Category Archives: Teacher Heroes

The literacy achievements made by Wilson® educators and students across the country have inspired us for more than three decades.  This past school year certainly was no exception, as Fundations®, Just Words®, and Wilson Reading System® (WRS) teachers, coaches, and trainers abruptly entered uncharted territory: distance learning.  During Teacher Appreciation Month in May, we received more than 800 tributes to teachers who make indelible impressions in the classroom, and more recently, through virtual instruction. Many powered through new COVID-19 rules and major life [...]

This spring, during Teacher Appreciation Month, we asked the greater Wilson®community to share their tributes to Wilson educators. We heard from educators across the country, as well as many parents who shared how Wilson Reading System® (WRS) teachers made a tremendous difference in the lives of their children. “Kristin C. is the reason my 16-year-old son can read,” shared Lisa A. of New York. “He was defeated and angry with reading and school in general…She refused to give up on him, all the while promoting his self-esteem and celebrating his accomplishments. He is now in honors [...]

From the country’s largest cities to its smallest towns, Wilson educators are going the extra mile to instill in their students strong literacy skills and a love for reading, making a lasting impression on their colleagues as well!  During Teacher Appreciation Month, more than 850 educators and parents shared how these inspiring Fundations®, Just Words®, and Wilson Reading System® teachers are rocking it in the classroom, and – given this unprecedented spring – from the home front. We thank everyone who wrote in to express the many attributes Wilson teachers hav [...]

In 2008, St. Joseph’s University (SJU) in Philadelphia embedded the Wilson Reading System® into its online graduate programs in special education. Over the past decade, many educators from Pennsylvania and beyond have selected this academic option to advance their professional goals. SJU’s collaboration with Wilson was spearheaded by Cathy Spinelli, former chair of the university’s special education department. The university offers four distinct master’s degree options in special education that include WRS certification. “Most of our graduate students are employed teachers,” ex [...]

Despite her own learning challenges in reading and math as a child, Evan Lefton knew at an early age she wanted to become a teacher after being inspired by a patient middle school teacher who recognized and encouraged her talent in writing. “As a child with a learning difference, I grew up in a time where there was one method, three oral reading groups (mine being the lowest), and many teachers who did not understand or have the patience for a ‘slow reader,’ she shared. “This was excruciatingly painful and embarrassing as a young girl, but it also lit my fire. I knew at an early age [...]