WRS INTENSIVE Model / 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: WRS Overview Workshop or WRS Intervention Workshop within the last five years

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 30th percentile or below
• 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.
Individual Sites