Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® Program for Reading, Spelling

and Speech – Fourth Edition (LiPS-4)

Category: Language/Reading
Grade Level: Appropriate for all ages (Pre-Kindergarten – Adult)
1. What is the purpose of the Lindamood 2) Identifying and classifying speech
Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS-4) program? sounds (i.e. consonants and vowels)
LiPS-4 is designed to teach and improve 3) Tracking speech sounds
skills in phonemic awareness, phonemic  Using mouth pictures and
decoding, sight word knowledge, coloured blocks
orthographic processing and spelling skills 4) Associating sounds and symbols
through the use of an oral-motor, visual, and 5) Spelling and Reading
auditory feedback system that allows  Using letter symbols printed on
individuals to identify, sequence, and map tiles and felt squares
letters to their sounds or phonemes. This  Integrate auditory tracking skills
program is considered a multisensory reading and sound-symbol associations
program and its main objective is to develop  Direct instruction in sight words
fluent, self-correcting readers and capable and context clues in reading
spellers.
In sum, initial activities engage students in
2. With whom can it be used? discovering the lip, tongue, and mouth actions
LiPS-4 can be used with all ages, from needed to produce specific sounds. Once
preschool to adulthood. Individuals with students can produce, label, and organize
functional speech-language delay, English as sounds with their mouths, activities in
a second language, dyslexia, autism, apraxia, sequencing, reading, and spelling are
pervasive developmental delay, traumatic completed. Direct instruction is also then
brain injury, as well as, children who are just offered in letter patterns, sight words, and
beginning to learn how to read may benefit context clues in reading.
from this software program.
When LiPS is used as a preventative tool:
3. What are the main components of  It can supplement the core reading
LiPS-4? program, or;
The lessons in LiPS-4 are designed to  It can serve as sole means of
transition a student to reading and writing phonemic awareness/phonics
independently by rapidly moving the student instruction
into reading in context and writing in
descriptive and explanatory format. When LiPS is used as an intensive
Additionally the student is provided with intervention:
horizontal and vertical paths to complete each  Instruction is recommended for
step in the program: two to four hours a day, five days
 Vertical Path– presents only three a week for eight-twelve weeks.
consonants and three vowels and uses
them to track, spell, and read simple Classroom teachers, tutors, speech-language
syllables. pathologists, and other specialists can provide
 Horizontal Path –begins with all instruction using this program.
consonant sounds and then follows by
vowels. 4. What teaching procedures should be
used with the LiPS program?
The program is structured in a progression of The following instructional techniques are
five levels: utilized in the LiPS program:

1) Establishing a climate for learning

 Multi-sensory (VAKT): Incorporates all One of the notable studies on LiPS is the
learning pathways (visual/auditory, National Reading Panel (NRP, 2000) review
kinesthetic, tactile) to enhance memory on essential instructional mechanisms to
and learning; become a proficient reader. The study cited
 Systematic and cumulative instruction: LiPS as “well designed, high quality research
Involves progression from the most basic that highlighted the effectiveness of direct
level of language instruction to more instruction in phonemic awareness” (p. 36).
advanced material. Each new level builds
on past learning; In another study, Torgesen et al. (2001)
 Direct instruction: Letter patterns, sight compared LiPS to a similar, intensive
words and context clues are directly and intervention called Embedded Phonics (EP)
explicitly taught, with constant student- to assess the relative effectiveness of both
teacher interaction; programs as a remedial intervention for
 Cognitive strategies instruction: students with severe reading disabilities. Post-
Mnemonic labels are given to phonemes intervention results indicated that students
that occur in similar positions in the who were randomly assigned to both groups
mouth to facilitate retrieval and experienced a dramatic increase in reading
production (i.e. “Lip Poppers” to the ability. Particularly they improved in their
plosives /b/ and /p/). As ability to apply phonemic decoding strategies
phonemic/articulatory awareness is to unknown words compared to a control
taught, self-correction and self- group receiving regular special needs
monitoring are used to ensure reading education.
accuracy;
 Guided discovery techniques: Another study conducted on Kindergarteners
Individuals explore physical movements at risk of reading failure showed LiPS
associated with sounds, using their own program (formerly ADD) to boost word
senses to hear, see and feel English recognition skills. Investigations on students
speech sounds. with Learning Disability between the ages of
8 to 10 have showed interventions using LiPS
5. In what types of settings should the to improve reading skills dramatically
LiPS program be used? (Pokorni, Worthington, Jamison, 2004).
LiPS-4 can be used in small group or one-on-
one settings. It can be used by teachers LiPS has thus been evaluated by
working with students in a whole class, small independently gathered research and support
groups or one-to-one. has been provided for its use.

6. To what extent has research shown the 7. What are the materials and costs
LiPS program to be useful? associated with the program?
LiPS is based on scientific research that
supports the explicit and systematic The complete LiPS-4 kit ($445) includes a
instruction of phonemic/phonological trainer’s manual (with DVD) and all student
awareness and phonemic decoding (Fletcher materials (15 Mouth Picture Magnets, 21
et al., 2007). Several independent research small colored squares magnets, 53 letter
studies have evaluated LiPS and have magnets and 3 blanks, 4 large colored squares
provided support for the efficacy of its magnets, 60 syllable magnets, and 11 1/4" x
instructional content and design. 30" white, tri-fold, magnetic write on-wipe
off board, 64 Playing Cards, 8 phonological
awareness and sequencing storybooks) and a
teacher's guide. Information is not available 7. Pearson Education Inc. (2011). LiPS-4 (LiPS:
on the cost of training for instructors. The Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® Program
for Reading, Spelling, and Speech - Fourth
Edition). Retrieved October 24, 2011, from
References
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decoding deficits in a group of severe dyslexics.
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Reading, Spelling, and Speech (LiPS). Retrieved
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National Institute of Child Health and Human
Reviewed by: Linda Iwenofu & Tina
Development.
Azarbad