The Importance of Authentic Professional Development for Teaching Wilson^® Programs

At Wilson we know that when the Wilson Reading System^® and the other Wilson programs, Fundations^®, Just Words^®, and Fluency^®, are delivered with fidelity and as prescribed by a qualified teacher or tutor, they work. We also know that a critical factor for student success is teacher knowledge. Therefore, we are committed to upholding the highest standards for Wilson^® training and certification.

Without fidelity, we cannot guarantee that the instruction will be effective, and the student’s learning may suffer as a result. Wilson believes so strongly in the principle of “teaching with fidelity,” that our mission statement focuses on professional development:

“Our mission is to provide quality professional development and ongoing support so that educators have the skills and tools they need to help their students become fluent, independent readers, who are ready to explore the endless possibilities the world of reading has to offer.”

It is very important that schools, districts, and parents be able to distinguish between official Wilson training of teachers and tutors and any other training that uses Wilson materials but is otherwise NOT official Wilson training.

Official Wilson training is delivered in accordance with guidelines and standards set by Wilson Language Training (WLT) and by a credentialed Wilson^® Trainer or Wilson^® Literacy Specialist.  The requirements to achieve the status of Wilson Trainer or Literacy Specialist are significant and typically take three years to complete in addition to a full year Trainer internship.  Wilson Trainers and Literacy Specialists must have an advanced degree, have substantial experience in the education field, and be proficient in Wilson programs through extensive training. 

Other than WLT, only In-District Partners (qualified school districts under contract with Wilson), and Accredited Wilson Partners are licensed to deliver Wilson training to teachers and tutors. To become a Wilson Training Partner, an organization must successfully complete a robust accreditation review process. Prerequisites include having a qualified Wilson Trainer on staff or available by contract. Other than these partners, Wilson does not allow an organization to provide Wilson^® training.  WLT vigorously protects against others delivering Wilson Training in order to maintain the integrity of our programs.

Certification

We strongly recommend that students needing intense remediation with the Wilson Reading System receive instruction from a Wilson^® certified teacher. You can verify that a teacher or tutor is a Wilson certified teacher by contacting the Wilson Customer Service Center at 800-899-8454 or info@wilsonlanguage.com.

WRS Level I certification requires completion of a prerequisite WRS Introductory Workshop, a minimum 60-hour supervised practicum, a 90-hour word study online course, and student pre- and post-testing reports. During the process, each trainee acquires a very sophisticated working knowledge of the sound-symbol system of English and its structure, as well as the use of specific diagnostic techniques in teaching reading and spelling. As part of their training, teachers receive verbal and written feedback, in at least five observations, about their lesson planning and delivery as well as expert modeling from a certified Wilson Trainer usually over the course of one school year. This is the only process by which someone can become WRS certified.

Level II Certification is an advanced Wilson certification that prepares teachers to successfully deliver the program to small groups of students as well as teach advanced concepts of language structure.

While some teachers with multisensory structured language training have been able to use the WRS program and materials with a degree of success after attending the three-day WRS Introductory Workshop, they are not considered trained in the Wilson Reading System. Our policy to recommend only Wilson Level I or Level II certified teachers is our way of assuring the integrity of the program and that it is being implemented in the way it was designed. Only Level I or Level II certified individuals can represent themselves as Wilson certified teachers.