I just wanted to say a massive thank you to you Lou.
After working with you one to one, Georgie has now started reading to herself at bedtime and picking her own chapter books to read for enjoyment.
This is MASSIVE milestone for a little girl who has been reluctant to read for so long.
Thank you!
Nikki Lawrence
July 2024
" Lou has been absolutely amazing in helping our sone, Kyle. He is 11 years old and has been working with Lou for about a year now.
Kyle can now achieve his reading effortlessly. Before, he couldn't read at all and now he can finish a short chapter.
Kyle's spelling and writing skills have improved tremendously.
Lou has worked with Kyle on his ability to understand himself, and she has taken the time to build up his confidence as he had struggled throughout school..
Finding Lou has been the best outcome for our son and I can't thank her enough. We have a very happy, intelligent wee lad who's enjoying life.
Sandra June 2024.
"
Our son (14 y with a reading age of 7-8 years) started work with Louise a few weeks ago. He has severe dyslexia and can write almost nothing without directly copying work. He refuses to read and was becoming disengaged in some classes at school.
To say we were shocked by the progress he has made to date would be a huge
understatement!!
As a scientist by background I am not easily persuaded by things which can't be backed up with concrete evidence. But Alfie very happily and easily read 2 pages of Diary of a Wimpy kid to me yesterday morning!
His reading pace was almost normal and he struggled with only 2 words.
Not only is working with Louise unlocking the pathway which was preventing him from reading he is also SO pleased with himself and this has massively boosted his confidence at school.
He is beginning to spell and write texts confidently.
We just keep pinching ourselves at the change.
While he still has a way to go he is making exponential progress with this approach.
We can't thank Louise enough."
Jennifer
June 2024
Our 7-year-old son attended online lessons with Lou, and she was just brilliant with him. Her patience and kind demeanor made my son feel very comfortable and learn whilst still being himself.
He now loves reading and can spend hours reading his favourite books.
Thank you. We are all very grateful for your help and support.
Zaib. June 2024
“Louise has super-powers, there is no other way to describe what she has done for my son. Approachable, informative, intuitive, an expert in her field and creative skills. She has managed to achieve what we thought was impossible. Would recommend her a million times over.
My son is 13 and had developed a fear of reading, he just seemed to so repulsed at the thought and had been like it for many years. It was holding him back in other areas especially the older he was becoming.
Louise stuck with him while he struggled and showed him ways to help, she built his confidence and by the end of our sessions he had read an entire book and was looking forward to beginning the next one. It was a total transformation, far exceeding our expectations.
Thank you so, so much Louise".
Sara Robinson
"The work you have done with TM is nothing short of miraculous.
You've taken a 14-year-old-boy with a reading age of about 6 and extremely low self-esteem to a confident reader who needs no help to read in class!
He no longer has a reader in tests and is now proud of what he's achieved.
As a fellow practitioner, working with TM, the difference is truly amazing, and I can't thank you enough.
He recently told me about his exam results for this year: his lowest score was 80%! He's finally able to reach his potential. "
Jane Stratton..
“A has grown in confidence with her reading. She now enjoys reading her school reading books every day. Louise's great techniques through the Breakthrough Dyslexia Programme have encouraged us to love learning together. In the past this has always been a great challenge to A!"
Sarah H
"Feeling amazed and a bit overwhelmed and so very grateful!...
I have been struggling with dyslexia all my life! Although I have worked hard at it and can read and write. I struggled to remember or make sense of anything I just read. Today I spent some time with an amazing woman Lou Barnes who has been fixing this using NLP. I knew others could see stuff with reading I just didn't get. So, I went with an open mind. Lou was able to help me unlock and open something that just wasn't there before. Then it just all fell into place and beautifully flowed. It was quite emotional. The black and white words on the page that I struggled with became a story unfolding in my head that I could see, understand and remember! I'm still overwhelmed as I didn't realise it was like that. It only happened today but I'm so inspired now I know what is possible.
If you, or you know of anyone that is struggling, please, please let them know it doesn't have to be like that. It’s so simple it’s like a magic switch that works!
Thank you just isn't enough.”
Louise R.
Hi Louise,
I thought you’d love to know that while we’re away in London this weekend, I suggested to Idris that it would be a good time to have a go at using the skills you’ve taught him. For the first time ever, he’s picked up his ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ book and is reading it. He’s read up to page 13 this evening.
I’m so very proud of Idris and have happy tears. We had a big hug and I told him I’m proud of him, and that it’s his hard work with you that’s led him to this point.
He said he found it much easier to read, he read faster, and it wasn’t as tiring as usual.
Thank you ever so much, Louise! Your lessons have made him see his dyslexic brain in a new light. He told me the other night, that for the first time, he sees dyslexia as a positive, rather than a negative.
Elaine (an extremely proud mummy)
My son was diagnosed with dyslexia at the start of his second year at uni, and I felt helpless in knowing how to help him and guilty that he'd struggled with his GCSEs and A Levels without us knowing he'd had these issues, but actually the diagnosis explained everything he'd battled with over the years.
I had no idea where to turn but by chance I saw a comment Lou had posted on a dyslexia Facebook group page and I arranged a phone call with her. It was a leap of faith. I had no idea if she could help my son, but it was worth a try.
I needed't have worried. My son just connected with her straight away and took on board what she was suggesting and actually found he could read things better almost immediately.
Lou also unlocked his mindset and found a way that he was comfortable with in revising for his exams. It was a wonderful breakthrough. Lou worked with him for his next exam on a subject she wasn't familiar with, but the confidence it gave my son was invaluable. For the first time ever, he was revising and he actually passed his exam.
I'm forever grateful to Lou for her help and the confidence she gave my son. We're not there yet, but his journey now doesn't have so many bumps in the road!
100% recommend her.
Sally .
“Since beginning with Lou,I've noticed a great improvement in my comprehension skills, as I've gone from reading a page and being frustrated because I can't remember any of it to being able to read chapters at a time and finding it enjoyable as well as being able to recall all of what I've read.
Lou has unlocked the skills I needed to pursue different pathways which I didn't think were possible before, such as going to university and furthering my education."
Sophie
Now at university and training to become a teacher.
My son has had a wonderful experience with Louise. He enjoyed every session. Lou is fun, professional, friendly, approachable, patient and an expert.
My son's confidence has improved. He is finally finding reading and comprehension easier and less tiring. For the first time, he isn't nervous to go back to school after the summer holidays and is feeling positive about the academic year ahead. He is looking forward to using all the techniques and tips taught by Lou.
Many thanks to you Lou. You are fantastic! x"
Elaine U.
"We have just finished our course with Lou.
What an amazing transformation in my daughter's reading!
We couldn't get through a page without a fight or meltdown.
My daughter couldn't remember the same words from one page to another. She is now wanting to read and doing so almost fluently. She has gained so much confidence as a result of Lou. I can't thank her enough for what she's done to change my daughter's educational growth. I highly recommend anyone with reading issues to check the course out and give it a go. we are so thankful we did!"
Kate
“
"Hi Louise,
Darcy definitely wants to write more and she is a lot more confident in reading, we are regularly reading more (sometimes a school book in one now) and she is at ease when reading too.
She really loves your sessions together. I never have to encourage her to join them. She actively wants to do the sessions. "
Laura
"I highly recommend Lou Barnes (Unlock learning). We are almost at the end of our sessions with her and my daughter now picks up a book to read (something she wouldn't do before these sessions). Lou's zoom sessions have worked well for us, she's great with the children and works round any barriers you come across on the journey with her."
Sarah
"Our youngest boy, Seth, has just turned 10 and has always really struggled with reading and writing. He’s dyslexic and we now also have a Meares-Irlen syndrome diagnosis.
Previous attempts to help Seth with reading usually resulted in temper tantrums, tears and exhaustion for all parties. Progress at school had pretty much stopped, with Seth refusing to take part in group reading activities and all areas of schoolwork and behaviour were suffering.
We first discussed working with Lou after meeting in a social setting, with Lou being sure she could offer some help to Seth. I was sceptical at first, as Seth has never been receptive to additional help as he doesn’t want to be “different” from his classmates. We have one session per week, online, after school. Some of the methods seemed a bit “out there” for me, with Seth creating an imaginary chameleon that could magically stop the letters moving about on the page.
Now, after working with Lou, Seth’s progress has been amazing. He’s reading with my every night (books of his choosing with us sharing the reading). His confidence with reading has been the biggest change. He isn’t scared to have a go now, whereas before a full page of text would have been too intimidating. It’s made such a difference to Seth that it actually has brough tears to my eyes. I’m so happy that a whole new world had been opened up for him. Seth’s behaviour at school has improved and we are now looking forward to Seth catching up with his classmates, as he is very bright and has a real thirst for knowledge.
Lou’s work with Seth has given him enough of a leg up to get out of the rut he was in. She listened to him and too the time understand where he was struggling and introduced techniques to overcome the problems. He still has a long way to go, but now he is embracing the learning, it means that he can make progress every day at home and at school. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Lou to families that are facing issues with dyslexia and other learning issues."
Danny
“It clicked even more, today - he (age 13) started hearing himself a bit more and got the sound pattern. We did word families et, if, it, etc., and for the first time, he got the rhyming rhythm of it and said his brain was smart!
I'm not sure I will ever be able to thank you enough for what you've done for us.
Your enthusiasm and acceptance, knowledge, and creativity make it all a fun quest into literacy.“
Katy Ryan
“I was recommend to approach Louise by a friend. My name is Danny Brown I am 41 years of age.
I struggled all my life with literacy and numeracy and always got away with winging it . Until I was put in a situation like lions to the den.
I was put in a position by no fault of my own to manage a business. Basically chucked in at the deep end. I tried to deal with it for example I would always get some one to look at letters and deal with problems for me as I never had the confidence to read it or understand it.
Since I have carried out my training programme with Louise. I can honestly say she has changed my life for the better.
She has taught me to retrain my brain and clear my head and thinking. Louise made me realise you are in control of your brain.
I am very pleased with my progress. I did not realise that there are lots of people like me.
I would highly recommend Louise Barnes. She has changed my life for the better".
Danny
“Louise has helped build my son's (age 15) confidence in his ability to learn, particularly with his spelling.
I think that it is a combination of her positive attitude and energy and skill using a variety of creative teaching methods to unlock potential.
The school that my son attends has reported an improvement in his literacy which is great news!”
Jane
“Lou was immediately approachable and was adamant she could help our daughter who had not been officially diagnosed with dyslexia, even though it was clear that she needed help. Our daughter described that when she looked at words on a page, they were always “blurberry.”
We engaged Lou, and she felt that we would need 2-3 sessions with a couple of follow-up sessions afterwards. After just one session, the “blurberry” which our daughter described had disappeared and the relief on her face was a picture. It has not returned. She also had another issue of flashing lights which took a few sessions to deal with, but each time Lou came up with another solution and after the third option, our daughter no longer has this issue either.
We would highly recommend Lou, and although what she provides is not a low-cost option, it has helped to cure our daughter of her most difficult issues.”
Karen
“Hi - my name is Fiona and I am a junior at Haddon Township High School in NJ. I found out I had dyslexia at age 16 my sophomore year in high school. It was a bit of a shock but a relief to finally understand what was happening.
Over the fall of 2021, I took the dyslexia training with Louise. It has been such a help and amazing. Math is so much easier because I can finally copy down the problems and do the right problems correctly. English is so much better because I can comprehend what I am reading. I don't need to re-read it 5 times just to barely understand, I can actually read it once and comprehend the information that I am reading. I also stopped having headaches when doing my homework.
My grades have improved since the last marking period. “
Fiona
"Louise was recommended to me by a teacher at my son's school. He was struggling with all aspects of English but particularly spelling which was having a knock-on effect on all of his school-work. As there is a strong family history of dyslexia I was anxious to get the right sort of help.
When Louise arrived she asked me to sit with her and my son Max. With the introductions out the way, Louise asked Max to imagine an object and then asked him questions about it. I wondered if she was absolutely crazy, however when she explained the significance it all became clear.
In that same lesson Louise taught Max how to learn and remember a six- letter word. After just a few seconds he had all the letters, and in the correct order. I was amazed.
Where reading is concerned Louise explained that the brain works in mysterious ways and how to make the most of it for reading. Max’s reading in that first lesson was the best reading I had heard from him. It was a very emotional experience for me and it was then that I knew I had made the right decision in asking her to help my son.
Max is progressing well with Louise's expert help and her ability to adapt her teaching style to accommodate how he as an individual learns best. Max actually enjoys reading now and is making fewer mistakes. With Louise's guidance and encouragement he gains in both confidence and enthusiasm. He will write proper paragraphs for his homework, instead of 3 lines!
His writing is also steadily improving and I am now confident that he can, and will, achieve. Something that I previously was very concerned about."
Hannah
“I was amazed at how quickly Louise identified the root cause of my son's difficulties with spelling.
She has given us some techniques to unlock his potential. He has been less fearful of spelling since we saw her.
He also says that the words no longer jump around on the page when he's reading.”
Susan
“My son, Luke, didn't like school. He didn't understand why he was there. He used to say he didn't fit in and he wasn't like all his friends because he didn't understand letters or numbers.
Luke got to year 3 without being able to read or write very well at all. It got to the point where Luke was always ill and just not the boy we knew at home.
Then we met Louise Barnes. We had our first session with her. She started by using imagining questions, like games, which Luke really enjoyed. After that Louise taught him a new way to look at a word. She chose the word rhythm then to my surprise she asked Luke to spell it. Louise asked him to look at a spot above the door. He did, and he spelt 'rhythm' forwards and backwards!
Once Luke had been taught what to do Louise tried more words with him. Every time she did it he could spell them. Luke was able to do this again in the classroom. He could use the technique and remember the words.
After only a few weeks Luke started to read and write basic text. His confidence went sky high. After a month he had the 'I can do it' mindset. After a few months Luke enjoyed reading. He now reads books every night and enjoys talking about the books. Some of the books he has read are: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Wizard of Oz and Black Beauty.
I never thought he would ever enjoy books but he just needed to understand how to see the words clearly. Louise seemed to understand Luke and made him feel good about how his brain worked. Luke wasn't different to anyone else; he was just as good. Louise told Luke that he had just needed the right instructions for his brain and it has worked.”
Charlotte
Contact
Copyright © 2023 Unlock Learning