At Wilson Language Training®, our Literacy Specialists are seasoned educators who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to support schools, districts, and educational organizations. With a deep understanding of Structured Literacy instruction and a passion for helping students and empowering teachers, they play a critical role in ensuring the successful implementation of Wilson® programs.
Katrina Ruiz, a Literacy Specialist based in Miami, Florida, embodies this mission. With a distinguished career that includes roles as a special education department coordinator, intervention specialist, and student support team chair, Katrina’s dedication to literacy education and her belief in the transformative power of Wilson programs continue to make a profound impact on students and educators alike.
I began my career in education with Teach For America in Miami, teaching first and second grade in a dual-language classroom. Over the next 15 years, I worked across grades K-8 in special education and intervention, serving the dynamic communities of the South Bronx and East Harlem in New York City. These experiences shaped my unwavering commitment to ensuring all students receive the support they need to thrive in literacy and beyond.
My journey with Wilson began when I became a Wilson Reading System® (WRS) Certified Instructor and completed the Facilitator Certification process for Fundations®. From the start, I admired Wilson’s mission and always aspired to join the organization full time. Today, as a Literacy Specialist, I’m fortunate to be able to bring my passion and expertise to schools, where I coach teachers and administrators on implementing Wilson programs effectively.
Wilson’s vision of “literacy for all” resonates deeply with me. In my role, I have the privilege of coaching and supporting educators in the classroom, which directly impacts students’ reading and writing proficiency. Witnessing the growth and confidence of both teachers and students throughout the school year is incredibly rewarding. There’s nothing quite like seeing a student who struggled in the fall actively participating and thriving by spring.
One of my most memorable experiences was modeling a lesson for a class in which a student who only spoke Spanish shared a sentence in their native language. I translated it for the class, and the student’s face lit up with pride. Moments like these remind me of the inclusive power of Wilson programs to support every learner.
A particularly inspiring success story involved a student who began the year with limited English proficiency. By April, she had mastered her first- and second-grade sight words and was confidently explaining how to spell words with suffixes during lessons.
Wilson works because it’s rooted in the science and research of how children learn to read. Every program component is intentional—from the placement of letter cards on the board to the seamless progression of lessons. This thoughtful design gives educators a clear roadmap to deliver effective literacy instruction and empowers students to succeed.
Educators often rave about how engaging and hands-on Wilson’s programs are. They love characters like Mama Echo and Baby Echo in Fundations, and they appreciate how the materials make lessons enjoyable while delivering results. I’ve heard countless stories about the decrease in students needing further interventions after completing Fundations in K-3 and how students are eager to engage in their learning because they see their progress as readers and writers.
The Fundations Readers are exactly the books I dreamed of having in my classroom when I was teaching. Although my students were eager to read different texts, they needed targeted practice on the skills and concepts being taught in class–and the books we had at the time left a lot to be desired.
Fundations Readers are directly aligned to the Fundations Scope and Sequence and feature a variety of stories and nonfiction subjects, giving students the opportunity to authentically engage with interesting, highly controlled decodable text. I had the privilege of being on the team which developed the Level 2 series and my former students and those I see now were top of mind as we discussed ideas and wrote the storylines.
The Fundations Learning Community is an invaluable resource for teachers. It offers everything from expert tips to demo videos—providing educators with answers and support at their fingertips. Fundations fluency drills are one of my personal favorites for targeted practice. They’re incredibly versatile, helping build accuracy, automaticity, and fluency, while incorporating vocabulary practice. Students love tracking their progress, and it was always a favorite tool in my small groups.
I recommend reading the introductions to each Unit in the Teacher’s Manual. They provide so much helpful background information and insights to support your instruction. Using the Activity Cue Cards will help you familiarize yourself with the procedures and build confidence in implementation.
Consistency is key, as is providing struggling readers with the scaffolds they need. Most importantly, make it fun! Struggling readers know it’s hard, but when we bring joy into the process, they feel empowered to take risks and grow.
A willingness to always learn and a desire to maintain the integrity of the program by teaching with fidelity. We are constantly learning and can always improve our practices, and those who are open to it always experience the greatest successes in their classes.
Looking back on my teaching journey, I would tell my former self to give myself grace. Everything won’t be perfect the first, second, or even tenth time—but trust that it will work. Have fun, and let your students see your enthusiasm for learning.
As a child, I loved reading the Goosebumps series and dreamed of becoming a writer and artist.