Category Archives: Dyslexia

Building Reading Skills and Confidence

| January 14, 2021
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/building-reading-skills-and-confidence/

Research shows that the sooner children with dyslexia or other reading difficulties receive effective intervention, the more receptive their growing brains will be to mastering the complex rules of written language. Moreover, early intervention may avert years of frustration before a cycle of reading failure and low self-esteem sets in. This rings true with Anna C., a Massachusetts fifth grader who was formally diagnosed with dyslexia at the end of first grade and has grown up with an optimistic attitude toward her neurodiversity. This positive outlook is inspired by her family’s approach t [...]

Conquering Dyslexia, Together

| December 21, 2020
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/conquering-dyslexia-together/

Children often follow in a parent’s footsteps when it comes to interests and careers. For Cassie Clark and her 12-year-old daughter, Gina, it was the reverse. Gina showed signs of learning difficulties before kindergarten. She was diagnosed with dyslexia in second grade and began intensive intervention with a Wilson Reading System® (WRS) instructor at her public elementary school outside Chicago. As her daughter’s literacy skills grew, Cassie became intrigued by  the effectiveness of Wilson’s multisensory structured literacy instruction and wanted to learn more. “We were amazed by [...]

Keep Moving Forward

| December 1, 2020
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/keep-moving-forward/

The Rowley family of five shares a unique configuration of hereditary traits that affect all aspects of their lives. Yet the medical and learning challenges they face daily do not stop them from embracing life with fortitude and a can-do attitude, while serving others along the way. “Our family is really complex. We’re a rare genetic family and we each have our own challenges,” shared mother Michelle. She and her husband Allan Rowley, M.D., are raising sons Aden (15) and Alec (13) and daughter Anna (10), to tackle adversity, including dyslexia and other learning disabilities, with tenac [...]

A Leap of Faith

| November 24, 2020
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/a-leap-of-faith/

Pat Shafer retired in 2016, but that didn’t stop her from teaching. Following two decades as a reading teacher in public and parochial schools, the idea of no longer sharing the gift of literacy with students was unfathomable. “I retired because I wanted more time to travel, but I knew I couldn’t leave working with kids behind,” shared Pat, a Wilson® Dyslexia Therapist (W.D.T.) and Fundations® Presenter for Levels K-3. Recognizing tremendous need in her community, Pat combined her passion for helping struggling readers with her extensive experience in Wilson programs to establish a [...]

The Sky’s the Limit

| November 17, 2020
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/the-skys-the-limit/

Ad Astra Per Aspera, Latin for “to the stars through adversity,” is how Adam Maidman describes his journey to the world of possibilities and opportunities that opened when he learned how to read. Diagnosed with severe dyslexia in elementary school while growing up in Connecticut, Adam’s trajectory from struggling reader to graduate student, first-year teacher, and self-proclaimed “history nerd” is embodied by a single sheet of paper. Framed and displayed above his desk, the Wilson Reading System® (WRS) Certificate of Completion he earned in seventh grade signifies a pivotal point i [...]

McDaniel College Partners with Wilson to Offer Online Dyslexia Certification

| July 10, 2020
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/mcdaniel-college-partners-with-wilson-to-offer-online-dyslexia-certification/

McDaniel College’s Reading Specialist: Literacy Leadership master’s degree program has partnered with Wilson Language Training to offer a new 10-credit dyslexia specialization, which includes Level I Certification in the Wilson Reading System® (WRS). McDaniel is the first higher education institution in Maryland to partner with Wilson to offer this online certification. The Wilson Reading System is an intensive reading program for students in grades 2-12 and adults with a language-based learning disability, such as dyslexia. Based on the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction, [...]

Sharing the Gift of Literacy

| May 12, 2020
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/sharing-the-gift-of-literacy/

At age 9, Michelle D. set a goal for her future self. When she was old enough, she vowed, she would drop out of school and leave the frustration and anxiety associated with learning to read behind her. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. Instead, new dreams are coming true for the 20-year-old New Hampshire resident. Diagnosed with a speech impediment at age five and dyslexia at age eight, Michelle struggled in elementary school. “I had this constant fear that I would get picked to read in class or have to go up to the board and write words that I had no clue how to read, never mind write, [...]

Putting Policy into Practice

| April 16, 2020
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/putting-policy-into-practice/

The First Step: Passing State Dyslexia Legislation State dyslexia legislation has the potential to provide much-needed support to help students with dyslexia. For example, such laws can mandate early screening to catch children before they experience failure in early grades. They can require teacher preparation and training to better support educators in their understanding of dyslexia and how to provide targeted instruction for their students. The good news is that in 2020, almost every state in the U.S. has either passed dyslexia legislation or has such legislation pending. Much of this leg [...]

Fairfield University Launches Online Dyslexia Interventionist Certificate

| April 2, 2020
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/fairfield-university-launches-online-dyslexia-interventionist-certificate/

As states continue to enact laws requiring public schools to accommodate the learning needs of students with dyslexia, the importance of preparing new and veteran teachers in effective, multisensory structured literacy is gaining ground as well. During this academic year, Fairfield University’s Graduate School of Education & Allied Professions launched a fully online, 10-credit certificate program in multisensory structured literacy instruction in partnership with Wilson Language Training. This new program expands opportunities for educators to effectively help students with dyslexia [...]