Continuing Your Work with Wilson Reading System Students During COVID-19 Closures

When facing a situation in which students need to be away from school for an extended period of time, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, teachers and schools will need to find ways to ensure that students receiving Wilson Reading System® instruction remain on track with their progress as much as possible. Wilson Language Training® recognizes that exploring how best to address the needs of your students in such a circumstance is important to you, while continuing to keep yourself, students, and other faculty members safe.

If teachers are looking for independent activities for at-home practice, please consider the following:

  • Recommendations for at-home activities: Expert Tip – WRS at Home
  • Printable Resources and Text Passages in Wilson Academy’s Intensive Learning Community for Wilson Reading System
    • At this time, we are pleased to provide you with 6 months of complimentary access to the Wilson Academy: Intensive Learning Community for Wilson Reading System.
    • If you don’t already have a Wilson Academy account, create one by visiting the Registration page for the Intensive Learning Community for Wilson Reading System. Once you are done, you will receive an email to finalize your registration.
    • Already have an account but forgot your username or password? Contact Customer Support at 800.899.8454 or via https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/contact-us/.
  • Explore the companion app for Wilson’s Just Words® program called Just Words InterActivities. This app aligns with the Just Words program specifically, but because the programs are based on the same principles of instruction, the drill sounds and build words screens that include letter tiles may be adapted for WRS instruction. First, you will need to enroll in the Wilson Academy Intervention Learning Community for Just Words. Visit that Registration Page to create a complimentary account if you don’t already have one.
  • The 3rd Edition Student Workbooks are also appropriate at-home activities. If students are already out of school and were sent home without their workbooks, we have provided access to these resources on the web and allow limited permission to electronically transmit to students: WRS 3rd Edition Student Workbooks.
  • We have also provided additional WRS passage packets for Steps 1-6 that can be shared directly with students to work on the important skill of fluency. See: WRS Resources – Steps 1-6 Passage Packets.

Although Wilson Reading System materials for teachers and students are specifically designed for in-person lesson delivery, your school or organization may decide to utilize an online meeting/instructional software program to connect with students remotely. If this is the case, it may be possible for teachers to temporarily provide direct instructional support or even deliver Wilson Reading System lessons with students within the established online environment. This approach would be best suited for students receiving Wilson Reading System lessons in a 1:1 setting; however, it may also be possible to effectively deliver a Wilson Reading System small-group lesson in some circumstances.

Keep in mind that for some instructional components of the Wilson Reading System, the student must have access to certain materials, such as the Magnetic Journal with tiles, the WRS Student Portfolio (including the Student Notebook and Student Dictation Notebook), and the Step-specific Student Reader. Other manipulatives such as Word Element and Syllable Cards or High Frequency Cards could be temporarily substituted with generic index cards for the student to use.

Wilson Language Training does not have any official recommendations for online meeting platforms for the purposes of Wilson Reading System instructional support or lesson activities, nor do we have any research or evidence to support the effectiveness of this mode of delivery. However, we are very supportive of any efforts directed at ensuring the continued progress of your students. We have posted a short video with tips on how to conduct a lesson via the web. See: Tips for WRS Online Lesson Delivery.

Finally, we have provided guidance for teachers enrolled in WRS Practicum Courses. Please review: What You Need to Know: Wilson Reading System® (WRS) Level I and Level II Practicum Courses.

Please note that following the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which addresses the flexibility that might be necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic, including any waivers from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) shared the following recommended flexibilities to the U.S. Department of Ed.

For more information and updates on COVID-19, please visit the CDC’s website.

Please reach out to us at 800.899.8454 with questions and concerns, and we will do our best to work together with you to ensure that your students have what they need to be successful, wherever they are. We recommend that you work with your school or school district directly to determine if an online solution is appropriate for your situation.

 

 

 

Copyright Notice

Although Wilson Language Training would not consider it an infringement to transmit an image of Wilson materials via WebEx™, Skype, Zoom, or similar technology, it is an infringement to scan, post, or email Wilson materials for any purpose, including an online lesson. However, given the unique situation due to COVID-19 related closures, and our hope that teachers can continue with their students, Wilson Language Training will allow the scanning of pages if needed during this period of extended closures. The electronic transmissions are limited to the pages needed for a particular lesson, not the entire product. The pages are to be shared directly with students. Please do not forward or post to the internet. Thank you for your consideration.