwyer P. The prevalence of vergence accommodation disorders in a school-age population. Clin Exp Optom1992, 75:10-184 Blum HL, Peters HB, Bettman JW. Vision Screening for Elementary Schools: the Orinda Study.Berkley:University of California Press 19685 Dwyer P, Wick B. The influence of refractive correction upon disorders of vergence and accommodation.Optom.Vision Sci. 72;4:224-326 McKeon C, Wick B, Aday L, Begley C. A case-comparison of intermitent exotropia and quality of lifemeasurements. OptomVision Sci 74(2): 105-110, 19977 Crane A, Wick B. Preliminary assessment of the relationship between classroom symptoms and eye movementsmeasured using the Visagraph II. OptomVision Sci (Suppl) 1999 Dec; 76:1318 Rouse MW, Hutter RF, Schiflett R. A normative study of the accommodative lag in elementary school children.Am J Optom Physiol Optics 61: 693-7, 19849 Surdaki M, Wick B. Diagnostic occlusion and management of laten hyperopia. Optom Vision Sci. 68(4):261-9,199110 Tait EF. Textbook of Refraction, Philadelphia. WB Sanders,195111 Schor C. Analysis of tonic and accommodative vergence disorders of binocular vision. Am J Optom PhysiolOptics 60:1-24, 198312 Henson DB, Dharamski BG, Oculomotor adaptation to induced heterophoria and anisometropia. InvestOpthamol Vis Sci. 22:234-40, 198213 Morgan MW. The Turville binocualr infinity balance test. Am J Optom Arch Am Acad Optom. 26:231-9,1949.14 Rutstein R, Eskridge J. Studies in vertical fixation disparity. Am J Optom Physiol Optics. 63;639-44, 198615 Wick B. Prescribing vertical prism: how low do you go? J optom Vis Devel 28(2); 77-85, 1997

F U T U R E C O N S I D E R A T I O N S

69

Future Considerationshe United States is competing against countries where students go to school eighthours a day, six days a week, and for most of the year. School begins at age 2 ½ andolder students are expected to complete 2-3 hours of homework each day. If we are to

compete, we must improve the quality of the school day or extend our hours in theclassroom. Of the 19 industrialized nations, the United States ranks in the bottom fourth inreading, math, and science. Other areas for consideration include the use of Receptive IQ todetermine readiness to learn, the use of neurological feedback, standards for eyeglasses,trampoline use, school lunches to minimize allergies, and acoustically enhanced classrooms.

Receptive IQ Body movement programs and organizes the brain getting it ready to receive information. Ifthis statement is true, then we should be able to predict what the child is capable of learningby finding out what physical activities the child can do. This factor is referred to as ReceptiveIQ.

Can the child skip, hop, catch a beanbag, and do advanced ball activities? Receptive IQwould help to predict whether the child is ready to learn the alphabet and count or to doabstract thinking or learn algebra. Particular activities could in turn be recommended to helpthe students improve their performance of physical activities. Will we one day be able to say,“When a child can do complex ball bouncing activities with a partner or group, he/she isready for algebra?”

By using the Receptive IQ factor and standardized computer reading instruction (e.g., MyReading Coach), it should be possible to predict where a child will be at each step in the learningprocess.

Chapter

8T


70

Neurological Feedback The New Vision School has eight neurological feedback machines. Electrodes are placed onthe student’s head and Pacman is displayed on a TV screen. The student can read or engagein some other activity. As long as the student concentrates, Pacman moves faster and faster.If there is no thinking, Pacman does not move. The New Vision School reports most ADDand ADHD students are off Ritalin in six weeks. Do gross motor activities (especiallyspinning), Lexia Cross Trainer, and neurological feedback effect similar changes? Are theygetting the whole brain functioning together? Are they all affecting the ability to concentrate?

Prescribing Glasses to LCRP StandardsPerformance eye glasses relax the accommodative (focusing) system and allow the child’sconvergence (eye aiming) system to work. Computer programs furnish practice time for theeyes to develop good eye teaming skills while working at near distance. Will glasses andcomputers eliminate the need for most vision therapy? After the student peaks in fluencytraining (words per minute), are the eyes trained? Does the student still need glasses? Does acombination of adjusting desk height, prescribing prescription glasses to LCRP standards,and teaching at TV distance prevent most near sightedness?

Gross Motor TrampolineKephart, in his later years, pushed the trampoline as an activity to teach gross motor skills.Now that there are safety nets around trampolines, this may be an effective tool to helpintegrate the whole brain especially for highly deficient, bottom level students. How doesspinning help ADHD? What is happening in the brain?

School LunchesEvery mammal except humans weans their young ones off milk once they have tripled theirbirth weight. Many children are lactose intolerant by the age of five. Many are allergic towheat. With these facts and a Tympanogram, it should be possible to scientifically develop abetter nutritional guideline for schools to implement in planning lunch programs.


71

Acoustic EnhancingThe Marrs study put an FM transmitter on the teacher and a speaker in the four corners ofthe classroom to enhance the sound. Achievement went up with 70% of the students.Would the hearing aide accomplish the same results for students with auditory processingproblems? Would students wear hearing aides?


72

R E F E R E N C E S

References 1 Lions Crane Reading Program Video 2004 2 Wick, B, Crane, S, A Vision Profile of American Indian Children. Am J Optom Physiol Opt 1976, 53 3 Harmon, DB, Notes on a Dynamc Theory of Vision, 1958 Austin Texas, Nalle Bldg. 4 SMART Curriculum Guide, Minnesota Learning Resource Center, 1800 Second St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418 5 Crane, A, Crane V, Buzzards To Bluebirds, Wolf Creek Endeavors, 1997 6 Rapp D, Is This Your Child’s World, New York, Bantam Books, 1996 7 Crook, WG, Solving The Puzzle of Your Hard To Raise Child, Random House, NY,NY, 1987 8 Levinson, LN, Smart But Feeling Dumb, NY, NY, Warner Books, Inc, 1984 9 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 10 The Vision in Preschool Study Group Comparison of preschool vision screening tests as administered by

licensed eye care professionals in the vision in preschoolers study. Ophthalmol 2004: 111; 637-50 11 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 12 Zaba,JN, Social, Emotional, and Educational Consequences of Undetected Children’s Vision Problems, J Behav

Optom,2001, Volume 12, Number 3 13 Harris, P, Learning-Related Vision Problems in Baltimore City: A Long Term Program, J Opto Vis Dev, 2001, Vol 32 14 Bowan, MD, Learning Disabilities, dyslexia, and Vision: a Subject Review, 2002, Optom, Vol 73, Number 9. 15 Johnson, RA, Blair, RJ, Zaba, JN, The Visual Screening of Title I Reading students, J Behav Otom, 2000, Volume 11,

Number 1 16 Mozlin, R, Poverty Neurodevelopment and Vision-A Demonstration Project With An Adolescent Population, J

Behav Optom, 2001, Vol 12 17 Cohen, A., Lieberman,S, The NYSOA Vision Screening Battery-A Total Approach, JAOA, 1983, Volume 7 18 Harris, P, Learning-Related Vision Problems in Baltimore City: A Long Term Program, J Opto Vis Dev, 2001,

Vol 32 19 Dwyer, P, Wick, B, The Influence of Refractive Correction Upon Disorders of Vergence and Accommodation.

Optom Vision Sci 72: 4 20 Guidelines For School Vision Screening Programs, Colorado Department of Health, Community Nursing

Section, 4210 E. 11th Ave, Denver CO 80220, September 1991, 2nd Edition. 21 McKeon C, Wick B, Aday L, Begley C, A case-comparison of intermittent exotropia and quality of life

measurements. Optom Vision Sci 74(2): 105-110, 1997 22 Wick, B, Crane, AD, Preliminary Assessment of the Relationship Between Classroom Symptoms and Eye

Movements Measured Using the Visagraph II, 1999. 23 Bowan, MD, Learning Disabilities, dyslexia, and Vision: a Subject Review, 2002, Optom, Vol 73, Number 9.

R-I

R E F E R E N C E S

24 Johnson-Brown, S, Kimmons, RE, Cienkus, R, Daluga, S, Review of an Eight-Year Program to Incorporate Vision therapy in a Remedial Reading Prgm in a School Setting, J Behav Optom, 2001, Vol 32

25 Bleything, WB, Juvenile Delinquency: The Role of Optometry in Remediation, J Behav Optom, 1998, Vol 9. 26 Callahan, M., Fighting For Tony, NY NY, Simon and Schuster, Inc.1987 27 Rapp, D, Our Toxic World, A Wake Up Call, Environmental Research Foundation, Buffalo, NY 2004 28 Levinson, LN, Smart But Feeling Dumb, NY, NY, Warner Books, Inc, 1984 29 Wise, BW, Ring, J, & Olson, RK, (2000) Individual differences in gains from computer-assisted remedial

reading. J of Experimental Child Psychology, 77, 197-235 30 Ulm, M, Year end report on Harrison Elementary School, Denver, CO, 1999. 31 Curry, GI, Winter Haven’s Perceptual Testing and Training Handbook, Winter Haven, FL:Winter Haven Lions Research

Foundation, Inc. 1969 32 Kephart, NC, The Slow Learner In The Classroom, Columbus, Ohio, 1960 33 Hubert, Bill, Bal-A-Vis-X, Bal-A-Vis-X, Inc., 7412 West Tenth Street N., Wichita, KS 67212-3002, 2001

R-2

G L O S S A R Y

Glossary Accommodation (Focusing) - The act of the lens in the eye adjusting to become flat when a person looks at a distance and curved when the person looks close so that objects can be seen clearly at various distances.

Acuity - Sharpness of vision.

Allergies - An adverse effect to any part of the body brought on by something a person breathes, touches or eats. “Each person responds in his/her own way though each follows an individualized, characteristic pattern. Depending on the brain area, it might cause difficulty remembering or learning, hyperactivity, extreme fatigue, irritability, moodiness, aggression, panic, or vulgarity.” -- Doris Rapp. “ Reversals, leaving out obvious sounds while writing, good days and bad days, hyperactivity, loudness, and clumsiness can be educational symptoms of allergies.”-- Allen and Virginia Crane.

Amblyopia - Decreased visual acuity (usually only in one eye) not correctable by glasses and not caused by an apparent eye disease. Research shows amblyopia is missed on approximately one-third of school screenings using the standard Snellen Chart.

Astigmatism - A vision defect caused when the eyeball is shaped like a football. (The eyeball should be shaped like a basketball.) When an eye is shaped like a football lying on its side, it is called “with the rule” astigmatism. When the football is standing on the tip, it is “against the rule” astigmatism. If the football is tilted, this is called “oblique” astigmatism. Varying types and degrees of astigmatism may cause various parts of a letter to appear missing. A person can have one type of astigmatism in one eye and none or a different type in the other eye. The eyes will see two entirely different-looking words, making reading very difficult. Children with astigmatism can often overwork their accommodative system for a few seconds at a time and still pass a vision screening checking one eye at a time on the standard Snellen Chart.

Balance - Physical equilibrium or the ability to maintain an upright position without falling over.

Bing, Bang, Bongo – A relatively simple essay writing format that calls for the student to write an introductory paragraph followed by three supporting paragraphs (a bing, a bang and a bongo), and finished with a conclusion.

Brain Gym - A commercially available physical-activity program.

G-I

G L O S S A R Y

Convergence - The ability to turn the two eyes towards each other to look at a near object.

Diverge - The ability to aim the eyes at a point farther away by turning them away from each other the required amount.

Dolce Words – Standardized sight words that students memorize. There are sets of words for each grade.

Dyslexia - A specific language-based disorder of constitutional origin characterized by difficulties in single word decoding, usually reflecting insufficient phonological processing abilities.

Eustachian Tube - This tube connects the middle ear with the nasopharynx and equalizes air pressure on both sides of the tympanic membrane. When the Eustachian tube plugs up because of excess fluid, sounds (phonics) come out garbled, and coordination becomes poor due to obstructed functions of the middle ear.

Eye-hand coordination - The ability for the eye and hand to work together to perform a specific action, such as writing or copying from the chalkboard.

Eye Teaming - Binocular vision or the ability to use both eyes simultaneously to accurately interpret what is seen with the two eyes seeing only one image with no abnormal deviation.

Farsighted - The ability of a person to see well far away but to see poorly close up. A book held by a farsighted person looks blurry while the chalkboard is clear. The Snellen Chart, the only eye-screening tool used in most schools, gives the farsighted student a passing score and does not diagnose this problem.

Fine Motor - Movement of the small muscles, such as those used in writing. Fine motor refers to smaller motions and different muscles than gross motor.

Fixations - An instant where the eye stops.

Focusing - (see Accommodation)

Gross Motor - Movement of the larger muscles, such as are used in jumping jacks. Gross motor refers to larger motions and different muscles than used for fine motor.

Harmon Distance - The optimal distance from the eyes to the working surface. It is the distance from the elbow to the first knuckle. This can only be assured with a proper chair height to desk relationship.

G-2

G L O S S A R Y

Impress Reading - Adult and child reading together. Child points to a word and both say the word. If child does not know word, adult says word and keeps on going. On the computer, the child and adult read the words as they appear on screen.

Lion Templates - Paper-sized (8 ½” by 11”), moderately thick plastic sheets with cutouts in the shape of a circle, square, triangle, rectangle and diamond. The templates were developed by the Lions Club of Winter Haven, Florida. The program involved more than 25 years of research by five PhDs. Their research concluded that most problems found on the VMI or Bender Gestalt visual perception tests can be remedied in 18, 15- minute sessions using the template program.

National Reading Panel - Group of 60 reading specialists appointed by Congress to come up with best methods of teaching reading.

Ophthalmologist - Medical eye doctor (M.D.) specializing in surgery of the eyes and diseases of the eyes.

Optometrist - Eye doctor specializing in prescribing glasses and being sure the patient is able to aim, move, and focus his/her eyes.

Orton-Gillingham Program - An internationally acclaimed approach to identifying and teaching dyslexic students to read and write. It is named for its founders Dr. Sam Orton, a psychiatrist and neurologist and Anna Gillingham, a psychologist and teacher. Dr. Orton first began studying and writing about children with reading disorders in the 1920s. The Orton-Gillingham Approach is structured, sequential, and multisensory. It starts with the short ‘a’ and adds a few consonants at a time. In this language-based approach, students hear, see, and touch to learn. The program has been found to be highly successful in teaching reading. The Orton Society is now called the International Dyslexia Association.

PAVE – Perceptual Accuracy/Visual Efficiency Training. A computer program which moves a window left to right across the screen exposing three letters or numbers per line for twenty lines. The student counts how many times a specified target letter or number appears. The slot increases from 20 to 120 lines per minute as efficiency improves.

Phonics - The understanding that there is a predictable relationship between the sounds of spoken language and the letters and spellings representing those sounds in written language.

Phoria - A tendency for a horizontal or vertical misalignment of the two eyes.

Proficient Reading - 1. National Assessment of Educational Progress’ definition: Student can understand, apply, and analyze challenging subject matter. 2. Cranes’ definition: Student

G-3

G L O S S A R Y

reads at grade level, with good comprehension, more than 200 words per minute by the end of second grade and 350 words per minute at end of third grade.

Phoroptor - The instrument optometrists and ophthalmologists use in prescribing glasses.

Scan - The ability of the eye to look at letters, words, and groups of words and gain information. Children without this skill tend to guess at words and have a hard time learning the alphabet.

Snellen Chart - Chart used to measure acuity at a specific distance (usually10 to 20 feet). “Big E Chart” developed by the army more than 150 years ago to pick out those soldiers who would be cooks and those who would be sharpshooters.

Strabismus - Failure of both eyes to fixate on an object at the same time. One eye fixes on an object and the other turns away - either inward (esotropia) or outward (exotropia).

Subvocalize (or Voicing) - Physically or mentally saying every word when reading.

Synapses - Connections between the brain cells. Firing across synapses connects all brain cells with each other. Allergies can block this firing, and the information stored in the brain is lost until the allergy problem is solved. The information is in the brain, but the filing system is broken. The misfiring can be remedied by changing the chemistry of the brain (antihistamines or gross motor activities) or by developing more synapses by stimulating the brain.

Tympanogram - Test that measures the pressure on the eardrum. Tympanograms can be used to look for allergies and colds which temporarily plug the Eustachian tubes, causing garbled sounds and affecting balance and coordination. Hearing professionals consider a “normal” reading on the Tympanogram to be 100 daPa. Problems show up more quickly in the classroom than in the doctor’s office. We suspect a child with a 100 daPa reading on the Tympanogram has difficulty hearing phonics in the classroom.

Word Walls - A teaching device that uses words tacked on the wall to help learn reading and spelling. Words may be arranged alphabetically or arranged according to parts of speech or other categories.

G-4

INDEX-1

INDEX

AAccommodation 28, 61, G-1Acoustic Enhancing 71Acuity G-1ADD and ADHD Diet, The 21, 54Air Filters 23, 55Alamogordo (NM) High School 44Aliterates 2Allergies 2, 17-22, 38-41, 50, 55, G-1Amblyopia 6, G-1American Academy of Environmental Medicine 50American Optometric Association 39Ametropia 62Anisometropia 6, 62Anomalies 14, 15Antihistamines 20, 54, 55Astigmatism 1, 7, 62, G-1Attention-Deficit Disordered (ADD) 1, 70Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disordered (ADHD) 1, 17, 42, 53, 70Auditory Processing 17, 40, 53Autism 42Average Span of Recognition 15Average Duration of Recognition 15Average Yearly Progress 44

BBalance 17, G-1Bal-A-Vis-X 3, 31, 38, 39, 40, 54, 56, 58, 59, I-1Big Books 35Bing, Bang, Bongo 45, G-1Body Movement 55Boost Up 3, 40, I-1Brain Gym 3, 40, G-1, I-1Brock String 26, 27, 53Buzzards To Bluebirds 11, II-3-4

CCataracts 7Comprehension Questions Correct 15Computer Assisted Phonics 3, 40Computer Labs 42Convergence 26-28, 53, G-2

Convergence Testing 26Crane, Allen & Virginia 3, 47Crook, Dr. William 21Cross Correlation 13, 14, 15Crossing the Midline 56

D

Dairy Products 53Desk Height 2, 3, 25, 30, 32, 39, 51Directional Attack 13, 15Distance Copy Test 28, 38Diverge 26, G-2Dolce Words 28, G-2Don’t Drink Your Milk 21, 54Dyslexia 1, 17, 42, 56, G-3

EElimination Diets 21, 54Emotionally Disturbed 1Esophoria 59, 62Eustachian Tubes 17, 40, G-2Eye-Hand Coordination 32, G-2Eye Movement 29Eye Teaming 2, 6, 8, 12, 41, 42, G-2

FFarsighted (See Hyperopia) 6, 35, 61, G-2Fetzer, Nancy 45Fighting For Tony 19Fine Motor (See Eye-hand Coordination) G-2Five Favorite Foods Diet 22, 55Fixations 12, 15, G-2Fluency 12, 43, 57Fluent Reading Trainer 3, 13, 15, 42, 55, I-3Focusing 28, 38, 41, 61, G-2

GGood Days, Bad Days 2Grade Level Efficiency 15Gross Motor (Definition) G-3Gross Motor Activities 20, 38, 47-50, 54Gross Motor Training 3, 39, 40, 45Gross Motor Trampoline 70

INDEX-2

HHandwriting 34, 55Harmon Distance 2, 30, G-2Hearing Loss (See Acoustic Enhancing) 18Hyperopia 6, 61, 62

IImmunoCap 22, 49, 54Impress Reading 14, 57, G-3Is This Your Child’s World 3, 19, 21, 54

KKansas Optometric Association 30Kephart Gross Motor Program 40Knitting 31

LLazy Eight Exercise 29LCRP 3LCRP Intruductory Video 49LCRP Standards 70Learning Disabled (LD) 1, 17, 42Lexia Learning Systems 3, 13, 15, 39, 40, 42, 46,

49, 54, I-2Lexia Cross Trainer 70Lexia Early Reading 42Lexia Primary Reading 42Lexia Strategies for Older Students 42Lions Clubs (See Service Clubs) 6Lions Copy Forms 30, 38, 56, IV-6 –> IV-10Lions Functional Vision Checklist 9, 10, 37,

38, IV-4Lions Rhythm Tape 18, 32, 38, 39, 40, 54, 56 Lions Templates 3, 31, 32-34, 38, 47-50, 56, G-3Lions Spelling Words 18, 32, 38, 39, 46, IV-3Lunch Programs 70

MMedia Opacity 7Medicaid 6Monitor Distance 25Multiple Food Elimination Diet 21Myopia 2, 7, 39, 59, 60My Reading Coach 3, 12, 13, 15, 39, 40,

42, 43, 45, 51, 55, 57-59, 69, I-2, II-5

NNational Reading Panel 43, 51, G-3Neurological Feedback 70New Mexico 1, 2New Vision School 70NM Eye Foundation Eye Screening Unit 9NM Lions Clubs 47No Child Left Behind 6

OOphthalmologists 5, 6, G-3Optometric Extension Program 25Optometrist 5, 6, 8, 46, G-3Orinda Study 62Orton-Gillingham Program 12, 13, 38, 57, G-3Our Toxic World 19, 21, 54Overcoming Dyslexia 51

PParent Involvement 20, 38, 48, 53PAVE 15, 43, G-3Pencil Push-Ups 26, 53Performance-Based Vision & Medical Checklist IV-11Phonics 17, 20, 43, G-4Phoropter G-4Phoropter Stand 9, 48Photo Eye Screening 6, 8Photo Eye Screening Camera 7Point of Convergence 26, 53Proficient Reading 1, G-3

QQuick List Identification 39

RRapp, Dr. Doris 3, 19, 21, 22RAPS 58, 59Reading Distance (see also Desk Height) 14Reading Efficiency 14, 15Reading Fluency 43Reading Plus 3, 13, 15, 42, 55, I-3Reading Problems Resolved 21, 46, 50, II-5Receptive IQ 69Regressions 12, 15

INDEX-3

Retinoscopy 6Reversing Letters 2, 17-20Rockwell, Dr. Sally 22Rotation Diet 22Rhythm (See also Lions Rhythm Tape) 17

SScan 13, G-4School Orientation Program 58, 59See To Learn Program 30Service Clubs 46Shaywitz, Sally 51Simulation 13Single Food Elimination Diet 216 + 1 Trait 3, 45, I-3Snellen Chart 5, G-4Solving the Problem of Your Hard To Raise Child 21, 54Strabismus 6, 62, G-4Step Up To Writing 3, 45, I-3Subvocalize (See also Voicing) G-4Symptom Based Prescribing 61-67Symptom Severity Score 10Synapses 17, 55, G-4

TTeaching Distance (See also Word Walls) 35Template Activity I 32Template Activity II 33Throwback 56TV 3, 14, 40, 56Tympanogram 50, 70, G-4

VValley View Elementary School (NM) 44Vergence 61Visagraph 2, 11-16, 41, 42, 50Vision 5-16Vision Habit 30Vision Quality Scale 63Vision Screening 5, 6,Vision Skill Development 12, 15, 25-35, 38Visual Memory 19Visual Motor Integration Test 38Voicing 43, 57, G-4

WWeekly-Monthly Report 49, IV-2Wick, Dr. Bruce 12, 51, 61-67, II-2Williams, Dr. Brock 22Winter Haven (FL) Lions Club 31Word Per Minute 14, 15Word Walls (See also Teaching Distance) 45, 47, G-4Writing 3, 44, 45

INDEX-4

L C R P P R O G R A M S

I - 1

LCRP Recommended ProgramsLCRP incorporates numerous programs, which are referred to throughout this publication.The following discussion provides a brief description of these programs.

Bal-A-Vis-X is a series of Balance /Auditory/Vision eXercises, of variedcomplexity, most of which are deeply rooted in rhythm. These exercisesrequire full-body coordination and focused attention. The program

utilizes beanbags, racquetballs, balance boards, and multiple principles and activities fromEducational Kinesiology. It demands cooperation, promotes self-challenge, and fosters peerteaching. It is school friendly and just plain fun.

Bal-A-Vis-X benefits students whose auditory skills are inadequate for academic success. Suchstudents “hear” but do not attend to the precise details of pronunciation, verbal instructions,and discussion. For these students, the rhythmic patterns of Bal-A-Vis-X create a newawareness of the nuances of sound.

Bal-A-Vis-X is for students whose visual acuity may be 20/20, yet whose vision remainsdeficient in tracking, teaming, and discrimination

For all students, the gains in eye-hand coordination and subsequent growth in overallconfidence, hence, self-esteem, are readily observable. (Excerpts from www.Bal-A-Vis-X.comwebsite.)

Boost Up was created as a mutil-sensory approach toward gaining thereadiness skill needed to excel in the classroom. After doing 80 hours ofbalance/vestibular, gross and fine motor, and visual acuity exercises,

children on average make a six-month reading gain. The best aspect of Boost-Up is thatchildren love it as it is a fun approach to learning. Boost-Up incorporates: music; obstaclecourse; games/stations; rolling; and many other activities to accelerate the student’s learning.(Excerpts from www.actg.org/programs/boost-up/boostup_main.htm website.)

Brain Gym is a program of physical movements that enhance learning andperformance in ALL areas. Brain Gym includes 26 easy and enjoyabletargeted activities that integrate body and mind to bring about rapid and

often dramatic improvements in: concentration, memory, reading, writing, organizing,listening, physical coordination, and more. (Excerpts from www.braingym.com website.)

Appendix I

Bal-A-Vis-X

Boost Up

Brain Gym


2I -

Lexia Learning Systems software is a serious learning tool toimprove reading skills. Students enjoy working in the softwarebecause it is fun, and they come back for more because they

enjoy making progress. Three of the software programs are used by LCRP: Lexia EarlyLearning, Lexia Primary Reading, and Lexia Reading Strategies for Older Students.

Lexia Early Reading is a software program focused on building and enhancing phonologicalawareness and letter-sound knowledge. Phonological awareness, or the ability to notice, thinkabout, and work with the individual sounds in spoken words is a critical pre-reading skillassociated with reading success. Designed for pre-readers 4-6 years old, Lexia Early Readingprovides engaging, age-appropriate activities on skills ranging from pre-alphabetic awarenessto basic sound-symbol correspondence. Lexia Early Reading is also appropriate for olderstudents who lack phonemic awareness skills.

Lexia Primary Reading is a new generation reading skill development product for students ages5-8. Lexia Primary Reading builds on the information that students learn in Lexia Early Reading(phonemic awareness) and increases their ability to become stronger readers by introducingphonics principles and focusing on conceptual reading skills. Five activity levels in theprogram provide drill and practice exercises in phonemic awareness, sight word recognition,sound-symbol correspondence (beginning and ending sounds, syllables, segmenting), listeningand comprehension.

Lexia Reading Strategies for Older Students (S.O.S.) is for older students ages 9 to 99.Designed with a mature interface, Lexia Reading S.O.S. starts with basic first grade readingskills and works up to advanced decoding and comprehension. Activities provide practice indecoding skills, early comprehension, and keyboard skills. Students control their ownactivities providing motivation, but each student must show both competency and fluency ineach skill before moving on. (Excerpts from Lexia’s www.lexialearning.com website.)

My Reading Coach is a software program package, which is basedon the Orton-Gillingham multisensory approach to reading andis taught by a speech pathologist or reading teacher on screen.

Comprehension is taught through grammar lessons and the philosophy of forming a picturein your mind as you read. Pre-testing places students only in the lessons needed and reviewtests throughout the program assure what is learned is in long term memory. After mastery ofthe final lesson, a student will be reading at a 10.5 grade level or his/her vocabulary level. MyReading Coach is a product of MINDPLAY.

Lexia Learning Systems

My Reading Coach


3I -

Fluent Reading Trainer quickly helps students to develop readingspeed while improving reading comprehension. Fluent ReadingTrainer breaks the voicing habit and has most second graders

reading over 200 words per minute with good comprehension. Fluent Reading Trainer is aproduct of MINDPLAY.

Reading Plus® is a comprehensive, evidence-based software solution forreading assessment and improvement that develops foundational fluencyskills for students of all ages.

Reading Plus makes reading comfortable, productive and enjoyable. By addressing thefoundational silent reading fluency skills required for students to become proficient, flexiblereaders, Reading Plus prepares students of all ages with the essential skills they need foracademic and vocational success. The silent reading fluency skills developed by Reading Plusimprove short term memory, literal understanding, and the rate at which students can readcomfortably with excellent comprehension. (Excerpts from Taylor Associates’ www.readingplus.comwebsite.)

Step Up To Writing, improves the writing skills of all students regardlessof ability level with multi-sensory, classroom-proven teachingstrategies and student writing activities. Students learn to break down

the writing process into logical steps; transfer these skills in logic to longer multi-paragraphessays and research reports; utilize these same processes in oral presentations; and writeexciting, well-placed narratives.

Since content materials lend themselves to teaching critical thinking, Step Up to Writing showsstudents how to find the logic and relationship of ideas in their textbook reading. Studentsare then able to: take meaningful and organized notes; think and write critically about materialread and studied; and respond clearly to essay questions. (Excerpts from www.stepuptowriting.comwebsite.)

After evaluating thousands of papers at all grade levels, teachers identifiedcommon characteristics of good writing. These qualities became theframework for the six-trait analytical model. The 6 + 1 Trait model includes

ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation.Teachers from primary grades through college have embraced the 6 + 1 Trait model and notjust English teachers, either. The traits are used by teachers of mathematics, science, social

Fluent Reading Trainer

Reading Plus

Brain GymBoost UpStep Up To Writing

6 + 1 Trait


4I -

studies, foreign language, art, and music or anyone for whom writing is an important part ofinstruction. (Excerpts from NWREL’s www.nwrel.org/assessment website.)

L C R P D E V E L O P M E N T

II-I

LCRP DevelopmentVirginia and I have not invented the wheel. Any time we heard of something working, wewent to observe it, figure out why it was working, and add it to our “to do” list. The key is tokeep punching buttons until you find the right buttons for each child.

While Virginia and I were working as elementary counselors in Farmington, New Mexico,first grade teacher Mrs. Winters would meet me at the door every day demanding to knowwhy Sheila could not learn to read. I kept telling her the child had failed the Bender GestaltPerception test. Mrs. Winters would ask, “What do we do about it?” “I don’t know,” was thereply. While reading everything I could get his hands on, I learned that Dr. Howard Walton,an optometrist in Culver City, California, could correct vision perception problems. Afterflying to Culver City and talking to Dr. Walton one weekend, I had an answer for Mrs.Winters the next Monday. Dr. Walton had told me about desk height, about the perceptionand gross motor program developed by the Winter Haven Lions Club Foundation Programin Winter Haven, Florida. Sheila’s problems were corrected in six weeks, and she did learn toread.

We attended a summer session on Orton-Gillinham Society’s multisensory approach taughtby Arlene Sonday. In using this approach, children hear a sound, see the letter and trace itwith their finger all at the same time. For children with learning problems, this is often agood approach.

While Virginia and I were team-teaching Sioux children in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Herbiecame into our lives. This boy copied poorly from the chalkboard even though he wore newglasses, which corrected his eye sight to 20/20. We traveled over 20,000 miles that summertrying to learn why Herbie couldn’t copy from the chalkboard. Our first stop was a LionsClub in Winter Haven, Florida, where we met Dr. Charles McQuarrie. That club hadsponsored over twenty-five years of research in perception and gross motor. The results ofthis great program are not widely known. Fortunately, this information is now in the libraryof the Optometric Extension Program Foundation (OEP) in Santa Ana, California.

We went to the University of Houston School of Optometry, where we visited for a weekwith Dr. Gordon McKee. We observed in-depth vision screening and vision trainingprograms which were being conducted in public schools. We visited with Dr. ArthurSeiderman in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, to learn about his approach to vision problems in

Appendix II


II-2

schools. At Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton, California, we talkedagain with Dr. Howard Walton and conferred with Doctors John Griffin, Michael Rouse, andJulie Ryan.

Everywhere, we kept hearing about one optometrist, Bruce Wick, O.D. PhD., of Rapid City,South Dakota. Finally, we did talk with Dr. Wick, who came to Pine Ridge and screened 420elementary students. This dedicated specialist went to the teachers armed with the results ofhis tests and described the classroom and playground behavior of each child. Teachers wereso impressed that it was arranged for Virginia to do vision activities with 90 children for 9weeks. Dr. Wick visited every other week to schedule appropriate activities. The academicimprovement was great, but the biggest change was playground behavior, which becamenearly hassle-free.

I went to a three-day hands-on functional vision workshop for optometrists by Dr. WilliamLudlum in Hillsboro, Oregon. Dianna Ludlum, his wife, had worked as a resource teacherand psychologist in schools. Both Ludlums were helpful.

We visited for two weeks at the State University of New York College of Optometry. Mostof our time was spent in the library. Between classes, we visited with Doctors Nathan Flax,Irwin Suchoff, Harold Solan and Martin Birnbaum. This superb experience provided accessto a fine library with a wealth of knowledge. Information we thought we were discoveringhad been published decades earlier.

For almost a decade, we tried to replicate for other districts the vision screening and visiontraining activities program which worked so well at Pine Ridge, South Dakota. We could not.When I realized the work was not receiving the quality of optometric evaluation Dr. Wickhad given on the earlier project, I persuaded Dr. Wick to put his testing knowledge on thecomputer. The first school in which we worked with this computer program was the RockSprings Catholic Elementary School in Rock Springs, Wyoming, where Mrs. TracyZuehlsdorff was principal.

I asked Dr. William Ludlum to recommend a good optometrist in Wyoming or Colorado tohelp with a research project. He recommended Dr. Roger Dowis of Boulder, Colorado.Under the direction or Dr. Dowis, I worked at Nederland Elementary School, Nederland,Colorado, where Don Hanson was principal. About 350 students were screened and visionactivities were accomplished with about 100 children. While I was working on the project, Irealized tests to evaluate the results did not exist. There were vision tests and there werereading tests, but there were no tests to evaluate children’s functional vision as they read for arealistic amount of time.


II-3

It was then I designed the Performance-based Vision Stress Test (PVS Test, initially called theCrane-Wick Vision and Hearing Efficiency Test) at Nederland to evaluate results.Subsequently, I administered this test to more than 2,000 children in six states and establishednorms for each grade level. The PVS Test was first given to 170 students at BayfieldElementary and Middle School, Bayfield, Colorado, where Don Magill was principal. Dr. JayHighland and the school nurse used a modified New York State Optometric AssociationVision Screening Test to do school vision screening at the same time, so I could compareresults of the PVS Test with their results. The PVS Test agreed with the VST Test on 121students. Forty-five students failed this test but passed the other screening; 31 of these 45developed symptoms (headaches, blurry vision and so forth) when doing the test. Only fourstudents who failed the school screening passed the PVS Test. None of these four developedsymptoms. It is possible that these students may have been suppressing the vision in one eye.

Jonnie Kennedy, a fantastic librarian in Green River, Wyoming, told us about Smart But FeelingDumb by Harold N. Levinson, M.D. This book discusses allergy-triggering learning problems.

My brother, Robert Crane, sent me four books:

Total Concentration, another book by Dr. Levinson

Solving the Puzzle of Your Hard To Raise Child by William Crook, M.D. and Laura Stevens

In Bad Taste: The MSG Syndrome by George R. Schwartz, M.D.

Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

After Virginia and I retired to southwest Colorado, we felt guilty not sharing our knowledge,so we wrote Buzzards To Bluebirds. After publishing this book in September, 1997, I continuedto search for answers to fundamental questions and once again embarked upon research.

One burning question had to do with my students going from the bottom of the class to thetop. While I was teaching at Wilson Elementary School in Green River Wyoming, thestudents in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades were ability grouped in reading. The bottom group wastaught SRA Corrective Reading, an intensive small group phonics program. After about 120lessons the students could read anything but still were not competitive in the classroom. Myteam then placed these students in EDL Learning 100 Controlled Readers (filmstripprojectors) with a moving slot forcing them to read faster and faster. When these studentsread over 200 words per minute they were competitive in their classes. This is the only time Ihad ever witnessed the bottom group becoming part of the top group in their class. Many ofthese students were in the National Honor Society when they graduated from high school.


II-4

We contacted Stan Taylor of Taylor and Associates and asked why controlled reading workedso well. Stan invited us to a sales seminar in Denver where we learned about the Visagraphand Stan loaned us a Visagraph for research. A Visagraph is four infrared sensors in a pair ofgoggles connected to a computer that records eye movement as a person reads.

The first project undertaken was graphic proof of the success of Buzzards To Bluebirds visiondevelopment activities in reading improvement. Virginia and I developed the CraneFunctional Vision Checklist and it was given to grades kindergarten through twelve in theWray, Colorado school system where a fellow Lion, Bob Selle, was superintendent. I wassoon approached by Monica, a high school junior, who put in many long hours to makeexcellent grades. Aaron, her eighth grader brother, also studied long hours. Monica hadsixteen out of seventeen symptoms on the checklist. Monica and Aaron did Buzzards toBluebirds vision development activities ten minutes a day for two weeks. We Visagraphedthem after thirty minutes, sixty minutes, 150 minutes and 200 minutes. The Visagraphdocumented great gains with the students. The eleventh grader gained 11.6 years in readingefficiency. The eighth grader gained 12.6 years in reading efficiency in thirty days.

At that time, I took the Visagraph to Fort Collins High School and tested ten students in RonThurston’s regular English computer class. The students were told to read as fast as theycould using Reading Plus (Controlled Reading on a computer). In 25 days we went back.Most had completed 12 twenty-minute lessons. Gains in reading efficiency ranged from 3.5years to 7.7 years.

Bruce McComas of McComas and Associates, Incorporated, whom we met at a TaylorAssociates sales meeting, kept telling us how great Lexia was. Lexia is a set of Orton-Gillingham based computer programs. We went to Rusk Elementary School in Midland,Texas, where the second grade had been on Lexia thirty minutes a day, five days a week forfour months. The school also had incorporated Brain Gym into their PE program. StudentHillary Stovall read 427 words per minute with good comprehension. Two of her classmatesread nearly as well. All three of these second graders scored at the 12th grade level on theTerraNova that year. This really raised the educational bar for us. We asked, “If this programworked so well with three students why not as well with the other 18?” We went back toMidland and gave the Lions Functional Vision Checklist. The more vision stress symptoms(headaches, blurry vision, saw double) the lower the student scored on the TerraNova. Welearned fluency is the key to high achievement scores.

We visited the New Vision School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which had an innovative grossmotor program that got results. The New Vision School contracted with the Minneapolisschool district to do a gross motor exercise program with kindergarten students who were


II-5

scheduled to be retained. In addition to not being retained in kindergarten, these studentswere academically in the 83rd to 89th percentile in third grade. This is the second time we hadseen the bottom academic group become the top group. The program was so successfulMinnesota and US Department of Education has funded grants replicating the program.

Virginia and I met Judith Bliss, the developer of another Orton-Gillingham based computerphonics program My Reading Coach. In this program a speech therapist on screen presents thesounds and concepts of spelling, reading, grammar, and comprehension. Ocotillo ElementarySchool in Tucson, Arizona, uses My Reading Coach. We went to the Ocotillo ElementarySchool and tested the top four and the bottom four-second grade students. In January, thesestudents spoke only Spanish. When we tested them in May, we were amazed to find the topfour reading at a 10.5 grade level with good comprehension and the bottom four studentscalling the words to a first grade story. (Note: This school was selected a Blue Ribbon schoolby No Child Left Behind in 2004.)

In Buzzards To Bluebirds, we stressed vision skill development and medical treatment ofallergies for students whose academic progress was obstructed by vision problems or allergies.These strategies are still important for some students. In Reading Problems Resolved, we describeother ways to accomplish similar results while working on academic strategies, which havegrown out of our personal experience and research since the writing of Buzzards To Bluebirds.We stress the importance of an eye exam designed to enhance academic performance, anexam using different standards for prescribing glasses. These standards are the result ofresearch by Dr. Bruce Wick and Dr. P. Dwyer (Chapter 7, Page 57) for use by Optometristsand Ophthalmologists. By prescribing glasses to these standards and using quality computerreading programs for eye teaming practice drills, we have found very few students need othervision skill development. Properly fitted glasses seem to relax the focusing systems ofstudents and that lets the alignment system work. Students are usually 18 to 28 inches awayfrom the computer screen and do not have to converge their eyes as closely as they do whenusing a book.

We also stress the importance of gross motor activities, the use of good computer readingprograms with headphones and volume control and a good resource library for parents tolearn about allergies. With these in place there is much less need for antihistamines. It isgenerally believed that body movement helps program the brain. Our TV watching kids needlots more motor activity than they are getting.

Allen and Virginia Crane


II-6

R E S O U R C E S

III-I

ResourcesFor an optometrist Gross Motor ProgramsOptometric Extension Program Bal-A-Vis-X, Inc.11921 Carnegie Ave. 7412 West Tenth St. N.Suite #3L Wichita, KS 67212-3002Santa Ana, CA 92705 1-316-722 80121-949-250-8070

Boost UpFluency Program SMART Curriculum Guide Taylor and Associates Minnesota Learning Resource Center200-2E. Second Street 1800 Second St. NEHuntington Station, NY 11746 Minneapolis, MN 554181-800-732-3758 www.readingplus.com Lions Crane Reading Program

Lions TemplatesP O box 2846Las Cruces, NM 88004

Orton-Gillingham Computer Phonics Software 1-888-373-0561Lexia Learning Systems [email protected] Lewis St.Lincoln, MA 017731-800-435-3942 Glasseswww.lexialearning.com Sunland Optical

1156 Barranca DrEl Paso, TX 77924

My Reading Coach 1-915-591-9483440 WilliamsTucson, AZ1-800-221 7911 Pencil Gripswww.Mindplay.com Classroom Direct

www.classroomdirect.com 1-800-599-3040.Fluent Reading Trainer Model Stetro 97-ST100 JRM440 Williams Costs approximately $19.49 for 100 gripsTucson, AZ1-800-221 7911www.Mindplay.com

For Durable Earphones Best Computer Supply, 895 E.Patriot Blvd., #110, Reno, NV 89511, 1-800-544 3472, Telex Explorer Item 300305

Heavy Duty Stereo HeadsetItem #C-184-13,

Appendix III

http://www.readingplus.com/

http://www.lexialearning.com/

http://www.mindplay.com/

http://www.mindplay.com/

F O R M S

IV-I

Appendix IV

Forms

































IV-2

Lions Spelling Words

IV-3

1. I get a headache when I do close work. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

2. I use a finger or marker to keep my place when I read. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

3. I can comfortably read for 2 hours or more___, 1 hour___, 30 minutes___, 15 minutes___

4. I see double, or cover or close an eye while I read. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

5. Words move, wiggle, float or jump when I read. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

6. I get dizzy or sick when I do near work. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

7. I tilt my head when I read or when I am talking to people. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

8. I get close to the page when I read or write. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

9. I lose my place while reading. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

10. I am slow in copying from the chalkboard. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

11. I skip words or lines while reading. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

12. I have trouble understanding what I read. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

13. I read small words backwards (was-saw). 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

14. I get tired or sleepy while reading. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

15. My eyes get tired, itchy, watery or burn when I read. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

16. Print in a book looks blurry. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

17. I guess at words. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

18. Read for pleasure? Always____ Frequently___ Occasionally____ Never______



#Symptoms____ Severity of Symptoms___

Functional Vision ChecklistDeveloped by Allen and Virginia Crane

The Functional Vision Checklist should be filled out by the student with parent or teacher assistance as needed. The Functional Vision Checklist is designed to get schools, students, parents, and vision specialists talking the same language. Everyone sees differently. All vision is learned.

Name___________________________________________ Grade____ Date_________Teacher______________________ School__________________ Glasses ___yes ___no

Please assign a value between 0 and 4 for each symptom.0 = never or non-existent, 1= seldom, 2 = occasionally, 3 = frequently, 4= always

1. I get a headache when I do close work. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

2. I use a finger or marker to keep my place when I read. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

3. I can comfortably read for 2 hours or more___, 1 hour___, 30 minutes___, 15 minutes___

4. I see double, or cover or close an eye while I read. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

5. Words move, wiggle, float or jump when I read. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

6. I get dizzy or sick when I do near work. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

7. I tilt my head when I read or when I am talking to people. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

8. I get close to the page when I read or write. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

9. I lose my place while reading. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

10. I am slow in copying from the chalkboard. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

11. I skip words or lines while reading. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

12. I have trouble understanding what I read. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

13. I read small words backwards (was-saw). 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

14. I get tired or sleepy while reading. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

15. My eyes get tired, itchy, watery or burn when I read. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

16. Print in a book looks blurry. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

17. I guess at words. 0_____ 1______ 2______ 3______ 4_____

18. Read for pleasure? Always____ Frequently___ Occasionally____ Never______



#Symptoms____ Severity of Symptoms___

Functional Vision ChecklistDeveloped by Allen and Virginia Crane

The Functional Vision Checklist should be filled out by the student with parent or teacher assistance as needed. The Functional Vision Checklist is designed to get schools, students, parents, and vision specialists talking the same language. Everyone sees differently. All vision is learned.

Name___________________________________________ Grade____ Date_________Teacher______________________ School__________________ Glasses ___yes ___no

Please assign a value between 0 and 4 for each symptom.0 = never or non-existent, 1= seldom, 2 = occasionally, 3 = frequently, 4= always

IV-4

O X--------X----------------X-----------------X---------X----------X X------------X------------X---------X-----------X--------X------X X------------X----------X---------------X-------------X----X----X X-------X-----------X------------X------------X----------X------X X---------X----------X------------X-----------X-----------X-----X X---------X--------------X------------X-------X-------------X---X X-------------X---------------X---------X---------X--------X----X X---------------X------------X-----------X-----X----------X-----X X-----------X-------------X------------X---------------X---------X

IV-10

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

LIONS CRANE READING PROGRAM FOUNDATION

******************************************************************************* NAME: _____________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________

TEL. #: _______________ FAX #: _____________ E-MAIL: _________________

LIONS CLUB NAME IF MEMBER: ______________________________________

LIONS CLUB ADDRESS: ______________________________________________

SUBMISSION DATE: ___________________

DATE APPROVED BY LCRPF BOARD OF DIRECTORS: __________________

MEMO TO: BOARD OF DIRECTORS LCRPF Gentlemen: I/We hereby request that I/we be granted membership in the Lions Crane Reading Program Foundation. Signed: _______________________________________

No fees are required to become a member of the Lions Crane Reading Program Foundation. However, financial contributions are most sincerely appreciated. Total Amount of Contribution: $______ Amount Enclosed: $______ Check #: ____Dates & Amounts of Follow-On Donations: _________________________________ Can donate your time to LCRPF endeavors? YES_____ NO_____ If YES, please attach a sheet describing your area(s) of interest. Our motto is: “ALL READING PROBLEMS RESOLVED.” Thank-you very much for your interest. Please mail applications to: LCRPF, PO Box 2846, Las Cruces, NM 88004.

IV-13

C O N S T R U C T I N G A B R O C K S T R I N G

V-I

Appendix V

Constructing A Brock String Following are directions for making a Brock String. Purchase the following items from WalMart’s hobby section or a hobby store:

• Popsicle sticks • Red and green beads (11mm) • #36 nylon string • Elmer’s School Glue Gel

Make a needle point out of one end of the string by putting Elmer’s glue on it and twisting. Drill a hole (1/8 inch) in the ends of 20 popsicle sticks. After the glue on the end of the string hardens, thread a Popsicle stick on the string followed by a red bead, a green bead, two Popsicle sticks, a red bead, a green bead, two Popsicles sticks, etc., until 10 sets have been threaded. Pull the string through one set (Popsicle stick, red bead, green bead, Popsicle stick) and cut the string, which should be about 40 inches long. Tie knots (shoestring knot with one extra wrap) in each end. Continue the process for the remaining nine Brock Strings.

While the Cranes were working as elementary school counselors in Farmington, NM, first grade teacher Mrs. Winters would meet Allen Crane at the door every day demanding to know why Sheila could not learn to read. Allen kept telling her the child had failed the Bender Gestalt Perception test. Mrs. Winters would ask, “What do we do about it?”

“I don’t know,” was his reply. While reading everything he could get his hands on concerning the subject, Allen Crane learned that Dr. Howard Walton, an optometrist in Culver City, California, could correct vision perception problems. After flying to Culver City and talking with Dr. Walton one weekend, Allen Crane had an answer for Mrs. Winters the next Monday. Dr. Walton had told him about the importance of proper desk height and the perception and gross motor program developed by the Winter Haven Lions Club Foundation in Winter Haven, FL. Sheila’s problems were corrected in six weeks, and she did learn to read. For 25 years, the Cranes continued to seek ways to help students become more efficient readers.

In 1997 Allen Crane and his wife, Virginia, wrote Buzzards To Bluebirds because they thought they could help at least 70% of students in any classroom learn to read more proficiently. Since 1997, Allen and Virginia have fine-tuned the system and they now believe up to 100 percent of children can be helped to read, write, and think more proficiently, usually in one semester. They have given their program to the Lions Clubs of New Mexico, in the hope it will live forever under the Lions’ motto “We Serve.”

Lions Clubs in New Mexico have adopted the Lions Crane Reading Program (LCRP), incorporated it (i.e., the Lions Crane Reading Program Foundation), and it has now received a 501c3 status. In 2004, New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson, issued an executive proclamation that designated September 5-11 as LIONS VISION AWARENESS WEEK in the state of New Mexico with emphasis on LCRP. In July 2005, the Cranes were nominated for an award at the Lions International Convention in Hong Kong for the Lions Crane Reading Program being chosen as one of the top three Lions’ service projects in the world. With over 45,000 Lions Clubs in 193 countries throughout the world, that is quite an honor. The Cranes, together with the Lions Clubs of New Mexico, envision the Lions Crane Reading Program to be a signature project that Lions Clubs all over the world can adopt in an effort to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, global illiteracy.

Allen & Virginia Crane

Virginia and Allen Crane with 2004-05 lions clubs international president clem kusiak (center)

Reading Problems Resolved by Allen and Virginia Crane is a treasure for truly turning around the lives of many children. Page after page tells how to detect and eliminate various common and some less frequently recognized visual problems that can interfere with the ability of a youngster to learn. It will enable parents and teachers to detect a variety of problems that interfere with reading speed and comprehension-which in turn can affect the rest of a child’s life. It provides clues to help detect other common causes of reading problems such as those due to allergies, desk position, etc. It not only provides sensible answers regarding the most common causes of visual difficulties, it provides answers that are practical, affordable, and possible. Every teacher and parent needs this book. This book is needed at an international level to help children all over the world. The Lion’s Organization is to be commended for truly helping to create and promote this book so children who have visual and learning problems can be helped to reach their full intellectual potential. What a monumental contribution they have made to our future generations!

Dr. Doris Rapp, M.D. Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at SUNY AB and Author of Is this Your Child’s World and Our Toxic World.

I have been the principal of Central Elementary School in Santa Clara, NM, for two years. When I arrived, the school, which has a 93% Hispanic population and where 100% of the students qualify as economically disadvantaged, was on academic probation with only 28% of its fourth grade students reading proficiently. The school made some adjustments in the delivery of reading instruction and integrated the Lions Crane Reading Program. Last year, the fourth grade students improved to 46% proficient readers. This year, that score increased and the fourth grade students improved to 84% proficient readers. This year the third and fifth grade students were also assessed using the NMSBA and the school as a whole in grades three through fifth is at 76% reading proficient. Central Elementary is ranking 37th out of approximately 447 elementary schools in NM in reading proficiency.

José E. Carrillo

We have two second grade special education students who are now reading at the fifth grade level after completing the Lions Crane Reading Program. I believe in the program. Anything we can do as a school district to get all of our kids on the program we’re going to do.

George Peru, Director of Special Education, Cobre School District, NM

Reading Problems Resolved - Ruidoso Valley Noon … Problems...Winter Haven Lions Club Foundation in...

Documents

Transcript of Reading Problems Resolved - Ruidoso Valley Noon … Problems...Winter Haven Lions Club Foundation in...