The Wilson History
Barbara Wilson developed the Wilson Reading System while working with
adults at Massachusetts General Hospital's Language Disorders Unit, and
with students in her private tutoring practice. After several years as
a special educator in public schools in Massachusetts, Barbara completed
training in the Orton-Gillingham approach at the MGH Language Disorders
Unit. She remained at the hospital for five years working with adults
with dyslexia. In 1985 she and her husband, Edward, founded the Wilson
Learning Center and three years later published the Wilson Reading System.
In the course of her work, Barbara observed that many students disbelieved
that English could be made understandable to them. So, she developed the
Wilson Reading System to teach students the structure of words in a systematic
and cumulative manner. Following this system helps students to trust that
they can learn English within the system, and ultimately, deal with the
irregularities of the language.
By 1992, because of the success of the program, the primary focus changed
from private tutoring to teacher training. Wilson Language Training offers
training to teachers in schools throughout the country. WLT offers ongoing
supervision for educators interested in completing a certification program.
The certification program includes coursework as well as supervised work
with a student for a minimum of sixty (60) lessons of instruction during
Level I training, and one hundred (100) lessons plus 20 seminar hours
for Level II training. A certified Wilson Trainer observes lessons and
provides feedback; currently, there are one hundred thirty (130) certified
Wilson Trainers located throughout the country. Each year, an additional
twenty trainers conduct internships.
Ten years of data collection from school districts experiencing success
using WRS led to the creation of Fundations, a research-based program
designed to bring explicit, cumulative, systematic, and multisensory reading
instruction to K-3 general education classrooms. Published in 2002, Fundations
has been implemented as a prevention and early intervention program in
school districts across the country.
As the benefits of the Wilson Reading System® become more and more
evident, the demand for greater access to courses and teacher support
continues to grow. The result has led to the creation of Wilson Academy.
Open to all individuals who have completed the Wilson Overview Workshop,
Wilson Academy is a highly developed online resource. Designed to provide
additional support to the Wilson Reading System community, participants
can choose from three professional development tracks, including Level
1 certification. Now, with the advent of Wilson Academy, teachers, tutors
and administrators can take advantage of increased Wilson Reading System
resources, as well as acquire the skills necessary to best help those
with reading disabilities.
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| A teacher training session from summer 1999 for Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston, MA |