Lindamood–Bell Program: What You Need to Know

Expert reviewed by Louise Baigelman, MEd

At a glance

Lindamood–Bell is a learning approach that can help students who struggle with reading and other learning differences.
It offers one-on-one instruction at private learning centers.
Lindamood–Bell sometimes partners with schools and may provide instruction to students as part of an type: entry-hyperlink id: 87beb80d39f7498ab3513162536d29cc or RTI.

Lindamood–Bell is one of several teaching programs for struggling readers that’s consistent with the highly structured Orton–Gillingham approach. Like the others, it’s “multisensory.” It uses the different senses to help students make connections between sounds, letters and words. But it has unique aspects, too.

What It Focuses On

Like Orton–Gillingham, Lindamood–Bell breaks down learning to read into concrete skills. These include connecting letters to sounds and blending sounds into words. Students master one skill before moving on to the next. But along with teaching students to read the words, the program also focuses on understanding content. It does that by using imagery.

For instance, the student might be asked to create mental images of what she’s reading about. “Can you picture the lion?” “Can you describe how she’s playing with her cubs?” This strategy develops a concrete connection between words and images. It can help students find meaning in text and remember what they have read.

“Lindamood–Bell puts particular emphasis on connecting sounds and images with written words and symbols.”

Where to Find It

Lindamood–Bell is not widely used in schools. It’s mainly offered at private Lindamood–Bell Learning Centers, and it’s very costly. The company does partner with some districts, however. It offers workshops for teachers and for students. The programs may be used with students or as part of response to intervention.

Who It’s For

Lindamood–Bell can be a particularly good for students with dyslexia, auditory processing disorders and dyscalculia.

How It Works

Step one is an evaluation by a Lindamood–Bell instructor. The instructor uses standardized tests to assess the student’s strengths and weaknesses in a number of areas. These include reading, comprehension and math. This isn’t the same as an educational evaluation for special education services.

Next, the instructor creates a learning plan. This plan includes how many instruction hours the student will need to reach learning goals. It also outlines the specific types of instruction the student will need.

Students generally work one-on-one with instructors. They may be expected to come daily for sessions that can last from one to four hours. (When schools use the program, sessions generally range from 30 minutes to two hours. Students most often work in groups.) Instructors monitor each student’s progress and provide parents, and sometimes teachers, with regular updates.

The more you understand your child’s reading issues, the easier it will be to find the right type of instruction. Learn about why kids have trouble reading words and understanding what they read. And if you haven’t had your child evaluated for special education services, you might want to consider it. It’s the best way to get her the reading support she needs at school.

Key takeaways

Lindamood–Bell uses multiple senses, like sound, sight and touch, to help with learning.
Instructors evaluate students and present parents with a learning plan geared to their child’s needs.
Students meet one-on-one with an instructor for sessions that last one to four hours.