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Developed by Barbara Wilson, Wilson Reading System® is distributed by Wilson Language Training. Address: 47 Old Webster Road, Oxford, MA 01540. Email: info@WilsonLanguage.com. Web: www.wilsonlanguage.com/w_wrs.htm. Telephone: (508) 368-2399.
The Wilson Reading System® was originally designed in 1988 to teach reading and writing to students who experienced difficulties with written language from upper elementary school through adulthood. Wilson Reading System® has been implemented in public and private schools, clinics, adult education classes, family literacy programs, and home school settings across the United States. In 2002 Fundations® was designed for students in kindergarten through third grade, building on the principles of the Wilson Reading System®. The number of students and schools using the Wilson Reading System® is not available.
The Wilson Reading System® has a daily 10-part lesson plan that builds on interaction between the teacher and student. It is divided into three blocks: parts one through five emphasize word study, parts six through eight emphasize spelling, and parts nine and 10 emphasize fluency and comprehension. The Wilson Reading System® teaches the structure of words in the English language focusing first on basic word skills and then on more complex language structure, including morphological principles. The program provides two levels of vocabulary. Level A uses reading material appropriate for younger or ESL students, while Level B is for older students. The intervention model can be used in reading classes, small groups, or tutorials, for 45–90 minute daily lessons in general or special education classrooms. The intensive model of 60–90 minute instruction in small groups or individually is recommended for the most challenged readers. The Wilson Reading System® provides teachers and students with materials necessary to implement the program, including a Wilson instructors' manual that helps the teacher prepare the daily lesson.
Training for Wilson Reading System® includes a formal professional development process. Offerings include an intensive program certification, workshops, videos, online education, and onsite visits for feedback. In addition, ongoing support, during and after training, is provided by phone, email, an annual national conference, and resources posted on the online Wilson Academy.
The Wilson Reading System® instructional sets range from $149 to $500. Materials for the teacher include an instructor manual, rules notebook, dictation books, assessment materials, instructional videos, and manipulatives (including sound and word cards). For $59, teachers can access additional lesson plans, demonstrations, and weekly current event stories with an annual subscription to Wilson Academy. Student materials are purchased separately and include text readers (Steps 1–12), workbooks, and a magnetic journal with letter tiles. Wilson provides different levels of professional development and support for teachers, offering in-service professional development to school districts as well as public workshops. A two-day public professional development course costs $325.
|Institute of Education Sciences
