Effectiveness
Based on one study, LiPS® was found to have potentially positive effects on alphabetics and no discernible effects on comprehension. Findings on fluency and general reading achievement were not reported in the study.
Program Description
The Lindamood Phonemic Sequencing (LiPS)® program (formerly called the Auditory Discrimination in Depth® [ADD] program) is designed to teach students skills to decode words and to identify individual sounds and blends in words. Initial activities engage students in discovering the lip, tongue, and mouth actions needed to produce specific sounds. After students are able to produce, label, and organize the sounds, subsequent activities in sequencing, reading, and spelling use the oral aspects of sounds to identify and order them within words. The program also offers direct instruction in letter patterns, sight words, and context clues in reading. The LiPS® program is individualized to meet students’ needs and is often used with students who have learning disabilities or reading difficulties. The version of the program tested here involved computer-supported activities.
Research
One study of LiPS® meets What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards. The study included 150 first-grade students in five elementary schools. The WWC considers the extent of evidence for LiPS® to be small for alphabetics and comprehension. No studies that meet WWC standards with or without reservations addressed fluency or general reading achievement.
