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Wilson Training Opportunities |
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We work with Wilson Language Training to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the Wilson Reading teaching strategies. This comprehensive professional development effort includes workshops, implementation seminars, and program certification supported by expert Wilson trainers.
Wilson Reading System® Professional Development
Wilson provides several levels of professional development and support for teachers using the Wilson Reading System (WRS), including a ten-hour Overview Workshop, an Intervention Workshop and Intensive professional development with Level I and Level II certification.
In addition, teachers have the advantage of Wilson Academy , a dynamic online resource with access to robust course content and additional instructional material. Not only is this support available where and when needed, it also enables teachers to create a positive learning community.
WRS®Introductory Workshop / Applied Methods
This 15-hour Applied Methods Workshop provides the practice and guidance needed to effectively begin implementing the Wilson Reading System in our Intervention Model setting. The Intervention Model targets students beyond grade 3 who are reading or spelling below grade level and is implemented in small groups and reading classes in the general education classroom, after-school and volunteer programs, literacy and adult education settings.
WRS Introductory Workshop / Applied Methods
This 15-hour workshop presents multisensory structured language principles and techniques of the WRS program. It provides hands-on and practical training to teachers implementing the WRS Intervention Model. The training includes:
• Reading research
• 10 Critical Points of the Wilson Reading System
• Principles of language structure
• Teaching with direct, multisensory methods
• Program implementation
• Group lesson instruction
• Blocks 1, 2, and 3 of the WRS Lesson Plan – modeling and practice
• Student placement
• Scheduling
• Keys for success and pacing
• Progress monitoring
• Practice using Wilson Assessment for Decoding and Encoding (WADE)
WRS Introductory Workshop / Applied Methods Workshop Schedule
11/07/2007 - 11/09/2007 8:30 am - 2:30 pm WRS Introductory Workshop / Applied Methods
Greenville, SC Cost $300
You may register by calling The Literacy and Learning Center at 864-855-0122 or send an email to the information section of this website.
Registration is required before the event and is processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment is due at the time of registration. Materials are sold separately. Payment is refundable up to 14 days prior to the event date, less a $25 processing fee. A confirmation letter will be sent with directions.
While we make every effort to conduct professional development events on the dates and locations advertised, they are subject to change without prior notice. The Literacy & Learning Center reserves the right to change or cancel a professional development event due to low enrollment or factors beyond our control. We will attempt to notify registrants to limit customer inconvenience but we are not liable for any expenses incurred.
Upon Completion
Teachers are able to begin using the Wilson Reading System in a reading class or small group setting with students reading and spelling below grade level. However, participants are not considered trained in the Wilson Reading System. The Introductory / Applied Methods Workshop fulfills the prerequisite requirement for Wilson Academy membership and WRS certification training.
Follow-Up Support
Following the Introductory Workshop, intervention model teachers enroll in Wilson Academy/BASIC for ongoing support. This online resource provides direct guidance and teacher resources for each WRS Step.
An optional in-depth Steps 1-6 online course is appropriate for Intervention teachers through the Academy/INTERVENTION membership.
Implementation visits for coaching and feedback can be provided as needed with trainer availability.
Why Wilson Certification
The Wilson Reading System (WRS) is a highly-structured multisensory language program based on Orton-Gillingham principles and philosophy for teaching reading and spelling. The teaching plan is based on continuous assessment of the students’ needs.
A critical factor for student success is teacher knowledge. Teachers must have an in-depth knowledge of the speech sound system and must know how our written language represents spoken English. In addition to language structure, teachers also need to master how to teach using multisensory and diagnostic techniques.
WRS is successful with students who have a language-based learning disability, such as dyslexia, as well as those who are reading below grade level because of word-level deficits. It is strongly recommended that students who require intensive instruction receive instruction with a highly-skilled WRS teacher.
Improving Student Achievement
The ultimate goal is to improve student achievement. By increasing teachers’ efficacy and skill, WRS certification helps to do just that, as indicated by several reports. Data from pre- and posttests of 220 students with language learning disabilities in grades 3-12 were analyzed. The average gain for Word Attack was 4.6 grade levels, Passage Comprehension was 1.6 grade levels, and Total Reading was 1.9 grade levels. At the time of instruction, the teachers were enrolled in WRS certification(O’Connor and Wilson, 1995). Similar student improvements were observed by Dr. Frank Wood, et al. (2002), in his analysis of pre- and posttest data.
WRS Level I Certification
Certification provides extensive training and support enabling teachers to effectively implement the program with integrity. Certification includes approximately 90 hours of online instruction, a 60-lesson practicum, including demonstration, observation and feedback from a Wilson trainer. The time, effort andstudy involved with this program are considerable. Each trainee is expected to acquire a very sophisticated working knowledge of the sound-symbol systemof English (phonology) and its structure (morphology), as well as the use of specific diagnostic techniques in teaching reading and spelling. To learn more about certification and other professional development opportunities go to: http://www.wilsonlanguage.com/w_training.htm
Individuals who successfully meet all requirements of this certification training receive WRS certification (Level I). Wilson also offers an advanced certification program (Level II) to prepare teachers to successfully deliver the program to groups of students, and teach advanced concepts of language structure.
Wilson Reading System® Level I Certification
The Level I Certification course is designed to prepare teachers to effectively implement Steps 1-6 of the Wilson Reading System with students reading and spelling below grade level and those diagnosed with a language-based learning disability. Participants will demonstrate mastery of the Wilson lesson plan, including multisensory techniques and effective strategies in a 1:1 setting.
Level I Certification
Wilson Level I Certification involves online and Wilson Trainer seminar instruction, and at minimum, a 60-lesson practicum with a student who falls between the 5th to the 30th percentile with a minimum total reading score of 2.0.
A Wilson Trainer conducts a Start-Up Seminar at the beginning of the course. This seminar provides direction in student pretesting and selection, a demonstration lesson and instruction in a computer lab introducing the WRS Steps 1-6 Course.
Additionally, the trainer meets with the training group for five implementation meetings scheduled through the school year. A Wilson Trainer visits each teacher/student pair five times during the school year, and provides demonstrations and observations with written and verbal feedback.
Level I Certification in the Wilson Reading System requires:
• Seminar attendance: WRS Steps 1-6 Course
• Practicum: 1:1 Student Instruction with a minimum of 60 lessons of instruction with a lesson plan for each lesson (student must be approved by a Wilson Trainer)
• Five Teacher/Student observations as scheduled by the Wilson Trainer (each observation approximately one hour in length)
• Pretesting report, including educational history and current test results of practicum student
• Development of teacher’s and student’s notebook and student’s written work in accordance with WLT program standards
• Demonstration of mastered lesson plan procedures (documented by Wilson Trainer)
• Demonstration of understanding of language concepts through accurate teaching with multisensory procedures
• Demonstration of student success and mastery of decoding/encoding skills
• Completion of postesting and submission of practicum student report after 60 lessons and achievement of Step 4.2
Prerequisite: A WRS Introductory Workshop / Overview or Applied Methods (formerly called WRS Intervention Workshop) must have been completed within the last five years. These workshops introduce participants to the philosophy and methodology of the Wilson Reading System.
Materials: Starter Kit
Practicum Student Selection Criteria
Listed below are practicum student criteria that should be determined from school records and current testing with the WADE as well as a formal reading test. The Word Identification and Spelling Test (WIST), Woodcock Reading Mastery Test, Woodcock-Johnson-R, Woodcock Johnson III, or Woodcock Diagnostic Reading Battery is recommended. A similar, individualized reading assessment may be substituted if it provides information regarding decoding, comprehension and total reading. Testing must be completed for selection in either late spring or early September.
• Student entering grades 4-12 (grade 3 approved if student has been retained)
• Overall cognitive ability in average range (minimum IQ = 80)
• Overall reading must be ranked in the 5th to 30th percentile with a minimum total reading score of 2.0
• Student’s listening comprehension ability is higher compared to independent reading comprehension
• Student has poor decoding and spelling
• Student must be available to be scheduled at minimum three to four 45-minute lessons, two to three 60-minute lessons, or two to three 90-minute lessons (1:1) per week
• The practicum student must not have any previous Wilson instruction
The practicum situation works best when the selected student has a consistent attendance record and does not have overriding emotional or behavioral issues.
This requirement that the practicum student be entering grades 4-12 is necessary for the purposes of certified training, so that students can meet other prerequisite requirements. The Wilson Reading System is an appropriate remedial approach for students in grades 2 - adult, even if they are non-readers.
Upon Completion
Participants who have demonstrated mastery of the Wilson lesson plan, including multisensory techniques and effective strategies for working 1:1, receive a WRS Level I certificate. Participants completing this program may present WRS informational seminars (up to 3 hours) and represent themselves as Wilson Level I certified tutors, but are not qualified as Wilson Trainers.
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