Wilson Reading System^® 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

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.

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.

School districts and organizations implementing the Wilson Intensive Model are able to enroll a minimum of 10 individuals in a certification course. In addition to the online seminar instruction, participants attend a Start-Up Seminar introducing the course and five Implementation Meetings throughout the course of the school year. A Wilson trainer also observes each teacher/student pair five times, and provides written and verbal feedback. Tuition costs $1,100 per participant, $1,200 for the Start-Up seminar, and $1,200 for all of the implementation meetings, plus costs for Wilson Trainer expenses. If interested, please call (508) 368-2399.

Individuals seeking WRS Level I Certification are required to participate in the WRS Steps 1-6 online seminar course and practicum, in which the participant must travel to a Wilson Certification Site (with practicum student) for 5 observation appointments with a Wilson Trainer. Cost is $1,100 for tuition. (See available Certification Centers for individuals.)